Visions of Light

"The Art of Cinematography"

1992 1h 32m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 50

DocumentaryHistory

Synopsis

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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.

“The Art of Cinematography”

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Cast

Ernest R. Dickerson
Self
Michael Chapman
Self
Allen Daviau
Self
Caleb Deschanel
Self
Lisa Rinzler
Self
Conrad Hall
Self
William A. Fraker
Self
John Bailey
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Stuart Samuels
Writers: Todd McCarthy
Languages: English
Countries: Japan, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Stuart Samuels, shot by Nancy Schreiber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Arnold Glassman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ernest R. Dickerson and Michael Chapman and Allen Daviau carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Art of Cinematography".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0105764 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 50 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Stuart Samuels directs. Nancy Schreiber behind the camera. Arnold Glassman cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

134 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.
3Directed by Stuart Samuels, shot by Nancy Schreiber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Arnold Glassman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Ernest R. Dickerson and Michael Chapman and Allen Daviau carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The Art of Cinematography".
7IMDB entry: tt0105764 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 50 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.