- Born
- Died
- Eugen Schüfftan moved from his motherland, Germany, to France in 1933 to escape the rising Nazi movement. He moved to the US in 1940 and became a member of Local 644, the East Coast cinematographers chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). He invented the Schüfftan Process for optical special effects that was used until it was replaced by the simpler matte method. He received the Academy Award for black and white cinematography in 1962 for The Hustler (1961).
For a variety of reasons, Schufftan did not receive proper screen credit for many films he photographed. Director Edgar G. Ulmer, who worked with Schufftan on several films, said it was because he wasn't in the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) and therefore wasn't allowed to take screen credit. Ulmer said that on one or two of the films he made with Schufftan he was forced to credit Jockey Arthur Feindel, the camera operator, as the cinematographer because of that.
- IMDb mini biography by: Artemis-9 (v's & corrections by A. Nonymous)
- One innovation was called after him "Schüfftan-Verfahren" which he invented together with Ernst Kunstmann. This invention made it possible to save a lot of money for huge scenery by using a mirror trick which combines two pictures to one. In this way small models appeared like giant buildings.
- He invented the Schüfftan process, a special effects technique that employed mirrors to insert actors into miniature sets. One of the first uses of the process was for Metropolis (1927), directed by Fritz Lang. The technique was widely used throughout the first half of the 20th century until it was supplanted by the traveling matte and bluescreen techniques.
- When Schüfftan moved to the US, he became a member of Local 644, the East Coast cinematographers chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). He received the Academy Award for black and white cinematography in 1962 for "The Hustler." He did not receive proper screen credit for many films he photographed.
- When France became occupied as well the seemingly secure harbor of his escape ended and he went to the USA in 1940. There he was able to continue his film career in the same year. Till the end of World War II he shot the movies "Hitler's Madman" (1943), "It Happened Tomorrow "(1944), "Bluebeard" (1944) and "Strange Illusion" (1945).
- Inventor of the Schüfftan Process for optical special effects, used until it was replaced by the simpler matte method.
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