Year: 2022

            Check out my August 2020 appearance on Tim Smith’s podcast, Hollywood: How Did You Get Here?             Tim is a longtime industry insider and the man who brilliantly guided Canon into the world of motion imaging.  I very much enjoyed our free-ranging conversation…and if you haven’t already taken it in, I hope you will … Continue reading “FRIDAY FUN…”

            While chatting with an ASC colleague a few days ago, we noted some of the shifts that cinematographers have encountered since the film negative lost its primacy to the digital sensor.  Rather than hash over the obvious (bits of gear, drones, LED volumes, etc.), we cast a somewhat broader net.             Our bullet points … Continue reading “CH…CH…CH…CHANGES”

Laura W. from Story City, Iowa asks:             When shooting with a digital sensor, do you use a light meter?             Yes, I do.             While many cinematographers are satisfied to set exposure through the monitor, I prefer the rock-solid reference point that my Spectra Professional, Minolta Auto-Meter III or Pentax Digital Spot guarantee.  Once … Continue reading “Q & A # 2…”

            Pay attention to rehearsal!  With warm bodies finally moving through space, this’s the moment when you find out if your preconceived ideas have any merit.  It’s also a time to look for happy accidents or embrace new ideas that haven’t yet occurred to you.             Don’t address lighting issues as the actors sort out … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #11”

            This simple shot is interesting not so much due to its lighting – which is tasteful and effective – but because of how it’s exposed.  Though it may look effortless to the casual viewer, a great deal of calculation went into its execution.             The challenge boiled down to the way in which cinematographer … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #75 – THE FLAMINGO KID (1984)”

            Ken Summers asked:              How has the pandemic for the last few years affected your work?  I would imagine you have faced cancellations or delays between projects?  Has it changed or influenced your approach to filmmaking?             As with everyone else, the pandemic has been a serious imposition on life and career.  But I … Continue reading “REPLY TO A NEW QUESTION…”

            Last week I was encouraged to find that this unjustly ignored film made the final list of nominations for an ASC Spotlight Award.  Though it was released in 2021, you probably haven’t heard of it – and that’s a shame because it’s exactly the type of thing intelligent movie lovers should support.  It won’t … Continue reading “JOCKEY (2021)”

Taylor Bickel asked: What makes a great key grip? The factors that make a great key grip are the same for all crewmembers; most of them are intangible.  Assuming the individual is proficient with their tools, techniques and procedures, I’d place emphasis on the following (in no particular order): – sober and mature– a clear … Continue reading “REPLIES TO QUESTIONS FROM LAST FRIDAY”

            In the interest of speaking directly to those who want to know, I’m inviting questions from the followers of this blog.  All aspects of cinematography and filmmaking are fair game.  Remember that in matters of taste and technique there are as many opinions and approaches as there are cinematographers; what you’ll find under this … Continue reading “Q & A #1…”

Learn to trust your eye. Scrutinizing your work shortly after it’s been shot is the quickest way to make connections between your ideas and methods and the ways in which they render themselves onscreen. But don’t get so attached to what you’ve done that you later find yourself stifling adventurous impulses. ASC legend Haskell Wexler … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #10”