Cardiff
Not too long ago, I read a story that described how Jack Cardiff invented a new type of light during the filming of The Red Shoes - a light that was so powerful that it had to be housed in a water-cooling unit, the first of its kind in cinematography. Sharp guy.
But more importantly, looking over his filmography, it became apparent to me that nobody understands the business and work and life of making movies better than DPs. How great would it be to work as peripatetically as this - to be the man who shot this
And this
1914-2009.
posted by Seb @ 8:30 AM
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3 Comments:
And tonight I will watch The Freakmaker in his honor, which I have had sitting around for a couple of weeks now. I will report back tomorrow to tell you all where it stands in his repertoire. Here's to hoping it combines the heartbreak of the Red Shoes with the thrills of First Blood Part 2.
Overall, The Freakmaker was a little disappointing. However, the scene in which the main freak goes to a prostitute and pays her extra to say "I love you" gives the heartbreak in The Red Shoes a run for its money.
On the extra features, Cardiff says naturally he prefers directing to being the cameraman. Kind of makes you sad his list of directing credits isn't longer.
On the cooking show I'm working on we shoot two 22 minute shows a day. Now even with cutaways, retakes, pickups, etc., we still have hours to screw around and read the paper. At the end of our 8 hour day everyone had given up and was talking about going bowling afterwards. But we still had two CU shots of the dessert which the cameraman was meticulously setting up. Even the director wasn't paying attention, people were walking through the light, talking--the cameraman snapped, just slightly, and I could sense his frustration. There is no time during a shoot that the cameraman can relax. He's first in and last out. Naturally Cardiff prefers directing to being the cameraman.
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