Crudo immediately began
pursuing filmmaking as a
career, working on student and
nonunion films while going to
school. Having no friends or
family in the business, the rela-
tionships he made early on
were essential to his being able
to obtain work and experience.
After completing his bache-
lor's degree in communica-
tions in 1979, he went on to
earn a master's degree in film
from Columbia College in
1981. He served as an assistant
cameraman for two to three
years before he was admitted
into the union.
For 12 years, Crudo worked
in New York as an assistant cameraman on numerous features, including
Broadway Danny Rose, Field of Dreams, Ghostbusters II, The Money Pit, The
Purple Rose of Cairo, and Raising Arizona. Moving up to camera operator,
he spent only a couple more years in that capacity before making the leap
to cinematographer. Along the way, he gained experience shooting when-
ever he could, working on student and nonunion films, "whatever I
could get my hands on. I shot tons of things, going back to day one as an
assistant, just trying to learn. The only way to learn is to film, film, film."
A film called Federal Hill, directed by friend Michael Corrente, proved
to be a break in Crudo's career as a cinematographer. "We'd known each
other for quite a few years. He'd been trying to get this thing up on its
legs for no money. Finally, he scraped the money together." Corrente, a
native of Rhode Island, where the picture was shot, garnered immense
support from the community. Shooting with 35mm black and white film,
and calling in favors from people Crudo had developed relationships
with at Panavision, Kodak, and the DuArt laboratory in New York,
enabled the filmmakers to put the film in the can for $80,000. The
picture's critical success brought notice to Crudo's work, legitimizing his
status as a cinematographer in the eyes of the industry.
In 1991, Crudo relocated to Los Angeles, where opportunities were
more abundant. "If you want to shoot and be a cinematographer, you
have to be tremendously connected. I wasn't." Over the next few years he
worked on a variety of projects, including the 1997 film Music From
Another Room, written and directed by Charlie Peters. "It remains my
What do you like
least about your job?
"What I like least is the
time off between jobs."
--Richard Crudo
What do you love most
about your job?
"What I like most is the job; doing the
work. The job itself is fantastic. It's always
different, stimulating, and exciting. The
people you work with are always fun,
always interesting. It's never twice the
same. No matter how long you've been
working, there is always something new
to learn."--Richard Crudo
VOICES OF
EXPERIENCE
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