A few minutes ago, I was informed by my good friend and colleague David Mullen, ASC that the earlier version of today’s post is somewhat inaccurate.  And you know what?  He was right! Originally, the piece of gear I was addressing was referred to as a “Scheibe” filter. In actuality, it is an Eastman … Continue reading “STOP THE PRESSES…!”

This little piece of antiquity is the gate from a c.1921 two-color process Technicolor camera.  Designed by then-twenty-seven-year-old Arthur Ball, it used a beam-splitting prism to simultaneously expose a half-red and half-green image.  When projected, the narrowness of the frameline and speed at which the two frames appeared onscreen fooled the viewer’s eye into seeing … Continue reading “AMAZING…”

            There can be no dispute: Winton Hoch, ASC (1905-1979) – a name forgotten by most – was one of the greatest cinematographers of his time.  Consider his career highlights.  Back-to-back Academy Award wins for 1948’s Joan of Arc (Victor Fleming) and John Ford’s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949); a shared Oscar with Archie … Continue reading “WINTON C. HOCH, ASC”

            1975 was a pretty good year for movies, as is indicated by the following list of Academy Award nominees:             Barry Lyndon – John Alcott, BSC – WINNER             The Day of the Locust – Conrad Hall, ASC             Funny Lady – James Wong Howe, ASC             The Hindenburg – Robert Surtees, ASC             … Continue reading “NO EXCUSE!”

With respect to the old Harry James song, I’ve Heard It All Before, life in our industry is becoming more and more like a moment from the old Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day.  No matter what happens, the naysayers can be counted on to CHANT the same thing every time.  Despite the fact that change … Continue reading “ECHO CHAMBER OF FOOLS”

Jackson Rose, ASC with his Bell & Howell #1             Everyone interested in cinematography is aware of the ASC’s flagship publication, the American Cinematographer Manual.  Currently in its eleventh edition, it has been an essential part of the kit since 1935 and was the brainchild of a seldom-recognized member, Jackson Joseph Rose (1886 – 1956). … Continue reading “JACKSON J. ROSE, ASC”

            With the World Series right around the corner (which – as a former MLB fan – I couldn’t care less about), I guess it’s appropriate to bring you an interesting artifact.             While I was serving as ASC President, I got the peculiar urge to ask some of our more prominent members to sign … Continue reading “WHAT BALLS!”

            I’ve been on a bit of a Conrad Hall, ASC track of late, so I’m posting another observation he made in Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato’s valuable interview compilation, Masters of Light (1984).  As important as choosing the right equipment is to delivering your best cinematography, Hall tells us of another factor that has … Continue reading “EMOTIONAL RESCUE”

            I expressed my admiration for long scenes that play out through single takes in last Friday’s post.  If you haven’t read that yet, you’ll find the background for this piece there.             Once again, I present an example from Joseph Losey’s brilliant 1963 film, The Servant.  You should see the entire movie to fully … Continue reading “A LONG TAKE IN ‘THE SERVANT,’ PART 2”

            I’m always going on about the effectiveness of a well-applied long, uninterrupted take, so here’s another example to support my case.  It appears in a fabulous British feature that was directed by Joseph Losey, called The Servant (1963).  Photographed in black and white and 1:66 aspect ratio by the legendary Douglas Slocombe, BSC, this … Continue reading “A LONG TAKE IN ‘THE SERVANT,’ PART 1”