FLASHBACK: "TIN CUP"
I’ve worked with some big time directors. But of all of them, the man I enjoyed collaborating with most has got to be, Ron Shelton. He is a 'man’s man' and his earliest and arguably best movies are un-abashedly masculine. Witness: “Bull Durham”, “White Men Can’t Jump”, “Cobb” and “Tin Cup”.
Though I worked on “Cobb” as the 2nd Unit Cinematographer I wanted to take a moment and reminisce about my job as 2nd Unit Director and Cinematographer on “Tin Cup”. First, I used to be an avid golfer so working on a film about a fictional US Open with real PGA players sounded fantastic to me. Kevin Costner as a hapless driving range pro getting a shot at the big time is a wonderful concept that many of us duffers fantasize about - like hitting the free throw that wins the NBA Championship or striking out the side to win the World Series. All of that aside, this is more about being thankful to work in an industry that allows us to experience so many interesting things in so many exotic places. Here are some photo’s I like from my “Tin Cup”, filmed in California, Arizona and Texas in 1996.
The film was a popular hit and a financial success for Warner Bros and I’m still in touch with Ron and many crew members from that production.
To get some golfing tips from Steve Elkington made my golfing buddies green with envy. Steve had just won the PGA Championship at Riviera CC a few months earlier.
I was very fortunate that Cal Roberts was available for this project. He is a world class focus puller and lots of fun to be around. I learned just how hard it is to follow a golf ball in flight with a movie camera.
Ron Shelton is a terrific writer/director who also happens to be an amazing athlete in his own right. When it comes to sports movies, Ron has no equal. Here we are, between shots in Tubac, Arizona. I'm always asked what my favorite movie was to work on. There have been a few gems, and this one is near the top of the list.
