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Austin de Besche,
cinematographer - director,
Boston based legend who does it all.
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One of the founding participants
of the legendary Orson Welles Film School, the cinematographer
on independent film pioneer John Sayles' first two
feature films, and one of the most respected members
of the Boston film community, the soft-spoken and
unassuming Austin de Besche carries with him a quiet
authority that befits this almost 30 year veteran
of local film and video production. And his resume
is still growing. At age 54, he not only has considerable
professional experience, but he also brings a perspective
to the expanding local film industry. These, combined
with his professional skills, enable him to work on
a mix of projects that bring satisfaction to him as
a craftsman, an artist and as a person.
Austin has always loved film,
although he didn't always know he wanted to be a cinematographer.
At Dartmouth, where he majored in English, he was
a founder of the Dartmouth Film Society where he met
Wayne Wadhams, with whom he would later become business
partners.
Upon graduation, he was faced
with military service. It was the Vietnam period (a
lot of Austin's work and attitude is suffused with
the idealism of the times) where he could avoid combat,
but got to learn cinematography.. As he says, "I learned
the equipment, but I also learned a lot of bad lighting
habits." (He has since corrected that.}
In the post-Vietnam mid-seventies,
Austin landed in Boston where he tried his skills
in teaching and in business. To hear him tell it,
teaching was more successful. "It was a great place
to be," says de Besche of the early days at the Orson
Welles Film School where he taught super 8mm filmmaking.
Like today's CityScape, the Welles wanted students
to become directly involved in filmmaking. During
that time Austin shot I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF,
a portrait of filmmaker Nicholas Ray (REBEL WITHOUT
A CAUSE, IN A LONELY PLACE}.At the time, Ray himself
was engaged in a filmmaking project with students
at SUNY Binghamton. De Besche also had fun shooting
a comic short, CHICKENS, written and directed by former
Boston writer Nat Segaloff and starring the legendary
DJ Charles Laquidera.
He also went into business,
forming Film Associates with firend Wayne Wadhams.
"We were the least successful sales people in the
world," says de Besche,who still claims not to be
very good at marketing himself. His reputation grew,
however,and soon he became more successful as a free
lancer than as a businessman. He formed the appropriately
named Moonlight Productions.
He has shot and directed thousands
of corporate films and commercials over the years,
but, outside the film community, de Besche is perhaps
best known for his work on John Sayles' first two
films, THE RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN, and LIANNA,
the first American film to deal overtly with the subject
of lesbianism. SECAUCUS SEVEN {due to be re-released
within the next few months) had started out as a demo
short so that Sayles could move from screenwriting
to directing. It evolved into a feature that was shot
in four weeks in North Conway NH. In spite of the
6 l/2 day work week, de Besche loved the experiencem
saying "it was great working with nice people."
Recently, he directed and
co-wrote A TASTE OF CHANUKAH, a music concert special
starring Theodore Bikel, which aired last year on
PBS, and co-photographed VOICES OF THE CHILDREN, a
documentary on Holocaust survivors, which won a National
Emmy in l999. He has also written and directed two
fine short dramatic films, A SIMPLE QUESTION and PAUL
AND NANCY, both two character, single set stories
that show not only de Besche's ability to shoot and
light scenes, but also his ability to direct actors.
He is currently producing and directing PILGRIMAGE
OF THE PAST, a documentary on a Holocaust survivor
he met through his work on VOICES OF THE CHILDREN.
He has also enjoyed doing second unit work on Maureen
Foley's HOME BEFORE DARK, and on the recently acclaimed
BLUE DINER by Jan Egleson and Natatcha Estebanez.
As he says, "Working for good people on good projects
is always good."
There is more to Austin than
his life behind the camera. A dedicated family man,he
also performed forfive years with Renegade Duck, an
improv comedy troupe, and he sings with the Boston
Pops Gospel Choir, with whom he worked while directing
A TASTE OF CHANUKAH.
As a free lance cinematographer,
Austin de Besche leads a full and rewarding professional
life, although it wasn't always so. He knows that
it is easier to start out now than it was in the 70's.
He credits the better climate
to the emergence of video, the growth of commercial
production and television series like AGAINST THE
LAW and SPENCER FOR HIRE, which gave people good training
for the real world. And he sees this growing community
as being supportive. Austin himself was seen at several
events at the recent New England Film and Video Festival.
It is that sense of belonging to a community, of working
with good people that mark his entire career from
his days at the Welles, through working with Sayles
throughout his current projects. Not only has the
approach helped his own career, but it has contributed
to enriching the climate for all who try to make a
living in film and video production in the area.
David
Kleiler contributes "Establishing Shot" regularly
to to Imagine. He also heads up Local Sightings, a
non-profit organization that provides script consulting,
representation and exhibition for independent filmmakers.
Contact information: localsightings@att.worldnet.net.
