"Forrest Gump" Cinematographer Don Burgess, ASC on His Career and Making "Here"

In this episode, we welcome cinematographer Don Burgess, ASC. Don has lensed a long list of revered films including Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Contact, What Lies Beneath, Spider-Man, The Polar Express, The Book of Eli, Flight, 42, The Conjuring 2, Allied, Wonder, Aquaman, and Here. In our chat, Don shares about his upbringing, early inspirations, education, and path to becoming a leading director of photography. He also takes us behind-the-scenes of making Here, his latest collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis — and offers real-world advice for filmmakers starting out today. “The Making Of” is presented by AJA:Uncover exciting new AJA tech for production and post workflows.From KONA IP25, AJA’s new SMPTE ST 2110 I/O card, to OG-ColorBox, an openGear version of AJA’s ColorBox color management and conversion device, AJA announced exciting developments at IBC 2024. Explore these tools, alongside new AJA Diskover Media Edition plug-ins and enhancements, a Virtual KONA technology preview, and more here.Vimeo Atlanta Event:Dec. 11th | Tara AtlantaA night of inspiring Vimeo Staff Picks + live filmmaker commentary!Join Vimeo curators Ina Pira and Beau Farrell as they screen recent Staff Picked films with live, unscripted commentary from some of the best creators on Vimeo.Founded in 2008, Vimeo Staff Picks has emerged as one of the preeminent channels for online video and one of the most coveted awards for young filmmakers, having helped launch the careers of many celebrated directors. Hear from the next generation of storytellers in a format that’s sure to be eclectic and insightful.Free tickets hereFrom our Friends at Anton/Bauer…Today’s episode is also powered by Anton/Bauer — batteries built with no compromise for filmmakers and creators. From blockbuster sets to solo projects, Anton/Bauer batteries deliver high-performance power with unmatched reliability so your story never misses a beat. Trusted by industry pros worldwide, Anton/Bauer keeps your gear ready when it matters most.Learn more at antonbauer.comOWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress CardsExperience the unparalleled performance and reliability of Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards purpose-built for professional filmmakers and photographers to capture flawlessly and offload files quickly in the most demanding scenarios.Browse hereFrom our Friends at Videoguys…The Canon EOS C70 offers exceptional cinema capabilities in a compact package. Enjoy stunning images with a 4K Super 35mm DGO Sensor and all the built-in features you could ask for, including ND Filters, mini XLRs, direct touch rotatable LCD screen, Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus, and excellent battery life. Making the EOS C70 even more powerful is compatibility with Canon's expanding line of high-performance RF Lenses.Learn more hereZEISS Introduces Supreme Zoom RadianceThe new ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance set includes three purpose-built T2.9 high-end cine zooms: 15-30mm, 28-80mm and 70-200mm. Featuring the same T* blue lens coating as the popular Supreme Prime Radiances, they offer a similar look with consistent flares and warmer color rendition.Visit hereFeatured Book: Lessons from American Cinematographer: Sharing Nearly Three Decades of Tips & Techniques from the World's Top Cinematographers — A Shot Craft CompanionFor nearly three decades, Jay Holben has a been a contributor for American Cinematographer magazine and has had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with the top cinematographers in the world. As a cinematographer himself, Holben used this extraordinary privilege to not only discuss the ins-and-outs of a particular movie being covered, but to "pick the brains" of the best cinematographers on the planet. This rather selfish approach to his journalism afforded Holben the chance to fill his creative toolbox with tips and techniques from the true masters of the art. These treasures of movie magic were printed in the pages of American Cinematographerover the past 27 years, but they have now all been collected into a single volume.Lessons From American Cinematographer brings the reader back to every interview and AC story highlighting those special tips and techniques that Holben learned. It's like opening a secret vault to a secret collection of tips and techniques handed down from the artisans of motion picture photography in your hands. A perfect companion to Holben's extremely popular Shot Craft series, Lessons From American Cinematographer provides the reader a lifetime of masterclasses in a single volume. Available herePodcast Rewind:Nov 2024 - Ep. 53…“The Making Of” is published by Michael Valinsky.Promote your products to 100,000 film, TV, documentary, video and broadcast pros reading this newsletter. Reach out to us at [email protected] Get full access to The Making Of at themakingof.substack.com/subscribe