Mark T. Ingham

I also discovered Cranes Are Flying via the Criterion DVD very recently as well. Wonderful film!

YES! Best new-DVD news of the decade ALL-TIME! :D

Richard: excellent news! I had tears in my eyes when I was talking on the phone with Mr. Lighthill during that fateful call. It was powerful moment, I don't mind saying, for this usual stoic. Feel free to drop a line anytime through the email feature on the board. I check my email frequently. I took my cell phone number off the profile temporarily since I'll be changing it soon, and, well, I'm kind of phone-phobic. I hate the phone, and turn it on only periodically just to check voicemail. :ph34r: I know, I'll need to become more cell-phone friendly when we start collaborating hard-core at AFI. ;) Too many past jobs of being such a slave to the phone make me want to chuck all of that technology and head for the hills Jeremiah Johnson-style sometimes. Kind of on-topic, my current instructor this term is an AFI-grad cinematographer who had one of his former AFI teachers -- Patti Bellantoni -- come and give a really fascinating guest lecture today on color theory. I think I heard we'll have her for lectures early on at AFI. She's a fantastic teacher and person, and I'm sure you guys will really like her. Also, not sure if it will be on the reading list, but here is her book to check out: If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling. Back to those that haven't gotten a call yet, as Richard observed, the week is still young. My AFI grad instructor noted I got my acceptance call a little earlier than usual. Everyone might not have been contacted yet.

First off, congratulations to all AFI candidates who are accepted in 2006. And to those who didn't make it in during this annual admission cycle, best wishes, and may all your cinematic dreams come true -- even if they are delayed a bit by a non-acceptance this year. As for me, I got the call of my life yesterday from the head of the AFI Cinematography department: Stephen Lighthill. I'm IN as part of the 2006 class! The timing of his call will make it a conversation I'll never forget; as I talked with him literally the moment after we completed our last shot on location of a final 16mm project our group is creating here at school. We had just wrapped and were having a crew lunch, and that call gave me double reason to celebrate with my production collaborators. Time to go un-cork that bottle of wine I've been saving for this day! -Mayrock

Manush: I've found this book to be fairly informative; and it does a pretty good job of discussing situations in which your meter may be fooled. I see that the ASC Store discontinued carrying that book. I'm not sure if it's still in print. In addition, various DP's and Gaffers discuss their methods of metering in chapter three of Kris Malkiewicz's excellent book "Film Lighting."

Well, well, well, just like Richard, my world also just got a whole lot warmer! AFI called to set me up for a cinematography interview at the campus in Hollywood on Thursday March 23rd. Excuse me while I step outside and let out a primal scream of joy! :lol: Next up will be some kicking of ye olde metaphorical gluteus max in the interview. -Mayrock

Congratulations Richard; that's excellent news! Kick some ass in your interview (metaphorical ass, not the interviewer?s ass).

Congratulations on the latest project David. I'm curious, do you know the name of the Scandinavian original this story is based on? Will you watch it as part of your preparation? Incidentally, kudos on your feature in the "ASC Close-Up" section of the March '06 American Cinematographer!

Dan: I'm in a complete information null zone. :ph34r: I have no idea how many apps they got this year, or any idea -- whatsoever -- of my chances. All I know is I don't believe I've ever wanted anything this badly (getting into AFI); and the stressful angst of this waiting is, like I mentioned before, excruciating. I was going to tour the campus last week, but had to miss out on it because of a last minute commitment on a school film production. Have any of you guys been shown around campus? If so, what were your impressions? Anyways, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys. I hope to see you all (as well as myself) in the group of 28 new AFI Cinematographers for '06. -Mayrock

Your description of the guy reminds me of a great scene with the Thora Birch character in Ghost World The Birch character would have recommended Eternal Sunshine over American Pie without a doubt though. She was the anti-snackbar-chav described in Phil's encounter. Great movie Ghost World, by the way, for those that haven't seen it.

:lol: Classic Phil! Unfortunately, I think arguing the film program with the pimple-faced snack bar jockey is akin to tilting at windmills with your ebony walking cane.

I just watched Dick Tracy. Storaro employed split-diopters very effectively throughout that film. Great care was also taken in the compositions to hide the line. That's one aspect of "All the President's Men" I find slightly distracting; the diopter line being very obvious in some shots. Still, it's probably only cinematographers that are ever going to notice those lines. Of course it could also be a stylistic choice to not worry about hiding the demarcation between diopters.

Jayson: Thanks for the word.

Me too Josh. This is going to be a long, excrutiating wait till April to hear whether AFI has accepted us or not. By the way, best of luck to you -- I hope to be seeing you in the 2006-07 class!

I want to say one word to you Ckulakov. Just one word. Are you listening? Plastics. DP Robert Surtees's use of hard-lighting in The Graduate is a real study. He uses light and dark beautifully throughout to express Benjamin's moral dilemma -- between his "light" and "dark" nature ("Hello darkness my old friend." B) ). I also love a lot of the inventive compositions. For some reason these POV's of Benjamin looking up from the swimming pool have always been favorites of mine: