LIGHTING DIAGRAM #66 – POOR MAN’S PROCESS\GREENSCREEN

            Process shots, rear projection, blue screen, green screen, virtual\augmented reality, LED walls…             The history of cinematography is a chronicle of change; the ways with which to introduce a specific background or item within a shot are hardly exempt from that.  With the current technology advancing at an insane pace, it’s easy to consider … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #66 – POOR MAN’S PROCESS\GREENSCREEN”

10.29.2021

THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974)

The Parallax View is an amazing, somewhat forgotten relic from the last sustained period of interest and originality in American film.  Shot by Gordon Willis, ASC and directed by his long time collaborator Alan Pakula, it was one of the first movies to memorialize the Watergate-era paranoia that at the time was still very new.  … Continue reading “THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974)”

10.26.2021

STUDENT QUICK TIP #3

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”

10.19.2021

LIGHTING DIAGRAM #64 – SWAT

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”

10.15.2021

NOTFILM (2015)

            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)”

10.12.2021

LIGHTING DIAGRAM #63 – GOOD GIRLS REVOLT

            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”

10.8.2021

SUDDEN FEAR (1952)

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)”

10.5.2021