Visions of Light

A warm, unhurried tour through film history that makes you see movies differently, full of gorgeous clips and craftspeople talking shop with infectious enthusiasm.

Directed by

Arnold Glassman, Stuart Samuels

Genres

Documentary, History

Starring

Ernest R. Dickerson, Michael Chapman, Allen Daviau

Tagline

The Art of Cinematography

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.

How it feels

Measured and needs your attention.

About

Art, media, technology, memory

Content

No violence, gore, sexual content or swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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