Herb Kossover

Herb Kossover embodied his personal motto: “Keep it simple. Make it memorable.” He lived several memorable lifetimes in a short 71 years as he made his way around the globe working in the film and television industry. Born in 1948, Herb passed away from unexpected respiratory failure on May 4, 2020. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Herb attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where he studied photography. In 1971, he left the Big Apple to work in Macon, Georgia as the staff photographer for Capricorn Records—the largest independent record label of its time—which represented artists such as The Allman Brothers Band and The Marshall Tucker Band. Most recently, part of Herb’s historic Capricorn portfolio was included in Greg Allman’s biography "My Cross to Bear", the Mercer University Capricorn Studios in Macon, and an upcoming documentary about Jimmy Carter. After moving to Atlanta in 1980, he traveled the country as a cinematographer for Turner Broadcasting’s first original film series "American Portrait" with "Hal Holbrook". During the 80s, with the birth of MTV and the rise of music videos, Herb founded Panther Productions with producer Jack English and was privileged to work on many iconic music videos such as "Uptown Girl" with Billy Joel as well as "Time After Time," with Cyndi Lauper, "Magnetic" with Earth, Wind, and Fire and "Rum Tum Tugger" for the Broadway musical CATS. The early 90s brought Herb back to television when he directed the A&E network series "First Flights" hosted by Neil Armstrong, the only television series Armstrong filmed after his career with NASA. As new technology became available for filming 35mm aerial motion pictures, Herb was instrumental in bringing WESCAM to the Atlanta market. He also filmed other U.S. cities from the sky including, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. Getty Images represented his aerials worldwide in over 35 countries. In 1996, Herb worked as a Director of Photography on the official 1996 Atlanta Olympic documentary. He also lensed the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. In 2000, Herb founded Kossover & Company with his then wife, producer Amy Kossover. The new century presented exciting challenges when Herb was asked to work as Director of Photography for "Delgo", the first independently produced feature-length animated film. Produced in Atlanta, it featured the voices of many Hollywood A-listers including Lou Gossett Jr., Anne Bancroft, and Val Kilmer. During this time, Herb’s aerials and ground footage was featured in NBC's hit series "The West Wing". Herb contributed to numerous faith-based projects, documentaries, and commercial campaigns, most notably, the 2010 Emmy Award winning documentary "A New Hope" featuring the Angola Prison Bible College. In the final years of his career, Herb helped create the Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University because he believed in preparing the next generation of storytellers and wanted to help students fulfill their dreams. Herb was an outgoing, humorous storyteller and a friend to many. He was also a passionate helpmate to others in the production community, and although he received notoriety, accolades, and numerous awards throughout his career, he claimed his best work to be his only child, Harrison Kossover. He is survived by his son and his siblings, Ronald Kossover and Paula Cappelluzzo. Memorial Services will be held at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA. August 13, 2020 11:00 am The memorial will take place in the large sanctuary. Attendants will seat guests and there is plenty of room for social distancing. Face coverings are encouraged. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Curing Kids Cancer, http://curingkidscancer.org/donate