Along with László Kovács, a fellow student who fled Hungary in 1956, Zsigmond rose to prominence in the 1970s. He is known for his use of natural light and vivid use of color on features such as The Long Goodbye (1973) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
Academy Award for Best Cinematography, American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award, BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography, American Soc...
Nominations
American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases, Satellite Award for Best Cinematography, Golden Osella for Best Cinematography
Movies
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Deer Hunter, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Deliverance, The Long Goodbye, Heaven's Gate, Blow Out, The Black Dahlia, The Sugarland Express, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Hired Hand, Obsession, Melinda and Melinda, Cassandra's Dream, The Two Jakes, The Witche...
#
Quote
1
I like to work with Michael Cimino. I don't like him personally - he's very difficult to work with, because he's very demanding and he doesn't think about anybody around him, he's yelling at everybody. But as a film director, I think he's one of the best.
2
We had a terrible situation on "Close Encounters", because they wanted to fire me several times. The only reason they didn't was because they didn't have a replacement who could take over.
3
[on Heaven's Gate (1980)] Michael [Cimino] really wanted to make a perfect film. He could have made this film for much less. He overdid it; he overcomplicated it. But they should not have killed him for it.
#
Fact
1
Owns a camera, lighting and grip company in Budapest.
2
Member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
3
Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Cinematographers Branch) [2007-].
4
The name, if spelled correctly in Hungarian, should sound like "Vilmosh Sigmond".
5
He and László Kovács shot footage of the Soviet invasion and then escaped to the United States where they sold the footage to CBS.
6
Began his career photographing the Hungarian revolution of 1956. Won several international and domestic awards as director of TV commercials.
Cinematographer
Title
Year
Status
Character
What's Up Front!
1964
as William Zsigmond
Story of the Wholesale Produce Market
1963
Documentary short
Living Between Two Worlds
1963
The Sadist
1963
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
Hajnal elött
1955
Short
A Föld
1953
Short
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
2014
God the Father
2014
Documentary
The Mindy Project
2012-2014
TV Series 24 episodes
Compulsion
2013/I
Kickstart Theft
2012
Short
A halálba táncoltatott leány
2011
director of photography
Summer Children
2011
Louis
2010
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
2010
Torn from the Flag: A Film by Klaudia Kovacs
2007
Documentary
Cassandra's Dream
2007
The Black Dahlia
2006
Surrender, Dorothy
2006
TV Movie
Melinda and Melinda
2004
Medicine Chest
2004
Video short
Jersey Girl
2004
director of photography
Bánk bán
2002
Life as a House
2001
director of photography
The Body
2001
The Mists of Avalon
2001
TV Mini-Series 2 episodes
Ljuset håller mig sällskap
2000
Documentary
The Argument
1999
Short
Illegal Music
1998
Playing by Heart
1998
director of photography
Freak the Mighty
1998
Video short
The Ghost and the Darkness
1996
Assassins
1995
The Crossing Guard
1995
Maverick
1994
Intersection
1994
director of photography
Sliver
1993
Stalin
1992
TV Movie
The Bonfire of the Vanities
1990
director of photography
The Two Jakes
1990
Fat Man and Little Boy
1989
director of photography
Journey to Spirit Island
1988
The Witches of Eastwick
1987
Real Genius
1985
The River
1984
No Small Affair
1984
Table for Five
1983
Jinxed!
1982
Blow Out
1981
director of photography
Heaven's Gate
1980
Making Xanadu: The Musical Fantasy Movie
1980
TV Movie documentary
The Rose
1979
Flesh & Blood
1979
TV Movie
Winter Kills
1979
The Deer Hunter
1978
director of photography
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
director of photography
Obsession
1976
Death Riders
1976
Documentary
Sweet Revenge
1976
Iron and Horse
1975
Short director of photography
The Girl from Petrovka
1974
The Sugarland Express
1974
director of photography
Cinderella Liberty
1973
director of photography
Scarecrow
1973
director of photography
The Long Goodbye
1973
photographed by
Country Music
1972
Deliverance
1972
director of photography
Images
1972
The Ski Bum
1971
The Hired Hand
1971
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971
director of photography
Red Sky at Morning
1971
Threshold
1971
Short as William Zsigmond
Horror of the Blood Monsters
1970
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
Baja Marimba Band
1969
TV Movie
Futz
1969
director of photography
Five Bloody Graves
1969
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
The Monitors
1969
director of photography - as William Zsigmund
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
1969
TV Series 1 episode
Satan's Sadists
1969
uncredited
Hot Rod Action
1969
Documentary director of photography
The Picasso Summer
1969
Jennie: Wife/Child
1968
as William Zsigmond
Prelude
1968
Short
The World of Animals: Big Cats, Little Cats
1968
TV Movie documentary
The Name of the Game Is Kill!
1968
as William Zsigmond
The Road to Nashville
1967
as William Zsigmund
Psycho
1967
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
Mondo Mod
1967
Documentary as William Zsigmond
Psycho a Go-Go
1965
as William Zsigmond
The Market
1965
TV Movie documentary as William Zsigmond
Rat Fink
1965
Summer Children
1965
as William Zsigmond
Tales of a Salesman
1965
as William Zsigmond
Deadwood '76
1965
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
The Nasty Rabbit
1964
as William Zsigmond
The Time Travelers
1964
director of photography - as William Zsigmond
Camera Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Kickstart Theft
2012
Short camera operator
Independent Lens
2009
TV Series documentary still photographer - 1 episode
Timeline
2003
director of photography: Los Angeles
China Beach
1989-1990
TV Series photographer - 2 episodes
The Border
1982
additional photographer / camera operator: additional photography
The Last Waltz
1978
Documentary additional director of photography
Mahogany
1975
additional photography by - uncredited
Dusty and Sweets McGee
1971
additional photographer: Whiskey-A-Go-Go
The Cat
1966
nature photographer - as William Zsigmond
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?
