Photo credit: Megan Morr/Duke Photo
As a child growing up in the Chicago suburbs, cinematographer Robert Yeoman '73 was fascinated by movies.
"There was no Internet, no cable TV. So going to the movie theater was a big event," Yeoman said. "I loved westerns. I loved comedies. I got into Alfred Hitchcock...that always stayed with me."
But making a career out of making movies was not in the original plan.
Yeoman arrived at Duke thinking he would pursue a pre-med track to become a doctor, but he ended up becoming a psychology major. Looking back, it was a fitting major, he said.
"Studying psychology helped me to understand people and personalities and how things interact...and that's a very strong component, certainly, in making a film," he said.
Yeoman's turning point toward the film industry came during his sophmore year when he saw Stanley Kubrick's Raleigh debut of A Clockwork Orange.
"I was just so amazed by this film," Yeoman said. "I remember driving back to Duke thinking, 'I really want to get involved in this'...it kind of was a moment that changed my life."
Yeoman went on to earn an MFA from the University of Southern California, where he discovered his love of cinematography. Throughout his career, he has worked on more than 50 films -- including Bridesmaids, Get Him to the Greek and all of director Wes Anderson's live-action films.
Learn more about Yeoman's vision as cinematographer by watching this video: