Cinema and photography students will have an opportunity to meet the former president of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Steven Poster, a former SIUC student, has served as the cinematographer in several movies, including “Rocky V,” “Donnie Darko,” “Stuart Little 2” and “The Box,” which opened in theaters last week.
Poster is visiting SIUC this weekend, starting with a photo exhibition from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the University Museum in Faner Hall. From 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, he will give a presentation on lighting in movies and from 5:30 to 9 p.m., he will be in Morris Library screening his movie, “Donnie Darko.”
Poster said he attended SIUC for two years before moving to the Los Angeles Arts Center. He said he discovered his love for cinematography while participating in an experimental freshman program at SIUC.
“It was one of the most exciting things educationally I have ever done,” Poster said. “I gained a love for education that, all through high school, I hadn’t had.”
After college, he said two of his earliest experiences were working on the sets of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Blade Runner.”
“Talk about an education, that was like doing a masters degree,” Poster said.
Walter Metz, chairman of the cinema and photography department, said Poster can talk to students about being an artist and what type of professional careers are available to cinematographers.
“What universities do well is talk about ideas. What they don’t do well is give students practical and hands-on professional experience,” Metz said. “So having him come is really great for the students because they can learn about career paths.”
Poster said he hopes he can offer students the advice they need to make it in the entertainment business.
“You have to be willing to really persevere. That’s the big deal,” Poster said. “It’s a tough business and right now, with the economy the way it is, it’s really tough.”
Dona Bachman, director of the University Museum, said Poster is excited to not only visit campus again, but to connect with students as well.
“He could have been a teacher because he clearly loves to talk about cinematography and photography, and he’s just really excited about talking to the students,” Bachman said.
Lilly Boruszkowski, a professor in the cinema and photography department, said having a prestigious cinematographer visit SIUC shows the university in a good light.
“It’s something to be incredibly proud of, that we have alumni who have had such amazing success and achievements in their careers,” Boruszkowski said. “It’s incredibly impressive.”
Bachman said she was the first to be contacted by Poster. She said she became interested in Poster’s photography exhibit when she found out he had attended SIUC.
Poster has made a living off cinematography, but he said he still has a passion for photography.
“I am constantly carrying a camera, whether I’m on a movie or not,” Poster said. “My life is photography.”
Bachman said the exhibit consists of about 24 large-scale black and white photographs that focus on solitude and the quiet moments in life.
“You can tell he has the mind of a photographer. He observes things that most of us don’t observe,” Bachman said.
Apart from the photo exhibit and the discussion with students, Poster said he is excited to revisit his former campus.
“I’m really excited to see the campus. I haven’t been there in so many years and I want to see how it’s grown,” Poster said. “It was a golden time in my life.”
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