1964
camera operator - as William Zsigmond
Wild Guitar
1962
photographer: second unit - as William Zsigmond
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Louis
2010
Hungarian Photographer
Maverick
1994
Albert Bierstadt
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Long Shadow
1992
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Torn from the Flag: A Film by Klaudia Kovacs
2007
Documentary executive producer
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Bombing
2016
cinematography consultant completed
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Aghápe
2015
Short very special thanks
Alpha
2015/I
Short very special thanks
Heartfelt Vacation
2009
Short in memory of
Lymelife
2008
special thanks
Reflections on Golden Pond
2003
Video documentary short special thanks
Imagining 'Images'
2003
Video documentary short special thanks
Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes 'The Long Goodbye'
2002
Video documentary short thanks
In Pursuit
2000
Video special thanks
Visions of Light
1992
Documentary special thanks: AFI
Summer Children
1965
very special thanks - special edition version
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Phil Stern Eyewitness
Documentary post-production
Himself
Red Roofs
Documentary filming
Himself
Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond
2016
Documentary
Himself
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
2015
TV Series documentary
Himself - Interviewee
Painting Jackson County: An Interview with Vilmos Zsigmond
2013
Documentary short
Psycho's Sister: Making 'The Name of the Game Is Kill'
2013
Documentary
Himself
Black and White in Color: Vilmos Zsigmond on 'Blow Out'
2012
Video short
Himself
Side by Side
2012
Documentary
Himself
American Masters
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself
Silhouettes in Shadow and Light
2010
Himself
A Cinematic Life: The Art & Influence of Conrad Hall
2010
Video short
Himself
Light Is Everything: Vilmos Zsigmond on Cinematography
2008
Documentary
Himself
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
2008
Documentary
Himself
Deliverance: Betraying the River
2007
Video short
Himself
Deliverance: Delivered
2007
Video short
Himself
Deliverance: The Journey
2007
Video short
Himself
Master and the Disciples: Unfinished Conversation About Cinematography
2007
Documentary
Himself
Wanderlust
2006
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Cinematographer Style
2006
Documentary
Himself
Who Needs Sleep?
2006
Documentary
Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate
2004
Documentary
Himself
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Return of 'The Hired Hand'
2003
Video documentary
Himself
Imagining 'Images'
2003
Video documentary short
Himself
Who Killed 'Winter Kills'?
2003
Video documentary short
Himself
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
Documentary
Himself
Shooting 'The Deer Hunter'
2003
Video short
Himself
Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes 'The Long Goodbye'
2002
Video documentary short
Himself
Character Building: Inside 'Life as a House'
2001
Video short documentary
Himself
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001
Video documentary
Himself
'Obsession' Revisited
2001
Video documentary short
Himself
Ljuset håller mig sällskap
2000
Documentary
Himself - Interviewee
International Cinematographer's Guild Heritage Series
1997
TV Series
Himself
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997
TV Movie documentary
Himself
A Film és... I.-XIV
1995
TV Series documentary
Himself (1995)
Visions of Light
1992
Documentary
Himself
The 50th Annual Academy Awards
1978
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Cinematography
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 88th Annual Academy Awards
2016
TV Special
Himself - Memorial Tribute
Altman
2014
Documentary
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2014
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jameson CineFest - Miskolc International Film Festival
2006
Hollywood Film Award
Hollywood Film Awards
Cinematographer of the Year
The Black Dahlia (2006)
2002
Best Film Adaptation of an Opera
Camerimage
Bánk bán (2002)
1999
Lifetime Achievement Award
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
1999
Maverick Tribute Award
Cinequest San Jose Film Festival
1997
Lifetime Achievement Award
Camerimage
1994
CableACE
CableACE Awards
Direction of Photography and/or Lighting Direction in a Dramatic or Theatrical Special/Movie or Miniseries
Stalin (1992)
1993
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special
Stalin (1992)
1993
ASC Award
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movies of the Week/Pilots
Stalin (1992)
1980
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Cinematography
The Deer Hunter (1978)
1978
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
1974
NSFC Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2014
Golden Frog
Camerimage
Feature Documentary Films Competition
God the Father (2014)
2010
Golden Frog
Camerimage
Main Competition
Louis (2010)
2007
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Achievement in Cinematography
The Black Dahlia (2006)
2007
ASC Award
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
The Black Dahlia (2006)
2006
Golden Frog
Camerimage
Main Competition
The Black Dahlia (2006)
2006
Satellite Award
Satellite Awards
Best Cinematography
The Black Dahlia (2006)
2002
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie
The Mists of Avalon (2001)
1997
ASC Award
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
1985
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
The River (1984)
1979
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
The Deer Hunter (1978)
1979
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Cinematography
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
1973
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Cinematography
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
2nd Place Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1982
NSFC Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
Blow Out (1981)
1972
NSFC Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
Images (1972)
3rd Place Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1971
NSFC Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
Best Cinematography
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Known for movies
The Deer Hunter (1978) as Cinematographer
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) as Cinematographer
$15 Million
