- Panavision's 70-200mm ATZ (Anamorphic Telephoto Zoom) and 40-80mm AWZ2 (Anamorphic Wide-Angle Zoom) lenses, introduced in 2006, are respectively nicknamed the "long Bailey zoom" and the "short Bailey zoom", because Bailey was among the first cinematographers to ask the company to develop such lenses.
- 36th President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) [2017].
- Member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 1985.
- Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 44th Venice International Film Festival in 1987.
- He led the Academy during a tumultuous time in the film industry. The Oscars experienced falling ratings, controversies over the homogeneity of its choices (#OscarsSoWhite) and the infamous envelope flub in 2017 that marred the best picture win for "Moonlight." Two months into his presidency, The New York Times and The New Yorker released bombshell reports about sexual assault allegations against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein that ignited an industry-wide reckoning about power structures and abuses during the #MeToo movement. Bailey himself was accused of sexual misconduct, but an investigation found no action was warranted and he denied the allegation.
- Ailey served 15 years as an Academy governor and two terms as president from 2017-2019. He was the first cinematographer to hold that position. During his time at the Academy, he was vice president and chair of the Preservation and History Committee, serving as the AMPAS' representative on the Library of Congress's National Film Preservation Board. His committee work included for the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, Film Scholar and Grants, International Outreach, the Science and Technology Council, Membership Screenings and In Memoriam committees, as well as the former Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee.
- Bailey spent 11 years apprenticing as a crew member with cinematographers such as Vilmos Zsigmond and Néstor Almendros, working on Two-Lane Blacktop, The Late Show, 3 Women, Winter Kills, and Days of Heaven.
- Over five decades, Bailey went on to work as a cinematographer on more than 80 films spanning many genres. Many of the movies he worked on went on to become hits, including "Silverado," "The Accidental Tourist," "In the Line of Fire," "As Good as It Gets," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.".
- Attended Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University, graduating in 1964.
- Father was a machinist.
- Edited the school newspaper at Pius X High School in Downey, California.
- He decided to pursue cinematography while spending two years at USC in a new graduate program for film studies.
- He was a veteran documentary cameraman.
- Bailey got his start in Hollywood as an assistant cameraman on the 1971 film "Two Lane Blacktop" and quickly earned a reputation for his skill and versatility.
- In 1985, Bailey shared the Cannes Film Festival Best Artistic Contribution Award with Eiko Ishioka and Philip Glass for Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters.
- In recognition of his illustrious career, in 2015 Bailey was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the American Society of Cinematographers, on whose board of governors he had served.
- Bailey earned a graduate degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) in 1968.
- He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography for Tough Guys Don't Dance and the Camerimage Golden Frog Award for Best Cinematography for Forever Mine.
- The first cinematographer to lead the academy, Bailey was seen at the time as a surprising pick to take the reins of the organization, which was undergoing a period of rapid and often difficult change in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
- He attended Pius X High School in Downey, California, and briefly studied chemistry at Santa Clara University before transferring to Loyola University, Los Angeles, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1964.
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