Cinematography

Stage 32’s founder and CEO, Richard “RB” Botto, shares three videos in today’s blog.

In the first video, actor and filmmaker Peter Billingsley talks about what it was like making A CHRISTMAS STORY and shares behind-the-scenes moments.

The second video digs into the filming process of ELF.

In the th...

Expand post

Last night I came out of the cinema buzzing, with thanks to Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who were of course aided with the screenplay by Peter Stone and the Cinematography of Charles Lang.

The festival is a presentation of the University of the West of England and the audience was pointed towards th...

Expand post

Last night I came out of the cinema buzzing, with thanks to Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who were of course aided with the screenplay by Peter Stone and the Cinematography of Charles Lang.

The festival is a presentation of the University of the West of England and the audience was pointed towards this article in American Cinematographer by Herb A Lightman.

According to the UWE speaker, this film marks the end of innocence in America after the assassination of Jack Kennedy and also one of the last films of the era using the glorious Technicolor. However, Paris in late Autumn/early Winter, has none of the romantic colour we’d expect.

There’s lots to learn for me here as a director, on how to film in urban settings when the season is not attractive to those aforementioned glories of Technicolor and putting that into a contemporary setting…

Lang, in this interview talks about his technique on ‘Charade’; how to light women like Hepburn and ‘older men’ like Grant, gobo arrangements, the cuckoloris(?) and cross-lighting, along with ‘process plates’ (I’m not sure of the method here) and the joys of the crab dolly. It’s a great conversation if you want to learn from a master.

Here’s an excerpt:

The final chase and gunfight sequence among the colonnades of the Palais Royale had a very sinister photographic mood. What lighting approach did you use to achieve this?

I used lots of black shadows created by cross lighting as much as I could and still have the actors look well, the ones who were supposed to look well, that is. Sometimes we cross-lit the background and lit the actors in the front with a softer light so they were attractive. You come to know their best lighting and angles. We try our best all the time, no matter what kind of conditions, to make the players look attractive. When using a harsh cross-light, we’ll shade it a bit where it hits an actor’s face or we’ll shade part of it, eliminating whatever is unattractive, and fix it so that it is attractive. Sometimes, with rugged male stars, we have to switch over and purposely make them look stronger by using what we call a “sculptured” style of lighting.

Enjoy…

https://theasc.com/articles/the-photography-of-charade

Nathan Woodward

2
2 people like this
- Arthur Charpentier
- Maurice Vaughan
5 months ago

There is a book called Master Shots - get it.

Now, this should be a collaborative conversation between the director and the cinematographer. I have never been in a situation where a director has let me...

Expand comment

Xochi Blymyer

2
2 people like this
- Nathan Woodward
- Maurice Vaughan
5 months ago

Should always be based on the the scene or story. Coming up we have a fight scene. Although the show I am on we are on dollies the majority of the time, stable shots, the director would like to use ha...

3
3 people like this
5 months ago

It is critical to understand what the emotion is. If it is joyful and happiness, all the light I can muster. The more despair a character gets the less light they get. The more intense the feeling the...

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
5 months ago

Great answer Nathan Woodward !

It has been my experience that many times the color palette of a film is decided between the film's Director and it's Art Director. It's is too big of a decision to saddle the Director of Photography...

This is actually one of my favorite topics of conversation.

First, foremost, front and center: The choice of your lens is drastically more important than the choice of your camera. The camera can cost...

Leonardo Ramirez

Thank you, Neil Watson for spending the time with us. It was an awesome AMA and there were lots of things to learn from it. Looking forward to staying in touch with you. Happy New Year!...

Maurice Vaughan

2
2 people like this
- Mario Leone
- Neil Watson
5 months ago

Thanks again for having the AMA, Neil Watson. I learned a lot. I'm already subscribed to your YouTube channel. I'm gonna check out more of your videos, especially POOL. Have an incredible 2024!...

Ashley Renee Smith

Thank you, Neil Watson!

Mario Leone

5 months ago

Missed this one... :-(

E Langley

2
2 people like this
- Ryan Christiansen
- Maurice Vaughan
5 months ago

Don't watch. You'll shoot your eye out!

That scene's so funny, E Langley. Especially when Santa kicks Ralphie down the slide.

For sure, but watch your language... or else.

Happy Holidays to all.

Haha I gotta watch this movie tomorrow, E Langley. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

2
2 people like this
- John January Noble
- Geoff Hall
5 months ago

I haven't seen "Charade," Geoff Hall, but the cinematography in it is phenomenal. I noticed that in the video about the witty dialogue. The interviewer asked Charles Lang, "What special lighting probl...

Geoff Hall

Maurice Vaughan ah, I see. Interior locations will have their own lighting sources which may conflict against how the film is being shot and so there may be lots of control issues for existing light a...

Ok, gotcha, Geoff Hall. Thanks for explaining. I thought cinematographers only have problems with lighting when filming outside because of the sun. Inside, the sun isn't an issue.

Mark Giacomin

I was recently involved in a project where basically the challenge was to make a short film within a month based on a theme. It's all about people pooling their time and passion to make it happen, the...

Cinematography Question for 2024 #4

2 people like this

2 people like this

Question for 2024

3 people like this

1 person likes this

Cinematography Question for 2024 #3

2 people like this

Cinematography Question for 2024 #2

2 people like this

Cinematography Question for 2024 #5

AMA Working as a Camera Operator

3 people like this

2 people like this

1 person likes this

Question for 2024

TOMORROW – Ask Me Anything with Neil Watson

Up and coming AMAs

Upcoming Ask Me Anything- January 2nd!

1 person likes this

Coffee & Content: A Cinematic Christmas Journey

2 people like this

2 people like this

‘Charade’ and the Cinematography of Charles B Lang

2 people like this

1 person likes this

3 people like this

Top Contributors

CRAFT AND BUSINESS

GENERAL DISCUSSION

PROMOTION

Cinematography

3 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

3 people like this

3 people like this

1 person likes this

3 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

1 person likes this

4 people like this

3 people like this

2 people like this

1 person likes this

1 person likes this

2 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

1 person likes this

2 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

2 people like this

1 person likes this

3 people like this

Top Contributors

CRAFT AND BUSINESS

GENERAL DISCUSSION

PROMOTION