Teo Escamilla
Camera · Crew · Acting · Directing
Born October 23, 1940, Sevilla, Spain
Teodoro Escamilla Serrano; Seville, 1940 - Matanzas, Cuba, 1997 Spanish cinematographer. In contrast to directors of photography who were concerned above all with creating their own style, Teo Escamilla was always in favor of a patient craftsmanship in cinematographic lighting that allowed him to adapt it, scene by scene, to the director's vision and to the specific story. He began his professional career as a photojournalist for publications such as Cine en 7 días, El Caso, the Madrid newspaper and the magazine Sábado Gráfico, and later as a television operator. In 1964 he became assistant cameraman on Llegar a más (1964, Jesús Fernández Santos) and the regular second operator for Luis Cuadrado, his mentor and teacher, whom he succeeded after his retirement due to illness in 1976 as director of photography on the films produced by Elías Querejeta. He debuted as first operator in Las violentas (1974, Fernando Miranda), to later take over from Juan Antonio Ruiz Anchía in El desencanto (1976, Jaime Chávarri), and from then on developed an intense work that would make him one of the most outstanding operators in Spanish cinema. He frequently worked on films by filmmakers such as Carlos Saura, Jaime Chávarri, Jaime de Armiñán (with whom in 1979 he founded the production company A punto, later Serva Films), Víctor Erice, José Luis Borau and Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, among others. For Carlos Saura's El amor brujo (1986), he received the Goya award for best cinematography. After directing two short films, Quiero ser mayor (1976) and an episode of the collective film Cuentos para una escapada (1979), in 1983 he debuted as a feature film director with Tú solo, a story set in the world of bullfighting, which received the Special Mention for best new director at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, although his career as first director did not continue.
Filmography
- 1997The Rats — Director of Photography
- 1996Robo en el cine Capitol — Cinematography
- 1995Felicidades, Tovarich — Cinematography, Producer, Camera Operator
- 1995King of the River — Director of Photography
- 1993La Lola se va a los puertos — Cinematography
- Juncal — Director of Photography
- 1989The Dark Night of the Soul — Director of Photography
- 1988Berlin Blues — Director of Photography
- 1988El Dorado — Director of Photography
- 1987Mi general — Director of Photography, Camera Operator
- 1986El amor brujo — Director of Photography
- 1986Tata Mía — Director of Photography, Camera Operator
- 1985Beyond the Walls — Director of Photography
- 1985Stico — Director of Photography
- 1985The Witching Hour — Director of Photography
- 1984A Summer in Hell — Director of Photography
- 1984Ferocious — Director of Photography
- 1984On the Line — Director of Photography
- 1984The Stilts — Director of Photography
- 1984You Alone — Writer, Director
- 1983Carmen — Director of Photography
- 1983Dressed in Blue — Cinematography
- 1982Antonieta — Director of Photography
- 1982Sweet Hours — Director of Photography
- 1981Blood Wedding — Director of Photography
- 1981Cuentos para una escapada — Director, Director of Photography
- 1981Evening Performance — Director of Photography
- 1981Faster, Faster — Cinematography, Director of Photography
- 1981Maravillas — Cinematography
- 1981Trágala, perro — Director of Photography
- 1980Dedicated to... — Director of Photography
- 1980F. E. N. — Director of Photography
- 1980The Nest — Director of Photography
- 1979Heart of the Forest — Director of Photography
- 1979Mama Turns 100 — Director of Photography
- 1978Blindfolded Eyes — Director of Photography
- 1978Somnambulists — Cinematography
- 1978The Prodigious Life of Father Vincent — Director of Photography
- 1977Caperucita y Roja — Director of Photography
- 1977Del amor y de la muerte — Director of Photography
- 1977Elisa, My Life — Director of Photography
- 1977In Memoriam — Director of Photography
- 1977Nunca es tarde — Director of Photography
- 1977To an Unknown God — Director of Photography
- 1976Cria! — Director of Photography
- 1976Hard Times for Dracula — Director of Photography
- 1976The Burned City — Cinematography
- 1976The Disenchantment — Director of Photography
- 1976Viure sense Viure — Cinematography
- 1975B. Must Die — Camera Operator
- 1974Las violentas — Director of Photography
- 1974The Love of Captain Brando — Camera Operator
- 1973A Candle for the Devil — Camera Operator
- 1973A Chaste Spanish Man — Assistant Camera
- 1973The Spirit of the Beehive — Camera Operator
- 1972Horror Express — Camera Operator
- 1972My Dearest Senorita — Camera Operator
- 1971Cake of Blood — Camera Operator
- 1971Cut-Throats Nine — Camera Operator
- 1971The Roosters of Dawn — Camera Operator
- 1970El dinero tiene miedo — Camera Operator
- 1970Las secretas intenciones — Camera Operator
- 1969Honeycomb — Camera Operator
- 1969Nocturne 29 — Camera Operator
- 1969The Challenges — Camera Operator
- 1969Urtain, King of the Mountains — Camera Operator
- 1968Los flamencos — Camera Operator
- 1968Smashing Up — Camera Operator
- 1968Stress Is Three — Camera Operator
- 1968¡Cómo está el servicio! — Camera Operator
- 196740 grados a la sombra — Camera Operator
- 1967Crónica de nueve meses — Camera Operator
- 1967De cuerpo presente — Camera Operator
- 1967Los celos y el duende — Camera Operator
- 1967Peppermint Frappé — Camera Operator
- 1966El arte de vivir — Assistant Camera
- 1966Fantasía... 3 — Camera Operator
- 1966Nine Letters to Berta — Assistant Camera
- 1966The Hunt — Camera Operator
- 1966Una chica para dos — Camera Operator
- 1965Snakes and Ladders — Assistant Camera
- 1964Muere una mujer — Camera Operator