Back in the Stone Age, long before the arrival of so many clever phone apps, there existed the Alan Gordon Director’s Viewfinder.  Why it wasn’t named after cinematographers – its prime users – escapes me, though I suspect there was some snootiness involved.  Palm-sized and light-weight, it allowed you to frame shots without forcing … Continue reading “THE ALAN GORDON DIRECTOR’S VIEWFINDER”

            I envy the aspiring cinematographers of today.  They have more educational resources within easy reach than prior generations could have imagined.  When starting my climb through the ranks as an assistant cameraman in the late ’70’s, information was hard to come by.  Like so many others, I was super-motivated in my search for bits … Continue reading “A VOLUME OF A DIFFERENT KIND”

Everyone’s lens-happy these days, thinking that if they only stick the right piece of glass in front of the camera, they’ll discover a magical look that will set them apart from everyone else.             The reality is that lens choice is only one instrument in a much bigger orchestra.  There’s no question they’re important, but … Continue reading “LENS, LENS…BABY”

            I’ve been a fan of NASA and the space program for my entire life.  The 1960’s marked the glory years of their efforts, and I’m old enough to remember the three projects that got us to the moon before the end of the decade: Mercury (just barely), Gemini (a little better) and Apollo (every … Continue reading “APOLLO 13 (1995)”

         I had an interesting discussion recently with a director friend regarding how far we should go in order to make our films appear convincing.  We happened to be watching a rotation of ’60’s-vintage movies at the moment, so there were plenty of examples to refer to.  One stood out in particular, not because of … Continue reading “WHAT CONSTITUTES ‘GOOD ENOUGH?’”

            In a recent post, I alerted you to the clumsy use of a lighting fade in Funny Girl.  Today, I’ll point out a pair of more constructive applications which appear in a film that belongs in a category of its own, The Godfather, Part II (1974; Francis Coppola\Gordon Willis, ASC).  The fades are easy … Continue reading “MEANINGFUL FADES”

Photo courtesy of Panavision…          How can you not love the Panavision Gold II…?  I certainly do, and with great passion!          By an exceedingly large margin, it’s my all-time favorite camera.  Having exposed several million feet of film through its movement over the years, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have such an … Continue reading “FAVORITE CAMERAS #4”

An ad from the January 1954 issue of American Cinematographer…          How can you not love the Eclair Camerette (aka, Cameflex, aka CM3)…?          Like the previous two cameras I’ve highlighted in this series, it’s sturdy, light-weight, has a three-lens turret and is easily hand-holdable.  What sets this French-made device apart from its American and … Continue reading “FAVORITE CAMERAS #3”

An ad from the March 1948 edition of American Cinematographer…          How can you not love the Arriflex IIC…?          Imagine walking around your entire life with your eyes closed, then someone teaches you how to open them.  You’d jump at the chance and never go back to your old way of doing things, right? … Continue reading “FAVORITE CAMERAS #2”

An ad from the March 1948 issue of American Cinematographer…          How can you not love the Bell and Howell 35mm Eyemo…?  Introduced in 1925, it remains a viable tool for cinematographers who want the ultimate no-frills motion picture camera. If you don’t need to shoot synch-sound, it can deliver high-quality images within its many … Continue reading “FAVORITE CAMERAS #1”