László Kovács (cinematographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
László Kovács
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Kovács in 2006
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| Born | 14 May 1933 Cece, Hungary
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| Died | 22 July 2007 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Hungarian-American |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1964–2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Audrey (1984-2007) (his death) (2 children) |
| Children | Julianna and Nadia |
László Kovács ASC (born May 14, 1933 – died July 22, 2007) was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of how a movie is filmed, including lighting and camera work. Kovács was very important in shaping a new style of American movies in the 1970s, known as the American New Wave.
He worked with famous directors like Peter Bogdanovich, Dennis Hopper, and Martin Scorsese. Kovács is especially known for his work on the films Easy Rider (1969) and Five Easy Pieces (1970). He received many awards during his career, including three Lifetime Achievement Awards.
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Early Life and Moving to America
László Kovács was born in Cece, Hungary. He studied filmmaking at a special school in Budapest from 1952 to 1956. During this time, he became good friends with another student, Vilmos Zsigmond.
In 1956, a big event called the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 happened in Hungary. Kovács and Zsigmond secretly filmed the revolution as it unfolded. They used a special camera borrowed from their school. In November 1956, they managed to sneak about 30,000 feet of film into Austria.
They came to the United States in March 1957, hoping to sell their film footage. However, by then, the revolution was no longer big news. The film was finally shown on the CBS television network in 1961 as part of a documentary.
Kovács decided to stay in the United States and became an American citizen in 1963. Before becoming a successful cinematographer, he worked at different jobs, like making maple syrup. He also made some very low-budget films with his friend Vilmos Zsigmond.
A Career in Film
Kovács's big break came with the 1969 movie Easy Rider. This film starred and was directed by Dennis Hopper. At first, Kovács wasn't sure about working on it because he had already filmed many biker movies. But Hopper convinced him that Easy Rider would be different. Kovács then became the film's director of photography.
His work on Easy Rider was highly praised. He earned an award for Best Cinematographer at the 1970 Laurel Awards. In 1970, he worked with Dennis Hopper again on The Last Movie. That same year, Kovács also filmed Five Easy Pieces, which earned him another award for Best Cinematographer.
László Kovács filmed more than 70 movies during his career. He worked on six films with director Peter Bogdanovich, which was more than any other cinematographer. These films included Targets, What's Up, Doc?, and Paper Moon.
Other famous movies Kovács helped create include Shampoo, New York, New York, and Ghostbusters. He also worked on Say Anything..., My Best Friend's Wedding, and Miss Congeniality.
One interesting story happened while he was filming The Last Waltz, a concert movie. The camera operators were told to turn off their cameras to save battery. But when musician Muddy Waters started playing, the director, Martin Scorsese, suddenly wanted all cameras turned back on. Most cameras took a few minutes to start up, so they missed most of Waters' performance. However, Kovács had kept his camera rolling, so he was the only one who filmed the entire performance!
Kovács's last work was in Torn from the Flag, a documentary from 2006. This film used the original footage he and Zsigmond shot during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Personal Life
László Kovács passed away on July 22, 2007, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 74 years old. He had been married to his wife, Audrey, for 23 years. He had two daughters, Julianna and Nadia, and a granddaughter named Mia.
Awards and Recognition
Kovács received many honors for his amazing work in filmmaking.
- In 1995, he was part of the jury at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival.
- He received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Camerimage (1998), WorldFest (1999), and the American Society of Cinematographers (2002). The award from the American Society of Cinematographers is their highest honor.
- He also received an Excellence in Cinematography Award in 1999 and a Hollywood Film Award in 2001.
After his death, the American Society of Cinematographers created the 2008 Heritage Award for top student filmmakers in memory of Kovács.
A documentary film from 2008, called No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos, tells the story of the 50-year friendship between Kovács and Vilmos Zsigmond. It also shows how much they influenced filmmaking. Film critic Leonard Maltin said that without Kovács and Zsigmond, the "American New Wave" movies of the late 1960s and early 1970s would not have been as successful.
Selected Filmography
László Kovács worked on many films. Here are some of the notable ones:
Feature Films
- 1967: Hells Angels on Wheels
- 1968: Targets
- 1969: Easy Rider (Won Golden Laurel Award for Best Cinematography)
- 1970: Five Easy Pieces (Won Golden Laurel Award for Best Cinematography)
- 1972: What's Up, Doc?
- 1973: Paper Moon
- 1974: For Pete's Sake
- 1975: Shampoo
- 1977: New York, New York
- 1978: F.I.S.T.
- 1984: Ghostbusters
- 1985: Mask
- 1989: Say Anything...
- 1992: Radio Flyer
- 1995: Copycat
- 1997: My Best Friend's Wedding
- 2000: Miss Congeniality
- 2002: Two Weeks Notice
Documentary Works
- 1971: Directed by John Ford
- 2007: Torn from the Flag
