Chapman began his film career as a camera operator, distinguishing himself on
Francis Ford Coppola's
The Godfather (1972) and
Steven Spielberg's
Jaws (1975) before making the leap to cinematographer. He fondly remembered his time as an operator and called it one of the best jobs in the movie business because "you get to see the film before anyone else does!" As a cinematographer, he became known for his two collaborations with
Martin Scorsese:
Taxi Driver (1976) and
Raging Bull (1980). Chapman was also the cinematographer for the remake of
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). He and Scorsese were huge fans of
The Band, and Chapman served as the principal cinematographer for their documentary on The Band, called
The Last Waltz (1978). With nine cameras shooting at once, Chapman remembered that "the strategy for filming all of their songs was planned out in enormous detail." Chapman's style tended to feature high contrasts and an aggressive use of strong colors. He was also adept at setting up complex camera movements quickly and improvising on the set. This style was epitomized in the boxing sequences in
Raging Bull, during which the camera was often strapped to an actor through improvised rigs. His bold use of black-and-white cinematography on
Raging Bull proved particularly difficult and earned Chapman his first Academy Award nomination. As with his work on
Jaws, Chapman used a handheld camera to shoot much of the film. Besides his work with Scorsese, Chapman worked as Director of Photography for directors
Hal Ashby,
Philip Kaufman,
Martin Ritt,
Robert Towne,
Michael Caton-Jones,
Andrew Davis, and
Ivan Reitman. He occasionally made small cameos in films that he shot; he had also directed several films of his own, the best known being
All the Right Moves (1983), starring
Tom Cruise in one of his earliest roles. In 1987, Chapman collaborated again with Scorsese on the 18-minute short film that served as the music video for
Michael Jackson's
Bad. Chapman also shot a string of comedies in the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as
Ghostbusters II and
Kindergarten Cop, and admitted that he did not need to alter his style very much. But he has said, "On comedies, I use a little more fill light; you tend to create a lit atmosphere where the performers can be at home, where they can move around…without having to hit a precise mark." He became a member of the
American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in 1995. His final film was
Bridge to Terabithia (2007). According to the DVD commentary, Chapman planned to retire after the film was finished, saying he would like to have the last film he shot be a good one. ==Personal life==