American Beauty

Jaimebailon

Jaimebailon

Well-known member
i've searched everywhere in the internet and through archives of american cinematographer magazines to try and find an article on american beauty and how some of the shots were lit maybe somebody here can point me in the direction i need to go or maybe somebody knows?
 
The ASC sells back issues for $1.00 (Good deal!)

In the March 2000 edition, there is a segment called: "Lighting Our Legacy As Cinematographers"

Richard Crudo, ASC Introduces a Special Section on Lighting, Featuring The Following Projects and Directors of Photography: Topsy-turvy, Dick Pope, BSC American Beauty, Conrad Hall, ASC Pitch Black, Anna Forester The X-Files, Bill Roe The Skulls, Shane Hurlbut Sex and The City, Michael Spiller Jag, Hugo Cortina.

It's worth the trip to the library or the $1.00 :) It's divided amongst all these DP's so it may not have enough info you're looking for but perhaps it's something vs nothing.

Buy it here: http://ascmag.com/store/product.php?productid=6000&cat=0&page=1
 
Also, one of the American Beauty DVD's has bonus features which include: Storyboard presentation with commentary by Sam Mendes and director of photography Conrad L. Hall & a Digital screenplay with corresponding film footage and storyboards.

That probably will be what you are looking for. I hope it focuses on lighting more then composition, but story boards are usually composition focused.
 
God Bless Conrad Hall, he is my hero.

American Beauty is my Favorite Director (Sam Mendes), DP (Connie Hall), and Composer (Thomas Newman) in a power trio! After American Beauty they went on to make my favorite movie - Road To Perdition.

Granted Road to Perdition isn't the best movie ever made, but the cinematography, mixed with the music takes me to my happy place. I absolutely love both these movies. It's too bad Jarhead kind of sucked, I hope Mendes's next film - Revolutionary Road, will kick ass. If anyone could fill Conrad Hall's place in the trio it'd be Rodger Deakins, and he shot it, so I'm super stoked to see it.

About the AB article I hope you get it, I'd love to see it too!

- Greg

Ryan, nice avatar,.. ha ha, I dig your reel, very very cool.
 
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Also the American Beauty DVD has a great and quite lengthy featurette on the cinematography narrated by Sam Mendez and Conrad Hall.
 
Thanks for the articles Hudson. After reading the third one, his beginnings story is really one of luck. Seems that every step of Hall's early career was pure chance and his odd lack of desire to be a cinematographer. (i.e. choosing Cinematography major just because, picking cameraman out of a hat of jobs and simply getting into the union, etc.)

Makes my ambition seemingly unrewarding.... grrrr. Great DP nonetheless.
 
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