Visions of Light

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.

Cast

Ernest R. 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

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