Born and raised in New York City, cinematographer Harris Savides earned a degree from the School of Visual Arts, where he studied film and still photography. Following a start in fashion photography which included almost two years in Milan and Paris, Savides returned to New York with his book of distinctive work which drew attention from various magazines, advertising clients, and record companies.
Born and raised in New York City, Harris Savides earned a degree from the School of Visual Arts, where he studied film and still photography. Following a start in fashion photography which included almost two years in Milan and Paris, Savides returned to New York with his book of distinctive work which drew attention from various magazines, advertising clients, and record companies.
Various musical artists, impressed with his album cover designs, asked him to lend his stylish lighting and camerawork to music videos. His early associations with Ziggy Marley, Lenny Kravitz, and Billy Joel earned him the attention of some of the foremost music video directors in the industry. Savides soon made the transition from still photographer to cinematographer and his talents were brought to the attention of such notable directors as David Fincher, Jean Baptiste Mondino, Ridley Scott, Mark Romanek, Peter Care and Bruce Weber.
His cinematography on R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts," Madonna's "Rain" and Fiona Apple's "Criminal" each earned him MTV awards in 1994, 1995, and 1998. (In 1994, Savides held three of the five nominations for cinematography at the MTV Awards.) In 1995, Savides received an award from the Music Video Producers Association for his cinematography on Nine Inch Nail's "Closer." This video, as well as Madonna's "Bedtime Stories," which Savides also shot, are included in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In addition, Savides has also teamed with director Fincher on commercials for Nike and AT&T.
