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Product Description
Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics "T-Men", "He Walked by Night", and "The Big Combo", Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood's consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. No less renowned for his virtuoso color cinematography and deft appropriation of widescreen and Technicolor, he earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical "An American in Paris". First published in 1949, and long out of print since then, "Painting With Light" remains one of the few truly canonical statements on the art of motion picture photography, an unrivalled historical document on the workings of the postwar, American cinema. In simple, non-technical language, Alton explains the job of the cinematographer and explores how lighting, camera techniques, and choice of locations determine the visual mood of film. Todd McCarthy's introduction, written especially for this edition, provides an overview of Alton's biography and career and explores the influence of his work on contemporary cinematography.
About the Author
John Alton (born 1901) was one of the most renowned cinematographers of the postwar American cinema. In 1951 he won an Academy Award for his color photography of An American in Paris. He lives in Los Angeles. Todd McCarthy is chief film critic of Variety, co-editor of the King of Bs (1975), and writer and co-director of the award winning documentary, Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (1992).
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First Sentence
There is hardly another place where there are as many directors as in a motion picture studio in Geniucity, Hollywood. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
There is hardly another place where there are as many directors as in a motion picture studio in Geniucity, Hollywood. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although the technical end is obviously about fifty years out of date, this is still a rewarding read for anyone interested in film lighting. For one thing, you'll never look at a film from the 30's and 40's again without the satisfying feeling of being able to recognize a clothing light in action. On a practical level, it's still got a lot of tips worth thinking about for the amateur or even professional filmmaker. The simpicity of the equipment might even be a bonus for those just learning, or shooting on a limited budget. Certainly I've never seen a technical lighting book this clear, practical, and real-world.
My favorite thing about this book though is the extra chapter on Lighting for Ladies. Now this is a guy who LOVES light and is out to do his bit to beautify the world. So naturally, he includes an appendix on how any women who happen to be reading, can use Hollywood lighting tricks to enhance their appearance. I swear I'm this close to rearranging my office so that the daylight can hit me just so... although I don't know if I'm ready to go around my flat with a mirror before a date, so I can figure out the optimal place to sit on the sofa!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have had a photocopy of a photocopy of this book for about seven years, so I was understandably extatic to learn of the recent reissuing of this long out of print and much sought-after title. For decades, critics have discussed Film Noir as the apex of American film in terms of style as well as content. And Academy Award winner John Alton has long been hailed as perhaps the most important cinematographer of his era. Such was his passion for the art and craft of cinematography that he wrote a book on the subject at a time when such books just were not being written. Painting With Light has great verve and wit, and serves as a very practical how-to exploration of cinema- tography as it existed at the time. But, as such, it is now also a fascinating slice of movie history. In the end, however, I believe it is most valuable as a tool to help the modern cinema- tographer rediscover the texture and mystery brought to the screen in an era when films pulled you in instead of trying to leap out at you. The book co
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Oscar winning Alton wrote this book years ago, but it still rules among the most interesting books about film lighting, filmmaking, and the perpetual wonders and mysteries of Light. A must, really. Alton's writing is clear, clever and funny.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Magic!
I have given this book to more than a few young people who have had an interest in theatre lighting when they entered higher education over the past fifteen years. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2009 by Showmaster
A historic curiosity only
I think this book is overrated, it lacks significantly for anyone who wish to get hands on technique and get started, and is out dated on so many aspects that it is more a historic... Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2008 by Erik Norgaard
Probably the best book on lighting
This book is an excellent source of information on lighting, from the basics to refining the most professional scenes.
Published on 16 July 1998
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