Visions of Light

"The Art of Cinematography"

Feb 24 1993 N/A 1h 32m
Documentary, History

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

Plot

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

Written by

Todd McCarthy

Directed by

Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, Stuart Samuels

Cast

Conrad L. Hall, John Bailey, Vilmos Zsigmond

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America, Japan

Production Companies

NHK, American Film Institute (AFI)

Languages

English

Awards

3 wins & 1 nomination

Scores
# of Votes
3,383
Average Rating
7.7 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA