A common challenge for cinematographers is how to make a daytime scene that’s shot on a set look like a real location.  There are any number of ways to approach this knotty little problem; most of them involve giving appreciably more exposure to the windows and whatever might lie beyond them – a backing, a … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #65 – JANE THE VIRGIN”

Watch the light! If you’re interested in becoming a filmmaker – especially a cinematographer – you’d be wise to ingrain the following statement as part of your daily habits: Wherever you might find yourself, under every condition…sensitize yourself to what you see. Forget about the tools and technology of the trade and concentrate on the … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #3”

Night…  An ominous, deserted alley in Downtown Los Angeles.  Bad guys with guns.  Good guys chasing them with bigger guns. All the elements are in place.  We just have to film it.  Simple, right? Not so fast, pal. In its entirety (the clip below is abbreviated), this scene is made up of eighty two cuts … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #64 – SWAT”

            Notfilm is an oddly interesting documentary that concerns the making of an even odder movie, the appropriately titled Film.  Written by the novelist Samuel Beckett and directed by Alan Schneider, Film was released in 1965 and starred dissipated silent movie legend Buster Keaton.  If Beckett’s fiction isn’t far out enough, his close collaboration with … Continue reading “NOTFILM (2015)”

            Today I’ll examine another clip from the additional photography I contributed to the spectacular work done on this show by principal cinematographer Cynthia Pusheck, ASC.  I only refer to it because it provides an excellent example on how good luck and some spontaneous ingenuity can supersede all the planning in the world!             The … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #63 – GOOD GIRLS REVOLT”

As time passes and the list of all the films ever made continues to grow, it’s unavoidable that a few gems will fall out of the public’s eye.  For anyone interested in outstanding cinematography, Sudden Fear is one of them.  During a time in which posting videos on Youtube can land any moron ‘legendary’ status, … Continue reading “SUDDEN FEAR (1952)”

            $85,000.00 doesn’t buy as much as it used to, but in 1993 it paid for the filming of Federal Hill, my first feature collaboration with the amazingly talented writer\director Michael Corrente.  Many favors were called in on the effort and the crew was indeed paid for the twenty day shoot; for Michael and I … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #62 – FEDERAL HILL”

            If anyone doubts that corruption has always been present at the highest levels of our government, I’d advise them to have a look at The Best Man.  Directed by Franklin Schaffner and photographed in glorious black and white by the legendary Haskell Wexler, ASC, this film proves that not much has changed in politics … Continue reading “THE BEST MAN (1964)”

            Night\Exterior on the streets of Manhattan…  How do we run Chris Rock over with a garbage truck without harming a hair on his head?             Spoiler alert: It was all done in the cutting.  Of course, an editor can only work with what they’re given, so shot selection was of supreme importance.  I recall … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #61 – DOWN TO EARTH”

Don’t be a slave to the source.  Light to make things look good! I’ve been fortunate that while watching films, I can easily turn off the cinematographer part of my brain and enjoy them as any civilian would.  This’s not so for many of my colleagues – and I sympathize with the dilemma.  On the … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #2”