The Cinematographer

lwright84 said:
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One of things that people may have missed... for those who want to do 'classic' B&W... the use of the Wratten 90 filter, from set lighting, costumes, make up...

I did like the swinging light shot...

And the Bing and Bob sequence reminded me, when will Sasha Baron Cohen and Adam Sandler get together and do a 'road to...' sequence of movies... They can flip
for who does the Carmen Miranda spoof...
 
Ryan, you have that great set of AC back issues. I was wondering, what kinds of films would the DPs shown the above video be working with? I guess we are looking at the mid 1940s. What speed would they have available and what kind of latitude would those films have? I do remember reading somewhere that the tri-pack Technicolor they shot "Gone With The Wind" with had an ASA rating of 12! You look at the film and you really understand that those old guys really knew what they were doing. Imagine shooting close ups with carbon arcs!!!

I also like they way the camera department was dressed. Not a pair of cargo shorts or a Tee shirt in site!!!
 
Not too sure when this video is set.

If it was before the 1940's and maybe even some of the early 1940 years, it could very well have been nitrate film. I have no idea what that stuff was rated. My guess would be a big combustible 10?

Starting around the 1950's on onward... if you wanted to shoot color negative, you basically had a choice of 12d, 25t or 50t. I think by the early sixties, you could go 100t.


Yeah, people did dress nice back then! They were all wearing trousers, buttoned shirts, and etc. Plus, I do believe that denim jeans meant you were poor back in the day... you know, before designer jeans cost $800. One of my favorite lines from Cinematographer's Style is when William Fraker's aunt wanted him to become a cinematographer because they are 'respected and wear ties'.


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BTW, I really liked the 1st AC with the smoking pipe.
 
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My DP (imagine that) posted this on Facebook the other day.

Very cool. The days before "spray and pray", when you had better KNOW what you were getting in camera (without being able to see it) or you wouldn't be employed for very long.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Not too sure when this video is set.

If it was before the 1940's and maybe even some of the early 1940 years, it could very well have been nitrate film. I have no idea what that stuff was rated. My guess would be a big combustible 10?

Starting around the 1950's on onward... if you wanted to shoot color negative, you basically had a choice of 12d, 25t or 50t. I think by the early sixties, you could go 100t.
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The Bob Hope Bing Crosby sequence I believe is from "Road to Rio"(1947). I think the underwater squid/octopus scene maybe from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"(1954), so I'd say around 1955/56 or so. But then again the clips are all B&W, it could be earlier and I've just misidentified the scene...

Ok, looked around. "Wake of the Red Witch"(1948) starring John Wayne and has octopussies and underwater shots... so I'll take Early 1950's Tech Films for $20...
 
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Definitely going to share this one on facebook. Its incredible, in the light of todays technology that when it gets to the bread crumbs - its still the same.
 
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