Cinematography from a literal view.

Throughout this blog I'll be featuring the great cinematographers that have brought these pictures to life with their attention to light. Some on set even consider the Director of Photography the captain of the ship. As the director of a film is seen as the businessman or woman/human resources manager and servant to the studio. When I was picking the bones off of the video rental stores, I was astonished to find the true greed in these stores. There is a major video I got to watch it's called "Visions of Light" Incredible movie about DOPs and their thoughts and practices throughout their career. It features ASC members, Ernest Dickerson - Do The Right Thing, Haskell Wexler -Medium Cool, Conrad Hall, Caleb Deschanel, and a lot more. A couple of my favorite missing ie) "The Prince of Darkness" Gordon Willis, Owen Roisman, Lance Accord, and the Coen Brother's frequent collaborator, Roger Deakins ASC, BSC

. But this video was charging a student $925 for a dvd! Look it up on Amazon. Outlandish! If these names are unfamiliar to you, you're not alone. When I was starting out in movies, I thought they were just there. Actors just acted and it was almost like they controlled the picture. As this may still be a common idea, it is not true. Filmmaking is an ultimate team sport from pre-production on. Francis Coppola has been quoted, and I completely agree, that there are a lot of students that think they are going to be the next Stanley Kubrick (meaning the reclusive perfectionist that can shoot, edit, produce, and write the entire movie himself). This is called true auteurism... Which with the technology these days is not at all impossible. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IN 2011! It's just the personalities that you meet along the way, that are a put off. When you have prolific film directors, such as Sidney Pollack and Steven Spielberg and cameramen tout Stanley as the 100th of 100th TRUE perfectionist, as demanding and mentally exhausting as a film can be made, and have substance, an attention to detail and thoroughness is just a staple. How far are producers, idea men, writers, directors and remaining crew members are willing to dig deep is their own perogative. To bring readers right up to speed. The major films released this year and last year were pivotal turning points in the look of movies. Yes, it begins as early as 2003, with digicine, but it seems like these DOPs are just starting to get the hang of the infinite power these digi cams possess. I truly think the Lighting team on the film Drive (2011) led by Newton Thomas Siegel  if nominated for best Cinematography for the Academy Awards can win. Emmanuel Luzbezki is another major competitor for this award. But, with the technical, it's never really a competition, especially these days, it's really about "wow, it really looked good. Can't wait to try some more cool shit." Because that's what it looks like with the new digi cine cameras. The true practice of the art. As I understand that there is a pecking order to get ones hands on one of these devices... It wouldn't hurt ARRI or RED to let the younger generations try out their cameras for a reasonably adjusted student price. This is all for now Check back in, when I try to break down as best as I can, my 3 top movies (from the studios) of the year for cinematography.