Bradford Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bradford Young
Young in 2013
Born	Bradford Marcel Young (1977-07-06) July 6, 1977 (age 48) Louisville, Kentucky
Education	Howard University (BA, MFA)
Occupation	Cinematographer
Years active	2004–present

Bradford Marcel Young (born July 6, 1977) is an American cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of how a movie looks. They decide on the lighting, camera angles, and how scenes are filmed.

Bradford Young is famous for his work on many films. These include Selma (2014) and Arrival (2016). For Arrival, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. He also worked on Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). He filmed the Netflix miniseries When They See Us (2019) too.

Early Life and Education

Bradford Young grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He went to The Brown School and Central High School there. When he was 15, he moved to Chicago to live with his father.

He found early artistic ideas from artists like Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. He first wanted to study writing. But he ended up studying film at Howard University. There, he was inspired by his teacher Haile Gerima. His first film project at Howard was a silent, black and white film. He shot it on a Super 8 camera. Working with other students on set was how he first learned about filmmaking. Before college, he just liked watching movies like most people. He used to watch Spike Lee films with his family.

Bradford Young's Career in Film

Bradford Young has worked on many feature films as a cinematographer. Some of his early movies include Mississippi Damned (2009) and Pariah (2011). He also filmed Restless City (2011) and Middle of Nowhere (2012). Other films are Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) and Mother of George (2013).

He has won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival twice. In 2011, he won for his work on Pariah. Two years later, in 2013, he won again. This time, it was for both Mother of George and Ain't Them Bodies Saints.

Major Film Projects

Young was the cinematographer for Selma (2014). This movie won the BET Award for Best Movie in 2015. In the same year, Young joined the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). This is a group for top cinematographers.

In January 2017, Young made history. He became the first African-American cinematographer to be nominated for an Academy Award. This was for his amazing work on Arrival. His work on Arrival also earned him other awards and nominations.

Young was also the cinematographer for Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). This movie is about the space smuggler Han Solo.

In 2019, Young worked again with director Ava DuVernay. They made the Netflix miniseries When They See Us. This series was based on a true story from 1989. It received great reviews from critics.

Other Creative Works

Besides feature films, Young has worked on many short films and commercials. He has collaborated with famous directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Spike Jonze. He has also filmed music videos for artists such as Beck and Common. Young has also worked with artists Elissa Blount Moorhead and Leslie Hewitt. They created video art shown in museums worldwide.

Bradford Young's Visual Style

Bradford Young likes to use natural light when he films. For example, in Pariah, he filmed a nighttime bedroom scene. He used only Christmas lights and an IKEA lamp for light. A writer for The New York Times said he likes "raw light." She noted he often shoots into the light. But he mostly focuses on letting the scene speak for itself.

A camera assistant who often worked with Young said he has a unique style. He described it as "poetic" and "oblique."

Young has spoken about older black cinematographers who inspired him. These include Ernest Dickerson and Malik Sayeed. He feels it's important to recognize their great work. He wants to make sure their contributions are remembered.

He also gets ideas from his childhood memories. He thinks about how light looked in his grandmother's house. Or how it looked in his Aunt Marie's kitchen. When he faces a challenge in filmmaking, he uses these memories. He also likes telling stories in a non-linear way. He often switches between overhead and handheld camera shots.

Personal Life

Bradford Young is married to Stephanie Etienne. They live in Baltimore, Maryland. They have two sons.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Recognition

• 2009: Named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker's Magazine.
• 2011: Won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival for Pariah.
• 2013: Won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival for Mother of George and Ain't Them Bodies Saints.
• 2016: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Arrival.
• 2016: Nominated for a British Academy Film Award for Best Cinematography for Arrival.
• 2019: Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for When They See Us.