Principal cinematographer (and favored colleague!) Cynthia Pushek, ASC did a magnificent job shooting this period series for Amazon.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t renewed beyond its first season, and that was a loss for everyone because the show was terrific.  My part in it was negligible – just a few days of additional photography under the … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #46 – GOOD GIRLS REVOLT”

What exactly is the American Society of Cinematographers?             The ASC is a professional, educational and fraternal group – the oldest organization in the motion picture industry.  It was formed in 1919 when the Static Club of America (headquartered in Los Angeles) and the Cinema Camera Club (located in New York City) merged as the … Continue reading “SOMEONE WANTS TO KNOW…”

            If you haven’t been exposed to the Brooklyn Rules butcher shop scene, I won’t give away what brings it such infamy.  This’s an abbreviated clip and serves well to illustrate the points I want to get across.             The premise is innocent enough.  It’s after closing time and some, let’s say, acquaintances, of the … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #45 – BROOKLYN RULES”

            I first met William A. Fraker, ASC – Billy, to those of us who knew him – during the sticky New York summer of 1989 while working as the Steadicam focus puller on the film he was shooting at the time, The Freshman.  Billy had always represented the epitome of what I imagined as … Continue reading “WILLIAM A. FRAKER, ASC”

            This was my fifth feature with director and great pal, Michael Corrente.  At this moment, an after hours mob sit-down takes place in the lounge of a deserted bowling alley…             I just love the anamorphic format.  It’s more akin to the way we see things in life and allows the cinematographer a great … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #44 – BROOKLYN RULES”

            Though something of a guilty pleasure, I have no hesitation in revealing that Planet of the Apes (the 1968 original, of course) is one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s a fantastic science-fiction story adapted from an outstanding book and molded into a hell of a ride by a director, cast and crew who … Continue reading “FAVORITE MOVIES #1”

            In this clip from Down To Earth (directed by Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz), Chris Rock’s Lance Barton attempts a special delivery through the front entrance of an upscale NYC apartment…             This scene was shot inside the lobby of an elite 5th Avenue edifice located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  My first impression … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #43 – DOWN TO EARTH”

            I’d like to recommend a number of books written by cinematographers that are well worth seeking out.  Each is a personal memoir recounting the lives and careers of some incredibly talented and interesting individuals. Their narratives vary in style, but all offer a glimpse at what it was like to be engaged in what … Continue reading “READ THIS (THESE) BOOK (BOOKS) #5”

            This scene provides a lesson in how to turn a relatively boring and unadorned location into something reasonably interesting to look at.             It was shot inside a nightclub somewhere in East L.A.  According to the script, it’s before opening time so the place is empty save for employees preparing for the evening ahead.  … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #42 – SWAT”

            Terrific advice that applies to all aspects of life…  Imagine how radically improved the world would be if everyone gave these a little consideration!  Note well for those just starting out in the movie business: don’t just read them, live them.  Especially if you’re working for me! 1.            Being on time 2.            Having a … Continue reading “TWELVE THINGS THAT TAKE NO TALENT”