Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography

Starring:NÃ©stor Almendros, John Bailey, Stephen H. Burum, Michael Chapman, Allen Daviau, Caleb Deschanel, Ernest R. Dickerson, William A. Fraker, Conrad L. Hall, LÃ¡szlÃ³ KovÃ¡cs, Charles Lang, Todd McCarthy, Sven Nykvist, Lisa Rinzler, Charles Rosher Jr., Robert Wise, Harry L. Wolf, Vilmos Zsigmond
Director: Todd McCarthy, Stuart Samuels
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Visions of Light is not just for film buffs. In fact, if the presentation of the Oscar for Best Cinematography is your cue to take a bathroom break from the Academy Awards, then this exhilarating documentary will help you see movies in a whole new light. Named Best Documentary by the National Society of Film Critics as well as several film-critic associations, Visions of Light traces the history and illuminates the art of cinematography. It profiles the cameramen who pioneered the visual language of cinema (such as D.W. Griffith's cameraman Billy Bitzer and Gregg Toland, who shot Orson Welles's Citizen Kane), as well as the masters they influenced, among them NÃ©stor Alemendros (Days of Heaven), Vilmos Zsigmond (McCabe and Mrs. Miller), and Gordon Willis, the affectionately nicknamed "Prince of Darkness" who shot the Godfather films.

From Birth of a Nation to Blade Runner, from Gone with the Wind to GoodFellas, this feast for the eyes spans nearly a century with sequences from more than 125 movies made immortal by the artful use of light and shadow to realize the director's vision. William Fraker, who shot Rosemary's Baby, recalls filming the scene in which Ruth Gordon's sinister character is seen in a bedroom talking on the phone at the far end of a corridor. Director Roman Polanski suggested that Fraker move his camera so her body would be concealed by a door and audiences could only see her back. Fraker remembers later watching this scene in theaters and seeing the audiences shift in their seats trying to peek around the door. --Donald Liebenson
Description
Experience the dazzling story of cinematography as seen through the lenses of the world's greatest filmmakers and captured in classic scenes from over 125 immortal movies. Discover Gordon Willis's secrets of lighting Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" and Greg Toland's contributions to "Citizen Kane." Hear William Fraker on filming "Rosemary's Baby," Vittorio Storaro on his use of color and light in "Apocalypse Now" and much, much more. From black and white to Technicolor, silent to "talkie," glittering Hollywood musical to film noir and art film to blockbuster, this critically acclaimed masterpiece presents movies in a new and unforgettable light!

Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography
Average customer rating:

Some interesting clips...

this film sheds light on the art of cinematography.......

Beautifully done, but a bit long

A little more entertaining than educational

Light history of film

Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography
Starring: Néstor Almendros , John Bailey , Stephen H. Burum , Michael Chapman , and Allen Daviau
Director: Todd McCarthy , and Stuart Samuels
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 630583685X
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Amazon.com

Visions of Light is not just for film buffs. In fact, if the presentation of the Oscar for Best Cinematography is your cue to take a bathroom break from the Academy Awards, then this exhilarating documentary will help you see movies in a whole new light. Named Best Documentary by the National Society of Film Critics as well as several film-critic associations, Visions of Light traces the history and illuminates the art of cinematography. It profiles the cameramen who pioneered the visual language of cinema (such as D.W. Griffith's cameraman Billy Bitzer and Gregg Toland, who shot Orson Welles's Citizen Kane), as well as the masters they influenced, among them Néstor Alemendros (Days of Heaven), Vilmos Zsigmond (McCabe and Mrs. Miller), and Gordon Willis, the affectionately nicknamed "Prince of Darkness" who shot the Godfather films.

