Nancy Schreiber was born on June 27, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan.[1] Her mother was a docent and art dealer.[1][2] Although her father died when she was young, he sparked Schreiber's interest in film as he was into photography, mainly using 8mm and 16mm film.[3] In an interview, Schreiber said that Lawrence of Arabia had the biggest influence on her when she was younger.[3] Schreiber studied at the University of Michigan, graduating with a dual degree in Psychology and History of art.[1] During her time at university, she took some photography classes and ran the film society's theatre in Ann Arbor.[1] After she graduated, she took a two-month film course in New York City, which was what started her film career.[1]
Career
Nancy Schreiber's first job was as a production assistant, which she got by replying to an ad in a newspaper.[4] By the end of the film shoot, she became a part of the electrical crew and was the best boy of the department.[4] After this, she began to work in the electrical department in many commercials and films.[1] Her first job as a Director of Photography was for a low-budget Western film.[1] As well as working on films and TV shows, Schreiber has worked on music videos, including musicians like Aretha Franklin and Van Morrison.[5] Many American and international cinematographers have influenced Schreiber, the main ones including Sven Nykvist, Vittorio Storaro, Eduardo Serra, and Emmanuel Lubezki.[3] During the 1990s, Schreiber was an adjunct professor at the American Film Institute and taught advanced cinematography.[5] Outside of these cinematographers, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, Ingmar Bergman, Sergei Eisenstein, and the French New Wave movement have influenced her.[3] Schreiber became a member of NABET and was the first female gaffer to do so.[4] In 1995, she became an official member of the American Society of Cinematographers and was the fourth woman to join it.[5] Schreiber has been on two film festival juries, the Sundance Dramatic Jury and the AFI Film Festival Jury.[5] Throughout her career, Schreiber has been on the Board of Governors of the American Society of Cinematographers, a board member of the Women in Film Foundation, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[5]
