called Sports Theater. Through the experience, Mathis developed a rela-
tionship with Brian Robbins, which led to work on the Nickelodeon
series Cousin Skeeter and later, the pilot for Popular.
Mathis's first big studio feature, Ready to Rumble, was also due to
Robbins. "Each step of the way, Brian gave me a chance to work on
bigger and bigger projects with more mature subject matter. He really
went to bat for me with the studio. They were understandably reluctant
to let a 29-year-old guy with just television and independent film credits
do a $30 million studio movie."
Ready to Rumble wrapped just as pilot season was starting. Mathis
quickly found himself directing two pilots and then picking up the series
The Fugitive. The show was cancelled after one season and he went on to
shoot the pilot for Birds of Prey, directed by Robbins.
"One thing I'm particularly proud of in the pilot [for Birds of Prey] was
that I attempted to pay homage to one of my idols, Gregg Toland, who
did Citizen Kane and The Grapes of Wrath. As opposed to doing very
shallow focus photography that a lot of folks are doing, I pitched to
Brian, the director, and the studio about doing it with a wide angle and
lots of depth of field, almost theatrical tableaus and compositions . . . "
In the summer of 2002, Mathis returned to features, shooting The
Perfect Score.
"I have been very, very lucky, and cannot overstate the fact that I have
been very lucky to meet people who are interested in giving me a chance
. . . I used to read about guys like Allen Daviau and dream of the day
when I could do this for a living."
Professional Profile: John Schwartzman, CSA, Cinematographer
"The cinematographer is responsible for translating the written word
to film images."--John Schwartzman, CSA
Like most successful filmmakers, John Schwartzman parlayed his rela-
tionships in the industry into opportunities that launched his career as a cin-
ematographer. The method he used to achieve success translates to anyone
starting out; the difference is that his contacts were Francis Ford Coppola,
George Lucas, and friends Michael Bay, Michael Lehmann, and Gary Ross.
"I grew up around the film business. My best friend's father
[Lawrence Turman] was the producer of The Graduate. He had offices at
Warner Brothers. He or his secretary would pick us up from school and
take us to Warner Brothers, where we would do our homework at his
office and run around and elude the studio security . . . It was kind of
my playground as a kid."
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