Ross Kohut Lowell | |
|---|---|
 Lowell shooting a scene for Oh Brother, My Brother (1979) | |
| Born | Ross Kohut Levy July 10, 1926 New York City, New York, US |
| Died | January 10, 2019 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, photographer, cinematographer, lighting designer, author, entrepreneur |
| Known for |
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| Children | 4 |
Ross Kohut Lowell (July 10, 1926 – January 10, 2019[1]) was an American inventor, photographer, cinematographer, lighting designer, author and entrepreneur who changed the film production industry with two inventions: a widely used quick-clamp lighting mount system, and gaffer tape.[2] He founded Lowel-Light, a manufacturer of highly portable lighting equipment used in TV, film and stage lighting, with 20 patents filed by Lowell. Lowell was the cinematographer for the Academy Award-winning short A Year Toward Tomorrow (1966), and he won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 1980 for his compact lighting system. The same year, he was nominated for Best Short Film, Live Action for his 14-minute film Oh Brother, My Brother (1979), depicting two of his young children.[3] In 1987 Lowell was awarded the John Grierson Gold Medal by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), "in recognition of his many achievements, inventions, and innovative developments in the field of lightweight lighting and of grip equipment."[4]
Lowell worked on hundreds of documentaries, short films and television commercials. From 1972 he taught stage lighting at New York University and various professional seminars, and in 1992 he wrote a book about lighting, Matters of Light and Depth.[5]
- ^ Bartlett, Rhett (February 26, 2019). "Ross Lowell, Oscar Recipient and Inventor of Gaffer Tape, Dies at 92". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Ross Lowell, founder of Lowel-Light and the creator of gaffer tape, dead at 92". DPReview.
- ^ "The 52nd Academy Awards - 1980". Oscars.org - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- ^ "The John Grierson International Gold Medal Award Winners - Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers". www.smpte.org.
- ^ "Been There. Lit That". lowel.tiffen.com.