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Visions of Light

  • 1992
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Visions of Light (1992)
DocumentaryHistory

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography, illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Die Geburt einer Nation (1915) to Do the Right Thing (1989).Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography, illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Die Geburt einer Nation (1915) to Do the Right Thing (1989).Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography, illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Die Geburt einer Nation (1915) to Do the Right Thing (1989).

  • Directors
    • Arnold Glassman
    • Todd McCarthy
    • Stuart Samuels
  • Writer
    • Todd McCarthy
  • Stars
    • Conrad L. Hall
    • John Bailey
    • