A nighttime party at the beach club…a lot of drama plays out here.             Many shots were taken from a variety of camera positions; the diagram provides a general layout for how each set up was approached.             This is a terrific example of what I like to call “major league cinematography.”  First and … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #74 – THE FLAMINGO KID (1984)”

I was thinking about how important the yearly Christmas break from school was for those of us who matured during the last Golden Age of studio production, the 1970’s. Growing up in Brooklyn, I had plenty of energy but nothing substantive to focus it on.  No one ever thought to take full advantage of New … Continue reading “CHRISTMAS REMEMBRANCE”

            This scene – an exchange between star Matt Dillon and his family in their living room – is representative of most of The Flamingo Kid.  Classically staged and photographed with an unobtrusive camera, it gives the actors room to move around and helps create the warm, familial atmosphere of a time gone by.             … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #73 – THE FLAMINGO KID (1984)”

This Post Originally appeared in Cinematography World magazine’s Letter From America column, Issue 006 , November  2021             “What’s your all-time favorite movie?”             If you’re like me, that’s the last question you want to hear.  It puts you on the spot because expectations are high.  As a professional cinematographer, people often think I have … Continue reading “MOST FAVORITE, FAVORITE FILM?”

            Day\exterior on a city street as a car pulls up and the characters exchange some dialogue…             The scene is simple enough and hardly worth further comment.   What makes it notable is that the shot featuring the two guys in the car was photographed on a different day and in a completely different location … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #72 – THE FLAMINGO KID (1984)”

            As a cinematographer, command of the technology you’re using must be such that it allows you to toss it aside, to essentially forget about it.  Only then will you be able to embrace every possibility the medium offers.             Think about it…  If you have a great idea for a painting but don’t know … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK TIP #5”

            I had the good fortune to work on The Flamingo Kid as an additional assistant cameraman and – as usual – took detailed notes of most every camera and lighting set-up I encountered.  A recent rummage through an old filing cabinet revealed an unexpected trove of diagrams and information, the benefits of which you’ll … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #71 – THE FLAMINGO KID (1984)”

Be sure to see last Tuesday’s posts for the first five points I addressed! 6. The speed of your lenses… Obviously, using a T4 zoom will influence the way you light in a way quite different from a T1 prime! 7. The amount of control you have over image post-processing… The tools that available to … Continue reading “FACTORS THAT WILL INFLUENCE HOW YOU LIGHT, PART 2”

            Night\Exterior in a grungy alley…the aftermath at a crime scene.  Steadicam 101 – a medium-shot-easy-pull-back with walking, talking actors.             This scene plays in a more expansive way than it appeared in reality; the effect of the police lights in the background combined with the sparse additional light imply something more going on just … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #70 – SWAT”

            When we think about our work we tend to visit an imaginary land where  conditions are perfect, we get to do things exactly as we want and our every whim is met with instant gratification.  Since that never happens in reality, I thought it would be smart to briefly dissect the factors that influence … Continue reading “FACTORS THAT WILL INFLUENCE HOW YOU LIGHT, PART 1”