Visions of Light (1992)
The Art of Cinematography
92 min
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.
- Release date
- September 17, 1992
- Country of origin
- Japan, United States
Where to watch
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Cast
- Ernest Dickerson as Self
- Michael Chapman as Self
- Allen Daviau as Self
- Caleb Deschanel as Self
- Lisa Rinzler as Self
- Conrad L. Hall as Self
- William A. Fraker as Self
- John Bailey as Self
- Néstor Almendros as Self
- Charles Rosher Jr. as Self
- Vilmos Zsigmond as Self
- Stephen H. Burum as Self
- Harry L. Wolf as Self
- Charles Lang as Self
- Sven Nykvist as Self
- Robert Wise as Self
- László Kovács as Self
- James Wong Howe as Self (archive footage)
- Haskell Wexler as Self
- Vittorio Storaro as Self
- John A. Alonzo as Self
- Victor J. Kemper as Self
- Owen Roizman as Self
- Gordon Willis as Self
- Bill Butler as Self
- Michael Ballhaus as Self
- Frederick Elmes as Self
- Sandi Sissel as Self
- Todd McCarthy as Self (uncredited)
Crew
- Arnold Glassman · Director
- Todd McCarthy · Director
- Stuart Samuels · Director
- Todd McCarthy · Writer
- Stuart Samuels · Producer
- Nancy Schreiber · Cinematographer
- Arnold Glassman · Editor