No, this sure as hell wouldn’t happen today, and with good reason!             Before watching the clip, read the background on this crazy stunt from Raoul Walsh’s 1940 western, Dark Command (shot by Jack Marta).  It’s drawn from the April 1940 edition of International Photographer, which was the long-time house organ of the cinematographers’ … Continue reading “THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN TODAY…”

            Has anyone ever seen or heard about this camera, let alone shot with one?  The marketing team at the Texas General Cine Corp. must’ve been huffing a mountain of blow when they came up with the claims made in the accompanying ad (lifted from the March 1975 issue of American Cinematographer).             “…a product … Continue reading “THE TGX-16…?”

            Carl Fred Marquard, ASC – nicknamed ‘Brick’ as a child due to his red hair – was born in Burbank on September 26, 1915.  There’s not much information to be found about his life and career, but judging from what is available, he had quite the exciting ride.             Consider something he once said: … Continue reading “BRICK MARQUARD, ASC”

            If you haven’t seen the Netflix limited series Adolescence, you need to.  While the subject matter is nothing shy of dreary, the cinematography is spectacular.             What makes it so is that each of its four, sixty-minute-long episodes was shot in a single, unbroken take.  I’ve always thought that Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue … Continue reading “UNBROKEN, AGAIN”

            Prior to this incredible event, technical advancements were spotty at best, with many companies and individuals – often cinematographers – unveiling some amazing tool or another before receding into the mist.             The Mazda Tests put an end to that.  They established the combination of incandescent illumination and panchromatic film as a standard that … Continue reading “THE MAZDA TESTS, PART 4”

            By now, it should be no surprise that the studios entered the Mazda Tests with a rubber-stamp mentality.  They had already decided upon the cost-effectiveness of incandescent lighting and were not interested in comparing it to any other unit.  The majority of the effort merely examined the range of the new source and looked … Continue reading “THE MAZDA TESTS, PART 3”

            One might imagine that the transition from arc and mercury vapor to incandescent lighting was motivated by the high artistic standards of the major studios.  In this case, one would be wrong.  Boxoffice receipts had seen a pronounced decline during 1926-27, and the decision was made out of economic need.  When you think about … Continue reading “THE MAZDA TESTS, PART 2”

            No, the title of this post has nothing to do with the popular Japanese auto manufacturer.  Instead, it will begin an examination of the 1928 program that established the first industry-wide metric for raw stock, lighting, camera equipment and lab practices.  Participating groups included the ASC, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, … Continue reading “THE MAZDA TESTS, PART 1”

            In recognition of the great success enjoyed by the makers of The Brutalist this awards season, here are some photographs from my working trip to London last fall.             They were taken at Barbican Centre, a performing-arts and residential hub in the heart of the city.  This massive reservation represents one of the greatest … Continue reading “THE REAL THING…”