FSU Film Student Wins Prestigious ASC Heritage Award

(Check out this online interview with Nathan Levine-Heaney)

Nathan Levine-Heaney has been awarded the Heritage Award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in Hollywood. The award is presented annually to one or more film students for outstanding achievement in student cinematography.

The Hollywood-based American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in 1919, is the world's oldest and most prestigious honorary society of directors of photography. Its Heritage Award is designed to “encourage the next generation of talented filmmakers to pursue their dreams by recognizing outstanding artistic achievements by students,” says famed cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, ASC. The award includes a cash grant prize.

“Our students who won the ASC Award in the past shot their projects on 35mm film. This is a really exciting recognition because this project was digitally captured using our new RED cameras,” says Rexford Metz, ASC, who teaches cinematography at Florida State, and whose credits include Jaws and Courage Under Fire. “I believe this is the first ASC Award given to a project shot on RED,” Metz added.

Recently the Florida State Film School added to its stable of professional equipment eight RED cameras, regarded by many in the industry as the cutting edge of motion picture cameras designed to capture images digitally. Coincidentally, Levine-Heaney’s project was the first film shot at Florida State with this new technology.

Florida State has produced more than its share of talented young cinematographers. Levine-Heaney is the fourth FSU Film School student to win this highly coveted ASC award in ten years.

“I’m thrilled. Nathan not only has a wonderful eye for light and shadow, but he’s also a remarkably smart person. This kid has a promising career ahead of him,” says Frank Patterson, dean of the Film School, who was recently recognized by the Hollywood Reporter as one of the nation's top mentors to a generation of Hollywood filmmakers.

Recognized by the Directors Guild of America for its “distinguished contribution to American culture through the world of film and television,” Florida State University has one of the largest and best-equipped facilities in the nation devoted wholly to film education.