Jul 082022
 
Lighting 4 More Scenes from IDA

IDA director Pawel Pawlikowski and cinematographer Lukasz Zal, PSC, watching the camera monitor This post continues my in-depth look at scenes from the wonderful Polish film IDA. Once again I offer video and high-resolution images to present detailed examples of scene lighting. This 2nd post is intended to be seen after you’ve read the 1st [...]

Oct 052021
 
Gordon Willis Tribute : KLUTE

– I posted a closer look at Klute, a lesser-known masterpiece by Alan Pakula with pioneering cinematography by the late, great Godron Willis, ASC, with comments by fellow cinematographers Ed Lachman, Matthew Libatique & Vilmos Zsigmond, as well as my friend & colleague Stephen Pizzello, who recently completed a book about Gordon. This post is [...]

Sep 092021
 
Kubrick self-portrait on set of THE SHINING

Stanley Kubrick shoots a mirror self-portrait with his daughter Vivian on the set of The Shining, his most perfect film, if not his best one. Kubrick worked as a professional photographer in his youth. It’s telling to see him blur out everything (including the movie star) except for himself, his daughter Vivian and the Arri [...]

Feb 022021
 
20 Frames from ROMA

Netflix published a YouTube video showcasing the wonderful cinematography by Alfonso Cuaron for his film ROMA. I grabbed some of the beautifully intricate frames below. Every still frame merits study, like a photograph. Click on any image to enter into a slideshow mode: +++ YouTube link: http://bit.ly/Roma-Cinematography-YouTube +++

Sep 022016
 
BABY DRIVER Opening Scene

Masterful execution of bank robbery / chase by director Edgar Wright, with dp Bill Pope, cut to “Bellbottoms” by editors Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss I especially like the first 2 1/2 minutes: introduction to the main character, with glimpses of the robbery from the getaway driver’s perspective. Great pop cinema. LINK http://bit.ly/BabyDriverOpening

Dec 312015
 
2015 in Review, 6 Trends

+++ A look back at some of the wonderful films of 2015, and 6 trends I noticed in the past year on thefilmbook blog on the ASC web site 6 Trends 1. Long Takes 2. Elastic Frame 3. Shooting Negative 4. Digital Finesse 5. Monitors Rival Theaters 6. Large Format +++ Link: http://bit.ly/2015Review6TrendsThefilmbook

Mar 132015
 
Trailer for "Marfa Girl" by Larry Clark

———————- Another film about teenagers by the maverick director and photographer Larry Clark. First offered on Clark’s web site, it will now be available on iTunes. +++ +++