| Louis Clyde Stoumen | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 15, 1917 Springtown, Pennsylvania |
| Died | September 20, 1991 (aged 74) Sonoma County, California |
| Other names | Louis Stouman Lou Stoumen |
| Occupation | Film director Film producer |
| Years active | 1950 - 1964 |
Louis Clyde Stoumen (15 July 1917 – 20 September 1991) was an American film director and producer. He won two Academy Awards; the first in 1957 for Best Documentary Short Subject (The True Story of the Civil War), and the second in 1963 for Best Documentary Feature (Black Fox: The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler).
He was born in Springtown, Pennsylvania and died in Sonoma County, California.
Stoumen also taught at UCLA Film School. He spoke of his innovation in The True Story of the Civil War. He invented a track for the camera to move back and forth over historic photos and paintings. It also tracked up and down (in and out). The technique is often referred to today as "The Ken Burns Effect."
Stoumen also received Colin Higgin's Masters Thesis, a screenplay called Harold and Maude. Stoumen spoke of his enjoyment of the writing, but doubted it would ever be produced. He wasn't unhappy when proven wrong by the film's success.