Frederic Goodich
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Frederic Goodich |
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Fred Goodich, ASC, served as cameraman in a number of important films made for Encyclopaedia Britannica, and went on to a stellar career in Hollywood, on television, documentaries, feature films, and commercials. Born in The Bronx, New York, on September 10, 1939, Frederic Goodich early on drew and painted the faces of people he knew. In elementary school, his poster for the “Keep Your Subway Clean” campaign won first prize in an all-Bronx competition. He borrowed a friend’s Leica and developed an interest in still photography. However, his family encouraged him to choose a ‘practical’ career, similar to his uncle’s, a research chemist who co-developed Kent cigarette's Micro-nite filter. When Fred entered Bronx High School of Science, he was expecting to become an engineer. However, once in college, he realized visual art was his undeniable passion, and that filmmaking, (cinematography, in particular,) combined it all: science, technology and art. Upon graduation from CCNY, a fellow student recommended Goodich for a camera job in Washington, D.C. working for TV-commentator Peter Von Sahn’s “The Wind-Rose”, a magazine style show for West-German audiences. Goodich filmed Americans at work and play, civil-rights struggles, peace marches, politicians, everyday citizens, celebrities (John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson...) A chance meeting, in Los Angeles with Larry Lipton, the beat-poet and -chronicler, who had weekly screenings of American underground films in his Venice bungalow, led Goodich to seek work at Encyclopedia Britannica Films in Hollywood. Stan Croner, who headed the unit, was impressed when Goodich offered to sweep floors unpaid just so long as he could observe the filmmaking. Croner hired him at $40 a week. After making a number of films at EB, Goodich went on to become a noted cinematographer, whose features include: G.I. Jesus, Surviving Eden, The Affair, Lay of the Land and For Love of the Game (2nd unit.) According to the L.A. Times, his cinematography on Fear No Evil contains "sublimely poetic imagery." His Board & Care won the 1980 Academy Award for Best Dramatic Short. He was an award-winning DP in commercials, having shot over 900 of them, many for major clients. He also directed: Cher’s music video Main Man, fashion videos for various designers, the short film Green-Eyed, and photographed and co-wrote & -directed (with Gene Kearney) the long-form music video/feature documentary for A&M Records, Love It Or Leave It. Fred was an instructor at the American Film Institute (A.F.I.) in Los Angeles where he taught the Advanced Camera Technique and Lighting Workshop and conducted the Cinematography Forum (which profiles the work of guest cinematographers.) He was involved with the Bangkok Film Festival on the selection committee for at least two years, circa 2006. Fred passed away on August 30, 2016. He is survived by wife Donna and son Nikolas Soren.
Academic films made for companies other than Encyclopaedia Britannica, for which Goodich served as DP or Director
Encyclopaedia Britannica films for which Goodich served as DP or Director
Films for which Frederic Goodich worked at Encyclopaedia Britannica as Assistant Cameraman to DP Isidore Mankofsky, ASC.
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