Hollywood lost one of its most celebrated elite to complications with bladder cancer Sunday. The deceased worked tirelessly for more than 40 years to completely revolutionize the cinematic experience for moviegoers.

His name was Conrad Hall. He was 78.

Before thinking, “Who’s that,” I guarantee nearly everyone has seen his work.

With the current pecking order in Hollywood, it’s not surprising most people have probably never heard of him. Hall wasn’t an actor, he wasn’t a director, he wasn’t even a screenwriter — but he was perhaps the most highly-praised cinematographer ever.

His work spanned decades and genres, working on everything from classics like “Cool Hand Luke” and “In Cold Blood” to contemporary hits “A Civil Action” and, most recently, “Road to Perdition.”

But his work is not the topic of this column. The spark that ignited it came from yesterday’s edition of USA Today, in which Hall’s obituary appeared in the arts section of their paper.

Not only was the piece on Hall only a few measly sentences long, it was buried among a collection of other entertainment briefs, barely noticeable to anyone skimming the newspaper.

Why don’t people understand how important he was to the films he worked on? While the emphasis of nearly every film is always the actors and actresses starring in it, the reality is that actors matter least when putting together a high quality movie — it’s the director, screenwriter and these neglected cinematographers who make each picture come to life on the screen.

But because the cinematographer is nearly lowest on the Hollywood totem pole, their work often goes unrecognized and unappreciated, even to the point where the average moviegoer couldn’t tell you what a cinematographer does.

A cinematographer is the man behind the camera. While the director concentrates on the script and the acting, the cinematographer is in charge of making sure the picture itself looks picturesque.

Hall won two Academy Awards for his knack at creating beautiful shots — one for “Butch Cassady and the Sundance Kid” and the other for “American Beauty.” He truly was one of the few greats in the field.

Although it sounds like a piece-of-cake job, there is a lot of pressure resting on the shoulders of the cinematographer. The difference between a bad one and a good one is the same as the difference between a family snapshot and an Annie Liebowitz fashion photo. Sure, they’re both photographs, but the change in quality is so drastic, it’s impossible to see the similarities between the two.

Perhaps the most tragic thing for Hall is he died just short of being honored for his immense body of work by the National Board of Review. It isn’t often a cinematographer is awarded for his contribution to the film industry.

On top of that, Hall was an early front-runner to receive another Academy Award nomination (which would be his 10th) for his work on the Tom Hanks hit “Road to Perdition.”

While it’s apparent the majority of the American public doesn’t quite have the appreciation for anyone besides the actors in the film industry, I for one would like to recognize cinematographers — the unsung heroes of Hollywood — for turning a night out at the movies into a beautiful experience.

Todd LaPlace is a junior in journalism and The Lantern arts editor. He would like to take a moment to honor the memory of Conrad Hall. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].