Jul 102022
 
Godard Does FaceTime

The late, great Jean-Luc Godard re-invented the Cannes press conference during the 2108 Festival, by speaking with journalists via a smartphone using FaceTime. This post offers some of the highlights. +++ Godard’s Guernica FaceTime with Godard 1. Thinking with Your Hands 2. Editing Comes First 3. An Editing Equation 4. Separating Image & Sound 5. [...]

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 +++

Aug 042019
 
D A Pennebaker 1925-2019

D A Pennebaker has left us, my condolences to his family and friends. Click on an image to start slide show. +++ D A Pennebaker was a pioneer of cinema vérité, along with Richard Leacock and producer Robert Drew, notably shooting and editing PRIMARY, the landmark documentary about the 1960 presidential campaign. For me, Pennebaker’s [...]

Feb 242019
 
Notes on the SHALLOW "Oner" with Cooper and Gaga at the 2019 Oscars

+++ The performance of SHALLOW by Bradford Cooper and Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars was captured in a single-shot Steadicam “Oner”. The scene is beautifully sober, with simple backlighting and a staging and camera movement that ends up with a stunning close-up of their two faces. As Lady Gaga recounts to Jimmy Kimmel, Bradford [...]

Sep 022016
 
-- Interview with Xavier Dolan about MOMMY

— “I’ve learned is that it is very important in this business to never doubt yourself, although it’s just as crucial to doubt your ideas” The brilliant young director talks about “Mommy”, his creative process & his collaboration with DP André Turpin Published on thefilmbook blog on ascmag.com web site +++ Link: http://bit.ly/XavierDolanMommyThefilmbook +++

May 302015
 
Palme d'or winner Jacques Audiard

— “What interested me in this was the Other. How do we see him and perceive him, how does he perceive us? How do we perceive the people who sell us roses at a café terrace, and who we send away without looking at them? They come from some place. That was what interested me.” [...]

Feb 222015
 
Emmanuel Lubezki thanks Alejandro Iñarritu

————————————————– When accepting the Spirit award for the cinematography of Birdman, Chivo gives a heartfelt and humorous thank you to “my friend the director Alejandrito el negro Gonzales Iñarritu, for your genius cabron (fucker). You’re a pain in the ass but you’re absolutely one of the greatest directors I’ve ever worked with. I love you. [...]

Sep 202014
 
My interview with Luc Besson part 2

— “For me, the person in the shot is the star. He may have only one line of dialogue in the film, but I’m going take care of him in the same way I’m going to take care of Scarlett.” Part 2 of my interview with Luc Besson on thefilmbook blog on theASC.com +++