STUDIES AND RESEARCH
A Short Outline of the History of Cinematography
A concise survey of the range of cinematographic
ingenuity in relation to the development of film technology
from the beginning of film to the present day.
In the introduction, the author stresses the role of
Lumieres who used every film type of shot in the film L’arrivée d’un train.
Moreover, Méli#s used double and triple exposures, changes
in shooting speed, stop motion and a combination to models
and characters. G. A. Smith discovered the detail while
E. S. Porter affirmed the close-up and showed the importance
of choosing shooting angles, camera positions and shot
compositions. The author cites D. W. Grifith’s cameraman
B. Bitzer as the first great cameraman in the history of
film.
The golden age
of Soviet film is marked by cameramen like M. A. Kaufman,
A. D. Golovnja, D. P. Demucki, as well Eisenstein’s associate
E. K. Tissé, and A. N. Moskvin in the sound era. Their
contribution are documentary photography and the discovery
of hidden camera techniques. In the Scandinavian film,
the author cites the contribution of J. Jaenzona (The Phantom Coach Sjöström,
1921.) as a master of the romantic-mystical atmosphere
that shows the bond between man, his emotions and the might
of nature. A tie with fine art can be found with German
Expressionist cameramen (W. Hameister, A. Wagner, K. Freund).
In the first years of sound film, it is impossible not
to mention Stroheim’s cameraman G. Rittau. Cinematographic
achievements can be found in the musical with the discovery
of ornamental, kaleidoscopic ballet scenes (B. Berkeley),
as well as in the new cinematographic prospects in color
film (R. Rennahan).
Among individual achievements in cinematographic craft
he mentions the films of L. Riefestahl, and especially
G. Toland, the cameraman on Welles’ Citizen
Cane, who used deep focus photography, unusual angles,
and complex camera moves exceptionally well.
While the films of the thirties and forties are known
for their effectively modeled lighting, well-lit close
ups and use of lenses of a medium focal length, neorealism
brings with it a maximally realistic image, and the style
of film noir uses
low light tonality, unusual angles, emphasized compositions
and deep focus shots.
The modernism of the 60’s was based on new film materials
and the photography is well-known for it unusual angles
and shot compositions with accented camera movement and
the use of narrow lenses with long focal lengths...
In the beginning of the 70’s cinematographers use sensitive
film stock, small yet powerful lighting equipment and fast
lenses. It seems that during this period they were trying
to get away from realistic images by making them softer,
by lowering contrast and definition, by desaturating colors,
etc.
Contemporary (especially American) film is more refined and
technically accomplished, and computer technology is evermore
present which puts cinematographers in a new position by
giving them a new role in and new possibilities in the future
development of cinema.
Krešimir Mikiæ |
