FMP: Cinematography research.

"Photographing a film requires a balance of sound preparation and the ability to improvise." pg 20

"It can also be very stimulating to work on films where the money is tight. Because you don't have access to the best equipment and the ideal conditions, you have to be that extra bit more creative."- pg 23

"I urge aspiring cinematographers to study painting extensively. It's a thrilling exercise, because you see how the masters through the centuries have so expertly composed light and shadow to such wonderful effect. And you will, I hope, learn to do the same with your camera" pg 23

-Jack Cardiff, quoted in Cinematography by Peter Ettedgui

"You had to find the salient point of any story and make sure it got over. I would know exactly what the camera should focus on as well as the mood I would be require to create. Light played the key part in all this; I learned how to manipulate it, how to vary its intensity. I learned the countless ways to 'bend' light, cut the rays, make hard or soft shadows leaving more or less detail to peep through. In time, light came to feel like dough in my hands. I came to love the moment when you had decided the set up with the director, and you'd be left alone in the set with your gaffer and 'sparks' and you lights to create the scene- like a painter in his studio." pg 30

"I also came to think of the human face as the cameraman's canvas. Each on demands to be treated in a different way." pg 33

"When I'm preparing to shoot a picture, I'll study the script and sketch out some ideas and pinpoint any potential problems. Then I talk to the director and liaise with the art director, who will nearly always arrange to cater for any set-lighting requirements in his designs" pg 33

"I've worked with (rather than from) storyboards a number of times, and have nothing against them as long as they do not have to be rigidly adhered to, and do not preclude any spontaneous invention on the set. (They can be an important security blanket for directors, and they are essential when there are a lot of different elements to coordinate in a scene- as on the Indiana Jones films)." pg 33

"I like to walk on to a set, look for the important detail and start designing the cinematography from there- always bearing in mind a preconceived overall mood." pg 33

"Sometimes I would go to the National Gallery to see how the Old Masters used colour. They would suggest an environment that might be full of rich colours but drew your eye, through their own lighting and shadow effects, to what they wanted you to see- part of a face illuminated by a flickering candle, for example." pg 33

"To an aspiring cinematographer, I'd say learn the rules before you try to bend or break them. The terrible thing about so-called art today is that no one learns to draw any more. You need a foundation on which to build." pg 35

- Douglas Slocombe, quoted in Cinematography by Peter Ettedgui

"Sufficient time is rarely taken to study light. It is as important as the lines the actors speak, or the direction given to them. It is an integral part of the story and that is why such close co-ordination is needed between director and cinematographer. Light is a treasure chest: once properly understood, it can bring another dimension to the medium." pg38

"I have tried to avoid using direct light, working mainly with bounced light in my quest to stop a film looking lit." pg 41

"A handful of principles have defined my life as a cinematagrapher. Be true to the script. Be loyal to the director. Be able to adapt and change one's style. Learn simplicity. I would also say that a cinematographer should direct at least one film. As a cameraman, it is very easy to become a technical freak. The experience of writing and editing a film enables one to understand the whole creative process of film-making." pg 47

- Sven Nykvist, quoted in Cinematography by Peter Ettedgui

" I once came across a statement by Jean Renoir where he complained that cameramen often create lighting that does not exist in the world. He insisted that cinematographers should study how nature illuminates everything. Ever since then, this became the principle guiding force in my work. I find that most of the time I am justifying the lighting of a scene, by simulating the source of light." pg 57

- Subrata Mitra , quoted in Cinematography by Peter Ettedgui