Academy Award Winners for Best Cinematography: 1998 — Russell Carpenter, ASC Titanic (1997) Directed by James Cameron Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1
Outlining his general lighting approach on the film, Carpenter says, "Early on, Jim [Cameron], production designer Peter Lamont and costume designer Debra Scott made decisions in regard to the period style, but there really aren't any set rules about what kind of lighting is or is not appropriate for a period film. Titanic will bear the stamp of Jim Cameron's very blue night lighting. But there's also a lot of amber in this picture, which is quite a departure. With the warmer tones, we sometimes added a bit of a sepia feeling to some of the light." Carpenter had considered the cinematographic approaches of several other period films, including Howard's End, Heaven's Gate and The Natural. Other influences included paintings by John Singer Sargent and Caravaggio. — American Cinematographer, December 1997