Terry's Reviews
Page
|
||
| Movies | Music | Books |
Book Reviews: |
||
|
More Contemporary Cinematographers on
Their Art By Pauline B. Rogers Focal Press, 2000 |
|
| I was pretty captivated with reading the in-depth
conversations Pauline B. Rogers had with this group of cinematographers. She speaks to
both upcoming Directors of Photography and legendary masters. You will discover the
different ways each of these artists approach their craft. Mike Benson is the master of the 2nd Unit and hearing what it is he does gives me an entirely new perspective on the importance of 2nd Unit. I also feel somewhat compelled to see SLIVER again because of how Benson & two others endured a helicopter crash that dropped into the volcano Kilaeua, on the big island of Hawaii. It was amazing to read all three people were able to survive in the volcano for more than 60 hours with no food or water. Peter James, A.S.C. has an effective method to capture the overall feel of each project he’s working on, most notably what he did on DRIVING MISS DAISY. I was fascinated to hear that Daryn Okada got his start working on PHANTASM. Even though he wasn’t the DP for that film I found it interesting knowing the kind of talented people who were just part of that crew, which goes to show you how important they are. You cannot help but learn something from Ward Russell, whose work in commercials and films with director Tony Scott are pretty indelible. I’d be curious to see the television work of Neil Roach. I was already interested in seeing HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN because of the involvement of composer Don Davis but now I have another reason to see it. I found Nancy Schreiber A.S.C. incredibly inspiring, not only because she is one of the few woman cinematographers in the business but also she has tremendous knowledge of camera apparatus and how to use of those tools. John Schwartzman, A.S.C. took quite a different path into becoming a DP. He has done some amazing things with director Michael Bay and I appreciate his innovative ways of shooting. THE ROCK is one of my top thirty favorite films and Schwartzman gets much of the credit for that. Dean Semler, A.S.C. is one of the greatest cinematographers ever. His work on THE ROAD WARRIOR, DEAD CALM and even the under appreciated but no less impressive RAZORBACK have help shape my visual sensibility as a filmmaker. When Semler spoke over the pages of this book, I felt in the presence of cinema royalty. Dante Spinotti, A.S.C. shot THE INSIDER, one of my ten favorite films. Based on that fact alone I consider him a master. Add that he shot three other Michael Mann films (HEAT, LAST OF THE MOHICANS, MANHUNTER) and automatically know that when you read Spinotti’s interview, you are listening to one of the top DPs in the business. I was pretty overwhelmed to hear of the massive scale of equipment that Ueli Steiger used to make Roland Emmerich’s GODZILLA. You will be awestruck to read a partial list of Vilmos Zsigmond, A.S.C. resume; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, THE DEER HUNTER, DELIVERANCE, THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, McCABE AND MRS. MILLER, THE RIVER, THE ROSE, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. He is a god among men/women with lights and a camera. This book was an astonishing read. |
||
