Rodney Charters Dies: ‘24,’ ‘Shameless’ Cinematographer Was 80

Rodney Charters, the cinematographer who shot 184 episodes of 24 and helped craft the show’s distinct look, died suddenly in Amsterdam on September 13. The news was announced by the ASC, of which he was a longtime member. He was 80.

Charters’ work on the Kiefer Sutherland-starring thriller was structured to capture the energy and chaos of Jack Bauer’s 24-hour scramble each season.

“We’ve evolved to the point where we always shoot a scene in its entirety — it’s never broken into setups,” he told American Cinematographer in 2004. “We shoot two directions on every scene. We shoot one direction first, after it’s been blocked and staged by the cast privately, without even me present, which is a little uncommon in television. When we’re brought in, we have an understanding of what the scene is, but sometimes there are pleasant surprises. [Executive producer/director] Stephen [Hopkins] was a great one for saying, ‘Look at the scene and imagine where the camera would never be, and that’s where I want it.’ We’ll film and light in that direction for A camera, and B camera just strays off the axis.”

Charters was Emmy nominated in 2005 and 2006 for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series for his work on the show. He also directed three episodes.

His other work included a long list of high-profile shows, including Nash Bridges, The Commish, The Pretender, Rosewell, Nashville, Shameless, Friday the 13th: The Series, the Dallas, Dynasty and Magnum P.I. reboots as well as The Shannara Chronicles.

In 2013, the ASC honored him with its Career Achievement in Television Award.

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