Year: 2021

            Sub-zero night exteriors on a blizzard-swept British Columbian mountainside… What more could a cinematographer ask for?             Well, for one thing I wanted a simple way to illuminate a huge expanse that would give flexibility to multiple cameras covering a free-for-all downhill ski race.  The lamps would have to be mounted high in the … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #50 – OUT COLD”

            11 Harrowhouse (Aram Avakian\Arthur Ibbetson, BSC) is an odd, dated film that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.  Nonetheless, I sat through it one night and noticed a great example of how far you can go to cheat the lighting while still delivering expert-level cinematography.             Film students – listen up!  … Continue reading “11 HARROWHOUSE (1974)”

            It doesn’t get simpler than this: two guys (Scott Caan and Freddie Prinze, Jr.) talking it out under a streetlight in static frames.             What might make it notable is this scene’s setting beside the Cyclone Roller Coaster in Coney Island.  It’s a grand, ancient structure that presented countless opportunities to exploit its architecture … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #49 – BROOKLYN RULES”

            The founders of the ASC really started a trend when they established the organization in 1919.             AAC, ACK, ACS, ABC, ACF, ADF, AEC, AFC, AIC, AMC, AIP, ASK, BAC, BSC, BVK, CSC, DFF, FNF, FSC, FSF, HFS, HSC, ISC, JSC, KSC, LAC, MSC, NSC, PSC, RGC, SBC, SCS, ZFS …             These are … Continue reading “INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS”

            A nighttime chase after a suspect on a rooftop…             This’s a long scene that contains many more cuts than what’s provided in the clip;  what’s included illustrates the contributions of camera and lighting to bolstering the sense of action and suspense.             At the beginning, note the use of the Nightsun unit by … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #48 – SWAT”

            Despite the somber subject (the trial of Nazi war criminals), this film is a something of a forgotten gem.  No major studio would dare mount such an effort today, and that’s sad.  Beside being a loss to our culture, it reflects badly on the taste and intellect of modern audiences.  But Stanley Kramer was … Continue reading “JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)”

            Beauty lighting – the special treatment that makes an already gorgeous woman appear even more so in close up – has been an obsession of cinematographers since the dawn of the medium.  Just consider the idealized sheen lavished upon so many female stars of the studio era.  Silent film sweetheart Mary Pickford so appreciated … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #47 – JUSTIFIED”

            To this day, American Pie marks one of my most enjoyable shooting experiences.  First, there was the hilarious script.  Then I was blessed with a talented director in Paul Weitz (and his equally gifted producing brother, Chris).  The studio executives, young actors and crew were not only great at their jobs, they were fun … Continue reading “POST PALPITATIONS”

            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…”