This was my fifth feature with director and great pal, Michael Corrente.  At this moment, an after hours mob sit-down takes place in the lounge of a deserted bowling alley…             I just love the anamorphic format.  It’s more akin to the way we see things in life and allows the cinematographer a great … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #44 – BROOKLYN RULES”

            Though something of a guilty pleasure, I have no hesitation in revealing that Planet of the Apes (the 1968 original, of course) is one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s a fantastic science-fiction story adapted from an outstanding book and molded into a hell of a ride by a director, cast and crew who … Continue reading “FAVORITE MOVIES #1”

            In this clip from Down To Earth (directed by Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz), Chris Rock’s Lance Barton attempts a special delivery through the front entrance of an upscale NYC apartment…             This scene was shot inside the lobby of an elite 5th Avenue edifice located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  My first impression … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #43 – DOWN TO EARTH”

            I’d like to recommend a number of books written by cinematographers that are well worth seeking out.  Each is a personal memoir recounting the lives and careers of some incredibly talented and interesting individuals. Their narratives vary in style, but all offer a glimpse at what it was like to be engaged in what … Continue reading “READ THIS (THESE) BOOK (BOOKS) #5”

            This scene provides a lesson in how to turn a relatively boring and unadorned location into something reasonably interesting to look at.             It was shot inside a nightclub somewhere in East L.A.  According to the script, it’s before opening time so the place is empty save for employees preparing for the evening ahead.  … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #42 – SWAT”

            Terrific advice that applies to all aspects of life…  Imagine how radically improved the world would be if everyone gave these a little consideration!  Note well for those just starting out in the movie business: don’t just read them, live them.  Especially if you’re working for me! 1.            Being on time 2.            Having a … Continue reading “TWELVE THINGS THAT TAKE NO TALENT”

A police raid on a criminal hideout…and yet another exercise in simplicity. I go on about that topic often enough in this blog, but it really does represent the cornerstone of my thinking about cinematography. Gordon Willis, ASC used to say that it took him thirty years to learn to be simple in his approach.  … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #41 – SWAT”

            A few weeks ago I was out for dinner with friends at a place some might perceive as a dive.  In truth, anyone with some soul would love it – a locals-mostly bar\restaurant where the food and decor are marginal.  Which is not to say it didn’t have its appeal.  Fresh off the beach, … Continue reading “THE SINGER”

            Chris Rock’s character of Lance Barton – fresh from an untimely accident on earth – adapts to his new environment in heaven.             The first part of the clip shows him entering the nightclub.  The lighting and color schemes laid out in last week’s diagram are the same: cool blue backgrounds and warmer foregrounds.  … Continue reading “LIGHTING DIAGRAM #40 – DOWN TO EARTH”

            On a recent morning I caught pieces of Casablanca in Blu-ray format on a 65” television.  A few hours later I sat in a screening room and saw an optically projected 35mm print of some film I’d shot a few days earlier.  Over lunch I was shown a sequence from Lawrence of Arabia on … Continue reading “FUTURE PROOF…?”