Henry Weidemann

I've just seen "Benjamin Button" (the Oscar favorite's always start very late in Germany) and I thought the cinematography was brillant. I like low - key - lighting a lot so maybe this is one reason why I liked the movie, but also because some shots really look like paintings. Especially the scene where Benjamin is watching Daisy's dancing. It's too beautiful! Can't wait to see "The Reader" and "Slumdog Millionaire" as well.

Thanks for all those interesting answers! Personally I got interested in cinematography more or less unconcious. I consumed movies like everyone does but as I grew older I dicovered that I rated every movie I watched only on the basis of its images. I was never interested in the stories itself (although I know today that the story is the basis for every good cinematography). If the cinematography was great, I liked the movie! :lol: There was no specific movie that forced me to get deeper in to this matter, I was just fascinated how these images and how their movement (in combination with the music influenced me emotionally. I wanted to be able to create something like that as well.

Hello everyone, I am just curious to know how you started to become interested in Cinematography? Any specific movie that motivated you? At what point did you know that this is what you wanna do?

I've just ordered the "Cinematographer Style" DVD and found it very entertaining. Of course it includes only interviews and no footage that explains what they are talking about. But I think it's a helpful source for a cinematography - beginner who needs a good starting point to get into it. I've also started reading through "Masters of Light" that includes 15 interviews with some of the greatest cinematographers of all times (including Hall, Storraro, Willis, Williams, Zsigmond etc.). Both sources are in my opinion not useful to carry around on a filmset while shooting a movie, they are no instruction manuals or "how to shoot a movie?" - guidances but you get a very close look into the world of cinematography and its theoretical and technical aspects

Thanks for the quick answer James. Well, if you can recommend me some books that would be awesome! I just received "Masters of Light", maybe this helps me getting a bit closer to the problem. I also think that a sort of book is helpful that does not explain the effects of light in a cinematographic sense but in a more general coherence such as Goethe does it with his theory of colors.

I have only shot some crude movies as a one - man operation so far and the same problem comes across every time: I can't explain (in this case to myself) why I decide to do this or that specific shot like I finally do it. I can't explain it intellectual but intuitively I know that it is the right decision. It's the same when I watch a movie: I intuitively feel that the cinematographer did a great job and that this or that shot is brillant but again, I can't explain why, I just know that it's great. Now I am afraid that when I shoot a movie with a bigger crew I will have problems to get the credit from the director because I will have trouble to explain to him why I would do it like this although I feel that it's right. Can someone please give me an advice how to overcome this lack?

If I would have to reduce my list to five titles, I would recommend: - Apocalypse Now (!!) (Vittorio Storaro) - Road to Perdition (Conrad Hall) - The Deer Hunter (Vilmos Zsigmond) - Schindler's List (Janusz Kaminski) - The Fabulous Baker Boys (Michael Ballhaus) But you should also take a look at the work of Roger Deakins (I would recommend "The Asassination of Jesse James..." and "O Brother where art thou?")

I recently watched "The fabulous Baker Boys" again and I have to say that Michael Ballhaus did an extraordinary job on it. In my opinion it's one of the most beautiful cinematography I've ever seen. You can frame every single shot and put it on the wall like it's a painting. I am not yet in the position to talk about technical details because of my lack of experience at that point, but intuitively I know that Ballhaus has done a perfect job. Anyone else sharing this opinion?

First of all I have to say that I am a huge admirer of Eastwood but what I don't like is that his latest movies always seem to have the same look. I know he's always working with the same DP but they should try something different. It's not that I don't like the way Eastwoods movies are shot but I am getting "bored" of it a bit.

Instead of asking other people what kind of visual possibilities to express things they may recommend, you should sit down and think about it on your own. You'll never get good in Cinematography unless you don't find your own way to express things. Try to study as much paintings and painters as possible to expand your knowledge of visual forms of expression. This may help you to find the right ideas for your projects.

Hey guys, I am new on this board. Here are a few photos I took in color and b/w. I am not that much experienced in making movies or photos, but I would like to work as a cinematographer later on. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30598066@N05/ Concerning my b/w photos. When I took them I liked the effect of high contrast on them, that's why some of them may look a bit dark. I cannot explain why I liked it, but I think if I would take the same photos again today, I would do it different. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjkdGo8uSXU In this video I just underlined a view photos with the beautiful filmscore of "In the Mood for love" (wich has an awesome cinematography in my opinion ;) ) just to see the effect.

Hey guys, I am new on this board! I read somewhere that "Days of Heaven" by Terrence Mallick was shot almost only with natural light and that Almendros only used artificial light in some interior scenes. I wonder how he was able to create this stunning images just with natural light? Does someone of you know what kind of filters he may have used?

I read that german DP Michael Ballhaus thinks about directing a movie but I don't know any details.