Shane Hurlbut

Career

1987–2004 Hurlbut moved to Los Angeles in 1987, where he began work in film as a driver, key grip, and gaffer, before becoming a cinematographer. His early career included work on music videos for Gloria Estefan and Smashing Pumpkins, photo shoot work with photographer Herb Ritts for an April 1997 Absolut Vodka spread in Vogue magazine, and work on a Nissan "Enjoy the Ride" commercial. In 1997 Hurlbut's career focused on light as applied to photography and film, and he owned a lighting business in Pasadena, California. Hurlbut received a nomination for an award from the American Society of Cinematographers for his cinematography work on the movie, becoming the youngest cinematographer ever to have been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers award for a debut film. Hurlbut worked again with Cohen on the 2000 film The Skulls, which was his first theatrical feature film. directed by Charles Stone III. "With 300 students dancing, running, jumping, singing and playing, Stone and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut bring you right inside the brassy band, nudged between the tubas, saxophones and clarinets," wrote Clint O'Connor of The Plain Dealer. Hurlbut worked with director Barry Levinson, as cinematographer for The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman advertisements for American Express. In a positive review of the film, Harper Barnes of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch highlighted Hurlbut, noting he had previously worked with the film's editor, Bill Pankow, on Drumline. In a review of Mr. 3000 for The Manhattan Mercury, arts critic G.W. Clift specifically highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film, commenting: "Mr. 3000 has several attractions, even unexpected ones like Shane Hurlbut's heart-stopping photography. ... one doesn't mind that it lingers over scenes, in part because the scenes look so very good." In his review Mr. 3000 for the Intelligencer Journal, Jack Roberts also highlighted Hurlbut's work on the film.

2005–present Hurlbut's cinematography work on the 2005 film Into the Blue received positive reception from film critic Roger Ebert. In a review of Into the Blue for the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Hartlaub noted, "director of photography Shane Hurlbut does some nice work in tight places". Though Associated Press writer David Germain gave a negative review overall of Into the Blue, he wrote positively of Hurlbut's cinematography work, commenting: "Shane Hurlbut's cinematography buoys the movie, but his lovely pictures of the actors swimming among jellyfish and shimmery aquatic vegetation cannot compensate for everything else."

Bob Strauss of the Los Angeles Daily News also wrote positively of Hurlbut's work in his review of Into the Blue, writing: "The undersea photography, much of it shot amid schools of wild sharks, is exquisite..." Strauss also commented positively on Hurlbut's work on the 2005 film The Greatest Game Ever Played, writing he "does a great job of making golf look cinematic". Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard was critical of the film's script, but praised Hurlbut's work: "Director Bill Paxton does have a splendid cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut, contributing beauty and atmosphere."

In 2005, Hurlbut became the first cinematographer to utilize the InDI process developed by LaserPacific, while working on the film Something New. In 2006, Hurlbut became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Kevin Canfield of The Journal News noted that Hurlbut assisted director Sanaa Hamri with "one lovely scene of the lovers bathed in the orangy light of morning and another, shot from overhead, of couples twirling on a dance floor".

Hurlbut worked on the 2006 film Waist Deep with director Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Tom Keogh of The Seattle Times described their work on shots prior to a kidnapping scene in the film as "close to breathtaking". Hurlbut worked as cinematographer on the 2008 film Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell, and Steven Boone of The Star-Ledger noted: "...Shane Hurlbut's widescreen sports cinematography does conspire with two notorious disco covers of classical music to give us a thrill along with the cheap laughs." Hurlbut collaborated with director McG as director of photography on the 2006 film We Are Marshall. Hurlbut and McG decided to use vintage lenses and film stock from the time period to evoke a feeling of the 1970s.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, Shane and Lydia announced the Filmmakers Academy. Along with Cinematography, new courses include "Unscripted Camera Operating: The Playbook" (taught by Sherri Kauk), "Commercial Directing" (taught by Jordan Brady), "How to be a camera assistant" (taught by Derek Edwards), "How to be a DIT" (taught by Derek Johnson), and "How to be a MOVI Tech" (taught by Chris Herr). The Hurlbut Academy will cease operations at 00:00 January 31, 2022 to allow Shane and Lydia to fully focus on the Filmmakers Academy.

Christian Bale incident In 2008, Hurlbut again worked with director McG, as director of photography on the film Terminator Salvation. During shooting for the film in July 2008, Hurlbut was the victim of a profane tirade from actor Christian Bale, who scolded Hurlbut for walking into a scene involving Bale and actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Hurlbut responded calmly and apologized several times to Bale, and continued shooting for seven hours after the incident. On February 6, 2009, Bale told KROQ-FM radio that he and Hurlbut talked after the incident and "resolved this completely". Bale acknowledged the two worked together for several hours after the incident, and "at least a month after that", and noted "I've seen a rough cut of the movie and he has done a wonderful job. It looks fantastic".

Filmography Film

Television TV movies Year Title Director Notes 1997 The GuardianRob Cohen 1998 The Rat Pack Nominated- ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

TV series Year Title Director Notes 2015 Into the Badlands David DobkinGuy Ferland 6 episodes 2021 Resident Alien David Dobkin Episode "Pilot" 2024 The Perfect Couple Susanne Bier Miniseries