Visions of Light
1992
92 minutes
Overview
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.
Top Cast
Ernest R. Dickerson
Self
Michael Chapman
Self
Allen Daviau
Self
Caleb Deschanel
Self
Lisa Rinzler
Self
Conrad L. Hall
Self
William A. Fraker
Self
John Bailey
Self
Néstor Almendros
Self
Charles Rosher Jr.
Self
Vilmos Zsigmond
Self
Stephen H. Burum
Self
Harry L. Wolf
Self
Charles Lang
Self
Sven Nykvist
Self
Robert Wise
Self
László Kovács
Self
James Wong Howe
Self (archive footage)
Haskell Wexler
Self
Vittorio Storaro
Self
John A. Alonzo
Self
Victor J. Kemper
Self
Owen Roizman
Self
Gordon Willis
Self
Bill Butler
Self
Michael Ballhaus
Self
Frederick Elmes
Self
Sandi Sissel
Self
Todd McCarthy
Self (uncredited)