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[[Image:Finnerman1.jpg|thumb|Finnerman in [[1967]]]]
  
[[Image:Finnerman1.jpg|thumb|Finnerman in [[1967]]]]
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'''Gerald Perry (Jerry) Finnerman''' {{born|17|December|1931}} was director of photography for the first two seasons and the beginning of the third season of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]''. He had previously worked as camera operator on the two pilot episodes, {{e|The Cage}} and {{e|Where No Man Has Gone Before}}, before being promoted to director of photography on the series proper. (''[[The Making of Star Trek]]'')
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'''Gerald Perry (Jerry) Finnerman''' {{born|17|December|1931}} was director of photography for the first two seasons and the beginning of the third season of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]''.
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Finnerman, the son of cinematographer {{w|Perry Finnerman}} began his career as the apprentice of cameraman {{w|Harry Stradling}}, working as a camera operator on some of Stradling's films, including ''My Fair Lady'' (1964, featuring [[Theodore Bikel]]).[http://www.startrekhistory.com/interviews.html#SENENSKY] He then worked as camera operator on the two pilot episodes, {{e|The Cage}} and {{e|Where No Man Has Gone Before}}. (''[[The Making of Star Trek]]'')
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In {{y|1966}}, soon before production began on {{e|The Corbomite Maneuver}}, the first regular episode of ''The Original Series'', the production staff realized they didn't have a director of photography. [[Robert H. Justman]] found Finnerman and went into [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s office, claiming that he has found a cameraman for the show. Roddenberry immediately ordered Justman to hire him. ''Star Trek'' being his first job as a director of photography, Finnerman was eventually very concerned if he would be able to do the series properly.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu6y4vARGq0]
   
 
Finnerman remained with the series until early in the [[TOS Season 3|third season]], quitting after production of the episode {{e|The Empath}}, partly because he felt the series had become ridiculous, but mainly due to a dispute with [[Fred Freiberger]], who wanted Finnerman not only to accept a wage reduction, but to have his equipment allowance hugely reduced. [[Gene Roddenberry]] invited Finnerman back to ''Trek'' for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', but he turned the offer down.
  
Finnerman remained with the series until early in the [[TOS Season 3|third season]], quitting after production of the episode {{e|The Empath}}, partly because he felt the series had become ridiculous, but mainly due to a dispute with [[Fred Freiberger]], who wanted Finnerman not only to accept a wage reduction, but to have his equipment allowance hugely reduced. [[Gene Roddenberry]] invited Finnerman back to ''Trek'' for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', but he turned the offer down.

Revision as of 13:29, 8 January 2010

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File:Finnerman1.jpg

Finnerman in 1967

Gerald Perry (Jerry) Finnerman (born 17 December 1931; age 92) was director of photography for the first two seasons and the beginning of the third season of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Finnerman, the son of cinematographer Perry Finnerman began his career as the apprentice of cameraman Harry Stradling, working as a camera operator on some of Stradling's films, including My Fair Lady (1964, featuring Theodore Bikel).[1] He then worked as camera operator on the two pilot episodes, "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". (The Making of Star Trek)

In 1966, soon before production began on "The Corbomite Maneuver", the first regular episode of The Original Series, the production staff realized they didn't have a director of photography. Robert H. Justman found Finnerman and went into Gene Roddenberry's office, claiming that he has found a cameraman for the show. Roddenberry immediately ordered Justman to hire him. Star Trek being his first job as a director of photography, Finnerman was eventually very concerned if he would be able to do the series properly.[2]

Finnerman remained with the series until early in the third season, quitting after production of the episode "The Empath", partly because he felt the series had become ridiculous, but mainly due to a dispute with Fred Freiberger, who wanted Finnerman not only to accept a wage reduction, but to have his equipment allowance hugely reduced. Gene Roddenberry invited Finnerman back to Trek for Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he turned the offer down.

Before filming of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" began, Jonathan West called Finnerman and asked him about the type of lighting used on TOS and how the DS9 episode could recreate the famous "Finnerman lighting". (Trials and Tribble-ations introduction)

Finnerman's career spanned over three decades, from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Special for NBC's 1978 TV movie Ziegfied: The Man and His Women, which starred Samantha Eggar and featured Nehemiah Persoff and David Opatoshu. He also received Emmy nominations on five other occasions: one for his work on the series Kojak, another for an episode of From Here to Eternity, a third for the first chapter of the 1981 mini-series The Gangster Chronicles (starring Michael Nouri, Jonathan Banks, Michael Ensign, Louis Giambalvo, and Kenneth Tigar, with set decoration by John M. Dwyer), and two more for his work on Moonlighting. The last occasion saw him running against cinematographer Edward R. Brown, who was nominated for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Big Goodbye". Neither man won the award, though.

Other television shows which Finnerman worked on include The Virginian, Mission: Impossible, Night Gallery, and the Ricardo Montalban series Fantasy Island. He was also the director of photography on Gene Roddenberry's failed pilot, Genesis II, which starred Majel Barrett, Ted Cassidy, Mariette Hartley, Harvey Jason, and Percy Rodriguez. Among his many TV movie credits is the 1980 drama The Dream Merchants, starring Robert Picardo of Star Trek: Voyager fame.

In film, Finnerman worked as a camera operator for Harry Stradling on the classic 1964 musical My Fair Lady (featuring Theodore Bikel) and the 1966 comedy Walk Don't Run (featuring Samantha Eggar and George Takei). He later became director of photography on a number of films, including two featuring Paul Winfield – 1969's The Lost Man and the James Goldstone-directed Brother John (1971, also featuring Michael Bell). His other films include They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1970, starring Jeff Corey and Anthony Zerbe), SSSSSSS (1973, featuring Ed McCready, Charles Seel, and Felix Silla), and the Joseph Sargent-directed Nightmares (1983, featuring Robin Gammell, Louis Giambalvo, and Tony Plana).

Finnerman attended the same high school that Corbin Bernsen and Roxann Dawson later attended. In 1969, Finnerman survived a plane crash that killed fellow TOS director Robert Sparr while the two were scouting locations in Colorado.

Other Trek connections

Additional projects on which Finnerman worked with fellow Star Trek alumni include:

External link

  • Template:IMDb-link
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