"The Walking Dead" Cinematographer Stephen Campbell Coming to ODU April 3

"The Walking Dead" Cinematographer Stephen Campbell Coming to ODU

Stephen Campbell, award-winning cinematographer on shows such as AMC's "The Walking Dead," will speak at Old Dominion University on Wednesday, April 3.

In an appearance sponsored by the ODU film program of the Department of Communication & Theatre Arts, the Virginia Film Office and Kodak, Campbell will make a public presentation at 7:30 p.m. at the University Theatre. The presentation, which will feature a question-and-answer session moderated by film program director David Mallin, includes a screening of the season nine finale of "The Walking Dead." The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m.

"'The Walking Dead' is the most-watched episodic TV series in the world. Having the director of photography talk about the production, and about shooting on film, will be a unique opportunity for the ODU community," Mallin said.

Prior to the public event, Campbell will visit with ODU cinematography students on the Goode Theatre sound stage. His presentation will include a demo reel of his past projects and details about his road to success. After that presentation, he will conduct a hands-on lighting workshop for students and invited guests. He will explain decisions made to the script, storyboards, shooting plans and all other elements in preparation of an episode. Students can then apply that knowledge to discuss what goes into lighting, shooting and executing scenes based on location. Throughout the workshop, Campbell will provide examples from "The Walking Dead."

Campbell got his start in 1987 as a camera operator in big-budget music tours. Since then, he has contributed to Emmy- and Academy Award-winning shows and movies and continues his work as director of photography for "The Walking Dead."

The director of photography (DP) or cinematographer is responsible for bringing together multiple elements to create the visual for scenes. They make artistic and technical decisions, adjusting aspects like lighting and camera movements for each scene.

ODU offers two emphasis areas in filmmaking - the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Communication with a major in Cinema & TV Production, and Film studies; and the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance with an emphasis in Cinema Production.

For more information or questions regarding the event, contact David Mallin at dpmallin@odu.edu.