From Birth of a Nation to Blade Runner, from Gone with the Wind to GoodFellas, this feast for the eyes spans nearly a century with sequences from more than 125 movies made immortal by the artful use of light and shadow to realize the director's vision. William Fraker, who shot Rosemary's Baby, recalls filming the scene in which Ruth Gordon's sinister character is seen in a bedroom talking on the phone at the far end of a corridor. Director Roman Polanski suggested that Fraker move his camera so her body would be concealed by a door and audiences could only see her back. Fraker remembers later watching this scene in theaters and seeing the audiences shift in their seats trying to peek around the door. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Experience the dazzling story of cinematography as seen through the lenses of the world's greatest filmmakers and captured in classic scenes from over 125 immortal movies. Discover Gordon Willis's secrets of lighting Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" and Greg Toland's contributions to "Citizen Kane." Hear William Fraker on filming "Rosemary's Baby," Vittorio Storaro on his use of color and light in "Apocalypse Now" and much, much more. From black and white to Technicolor, silent to "talkie," glittering Hollywood musical to film noir and art film to blockbuster, this critically acclaimed masterpiece presents movies in a new and unforgettable light!

Customer Reviews:

Some interesting clips..........2007-05-27

I'm tempted to give this video a 4-star rating, but it seems that when it really begins to shine, it ends. Though there's a lot of information on this video, it covers more "recent" (60s, 70s) movies pretty fast. An update to this video (a second volume, perhaps) would be most welcome to those of us who are interested in less historical examples of cinematic lighting. If you can get your hands on a used copy, it's worth taking a look at--but don't expect a lot (and try not to buy it new, unless you're going to sell it back).

this film sheds light on the art of cinematography..............2007-05-07

VISIONS OF LIGHT is a marvelous look at the world of DPs (directors of photography). These are the masterminds who conceptualize the look of films, behind the lens. We hear from some of the greatest cinematographers in the business. They include Nestor Almendros, John Bailey, Conrad Hall, Michael Chapman, Laszlo Kovacs, Sven Nykvist, Vittorio Storaro, Haskell Wexler, Gordon Willis, and Vilmos Zsigmond. We also see footage from the early days of motions pictures up until today. It's amazing how the evolution of the steady cam gave such new-found possibility to the art of shooting a compelling scene. The scenes that stick out in my mind include those from THE FRENCH CONNECTION and DAYS OF HEAVEN, but these weren't the only ones! It was great to hear from people who come from the world that conceptualizes the art of storytelling through depictions of shadow and light. I highly reccomend this to anyone who wants to be entertained and educated. Very well done!

Beautifully done, but a bit long.......2007-03-12

I learned a great deal watching this video, and I agree with other posters that it's well worth watching, but I have to admit I found myself growing weary about 3/4 of the way through. I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more if it had been divided into a few segments - maybe chronologically. After a while I just felt like I was having example after example thrown at me with no breaks or time to breathe.
Having living professionals talking about their experiences with some of the legends was a good touch, although I found the huge variation in the sets and lighting of them a bit distracting... maybe mentioning who created them or why they were so different would have helped. Otherwise it kind of damaged the continuity.
Overall, though, a hugely informative video for film lovers.

A little more entertaining than educational.......2007-02-16

I purchased this DVD to get some insight on cinematography: techniques, styles and a little history. This DVD is reasonably good at taking the viewer from the early days of cinema until the late '80s and early '90s - so there is a good amount of history shown. A number of DPs get into the specifics of one or two techniques or styles they wanted to experiment with in a certain film. Where I think this DVD falls short of expectations is length. When you start to really get into it... it's over!

The films are put together extremely well showin the history of cinematography in a very entertaining manner and there are bits of useful information along the way. I just think 92 minutes are not enough. I would have also loved some additional materials (maybe Q & A with some cinematographers).

Light history of film.......2007-02-13

This is a lovely survey of the role of cinematography in the history of film - without being too detailed, it covers the span of the Hollywood system as well as a few of the paradigm shifting movements that continue to affect the way we understand narrative as rendered on the silver screen. It serves as an excellent introduction to movie making and a good start toward its further study.

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