Kenji Takama

Born in Tokyo in 1949. As a student at Tokyo Metropolitan University, Kenji Takama started working as a camera assistant at the Wakamatsu Productions, then later started shooting commercials as a cameraman, and his first full director of photography duty was Gassan (1978). He got scholarship for the Artists' Training Program of the Culture Agency, and moved to Hollywood, then New York for 1 year (1981-82). Was trained under Harry Wolf A.S.C. for A Little House On The Prairie, John Alonzo for Blue Thunder, John Alcott for The Beast Master, Vilmos Zsigmond for Table For Five, Owen Roizman for Tootsie, Gordon Willis for Broadway Danny Rose, and operated camera several times for Blue Thunder. After returning to Japan, he worked with young directors such as Naoto Yamakawa, Shusuke Kaneko, Shun Nakahara and Fran Kuzui for Tokyo Pop. He got the best photography award twice at Yokohama Film Festival for Summer Vacation: 1999 (1987) and Misty Kid Of Wind (1988). Best photography at Osaka Film Festival for A High School Teacher and Hear The Duck's Song (1993). Best photography by children Julie at Poland Film Festival for Naran (1995). He was nominated for best photography at Japanese Academy Award for Welcome Back, Mr. Macdonald (1997). Currently he is in the middle of prepping for his American debut features in Los Angeles, California.