IT NEVER ENDS…

         …the pursuit of something new, that is.

         For cinematographers, staying fresh and relevant has become a nearly impossible challenge.  With the vast amount of filmed material now available at the touch of a button, we’re overwhelmed with so much sophisticated imagery that it’s hard to imagine a revolutionary look ever blowing up the artform again.  In the past, there were always watershed moments – Citizen Kane (1941; Gregg Toland, ASC) and The Godfather (1972; Gordon Willis, ASC) immediately come to mind – that changed not just the way movies appeared, but the ways in which they were conceived.  Though we’ve seen many examples of outstanding cinematography since, one gets the feeling that in most cases we’re just recycling what has already been done, similar to what rock ‘n roll has been doing since the mid-seventies.  This’s not to say there’s a shortage of unique-looking shows.  But there’s a huge gap between having an appealing texture and reimagining the medium.  To be clear: It has never been harder to stand out from the crowd than it is right now.

         This’s most likely related to the fact that movies don’t hold the same cultural status that they once did.  Prior to the arrival of cable TV and the streamers, viewers were limited to several network\local channels and the neighborhood bijou.  The commonality of what everyone watched made the arrival of a something exceptional all the more impressive.  Today, the audience is fractured into a million pieces.  Shows come and go so quickly that artistic and technical advances are forgotten as soon as the next shiny thing appears.  Maybe emerging technologies will give rise to a fresh perspective, but I doubt it.  If they’re in any way immersive, they’ll negate the entirety of our tool box in service of constantly wandering eyes.  And what’s the point of that when you’re trying to tell a story and manipulate emotions?  The kids won’t give a damn.  It’ll be something new, but it won’t be a movie. 

         So, are revolutionary breakthroughs in cinematography things of the past?  Maybe.  Yet therein might lie the true challenge and joy for those of us working today: Not simply to repeat what has been done, but to find meaning and resonance in an over-saturated landscape.  If the medium now resists reinvention, it still invites discovery, reminding us that artistry isn’t measured only by seismic change, but by the quiet insistence on making each frame count, no matter how crowded the field.  The pursuit continues – maybe not toward an unattainable ideal, but in the small way of an authentic voice that can cut through the static, even if only for a moment.