(aka ' Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography ')
directed
by Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy and Stuart Samuels
USA/Japan 1992
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
Release: May 14th, 1992 - Cannes Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Image Ent
ertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL RIGHT)
| DVD Box Cover |
|
|
| Distribution |
Image Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
BFI Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:31:48 | 1:30:00 |
|
Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
|
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
||
| Bitrate : Image |
|
|
| Bitrate: BFI |
|
|
| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
| Subtitles | None | English (hoh), None |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 30 |
Release Information: Studio: BFI Aspect Ratio: Edition
Details:
DVD
Release Date: March 27th, 2006 Chapters 18 |
| Comments |
I'm afraid both releases have some issues. Neither are from an HD source
and hence each edition sports some visible 'combing' although this appears
much more prominent on the NTSC DVD. The BFI release has picture boxed the
entire presentation.
Pictureboxing leaves a black border around the edge of the image and most
players automatically zoom-in to fill the screen - it limits resolution
making the image slightly less detailed than it might be able to achieve
if it was instead tight to the frame edges. Colors appear slightly
manipulated on the PAL edition with skins tones often appearing more
orangey/red than they might normally be. Sharpness seems to vary from
scene to scene but the Image Entertainment release may have a slight edge. An option that I certainly appreciate are the (removable) subtitles on the BFI. The newsreel supplement, although less than 30 seconds, is a fun addition. It is quite a shame that a film dealing with such classic cinematography couldn't have a superior transfer. Preferable would be a widescreen/anamorphic image to give full attention to the cinemascope shots, but, of course, I don't know how practical that would be. In the very least it should be transferred in HD for better quality. This really is a wonderful documentary for film fans keen on the history of the production medium - it is often regarded as the best feature on film-making ever produced with clips including Marlene Dietrich and such films as Sunrise, Grapes Of Wrath, Rebecca, T-Men, Picnic, In Cold Blood, Taxi Driver And Bladerunner. If you ever forget why you love film so much - this is the first thing you need to watch (or re-watch) |
DVD Menus
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL RIGHT)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Screen Captures
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP
vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
Subtitle Sample (Image has no subs): Not exact frame
 |
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL BOTTOM)
|
|
 |
Report Card:
|
Image: |
|
|
Sound: |
|
| Extras: | BFI |
| Menu: | BFI |
Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze
|
|
Thank You