A Single Frame: Celebrating Twenty Years of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers

On view at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and open to the public during public events held at the Pickford Center.

The Academy is pleased to present A Single Frame: Celebrating Twenty Years of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers, an exhibition of 35 set photos that were taken during film productions all over the world by unit still photographers. Founded in 1995, the SMPSP promotes archival preservation of still pictures shot during the production of motion pictures for their historical and cultural importance and provides a forum for members to exchange ideas and discuss issues facing set photographers today.

This exhibition includes images spanning nearly 40 years of the SMPSP’s work, including shots taken on the sets of films such as Raging Bull (1980), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and portraits of Whitney Houston in Waiting to Exhale (1995), Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich (2000) and Joel and Ethan Coen on the set of The Big Lebowski (1998). Taken on movie sets around the globe, from Los Angeles to Shanghai, Australia to Germany and Tehran to Ireland, the photos on display convey a unique perspective on the filmmaking process, through the lenses of these unique artists. The installation is on display in the main corridor of the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study.

“Leap of Faith,” Photographer: Justin Lubin
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE (2009)

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