(Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, Stuart Samuels, US 1992, 92 min., 35mm)
What does a cinematographer (or director of photography) actually do? In this documentary, several members of the profession talk about how, in the early days, this position took care of the camera, while the director took care of the actors. Over the years, as technology has advanced, the craft has evolved into much more, working with the director to set lighting, determine the proper lens for a shot, as well as camera setup and movement. This film explores the art and science of motion pictures featuring interviews with cinematographers representing hundreds of years in the business, including Conrad Hall, Caleb Deschanel, Sven Nykvist, Gordon Willis, George Eastman Award recipients James Wong Howe and Vittorio Storaro, as well as Vilmos Szigmond and László Kovács, featured in our American, Born Hungary series.