1938 issue of American Cinematographer

[David Mullen ASC]

While I was re-reading those issues looking for Kodak's announcement of their Super XX b&w stock in that year, I came across some interesting articles.

 

One was an ASC member's answer to an amateur's question about film speed:

 

"We agree with you that it would be of practical advantage to the user if the manufacturers could be persuaded to put the film speed ratings of their products on the boxes. But practical considerations seem to put the realization of this in some distant photographer's Utopia."

 

I believe he was referring to the fact that there was no standard method of expressing film speed, but some competing systems (Weston, General Electric, DIN) that were specific to certain meters.

 

In a later issue that year, another DP wrote an article asking for someone to please invent some professional light meters for cinematography. Most were dealing with a variety of consumer still camera meters with these adhoc rating systems.

 

--

 

On another note, Sol Polito, ASC wrote an article (Feb. '38 issue) about his experiences shooting in 3-strip Technicolor and it reminded me of these "lighting for digital" articles we see these days. He was trying to suggest that a DP's basic knowledge of lighting was still applicable to color work. He concluded:

 

"If you can photograph a picture well in black-and-white you will find there is surprisingly little to do in adjusting yourself to color. An understanding of the basic limitations of any color process -- an appreciation of how color contrasts as well as lighting contrasts affect your composition -- and a few changes in lighting and exposure methods and -- there you are!

 

Really, no cameraman need be worried about the coming of color."

[Justan Zimmerman]

Sol Polito ? now there was a cinematographer. Growing up watching old ?30?s musicals, James Cagney and Errol Flynn films, he was the first DP I knew by name.

 

David, I think you are right to compare the old black and white to color transition with the current film to video. Who cares what you use so long as you know how to light and frame? Just choose what?s best for the project.

 

Now if only more people would decide that black and white was the right choice.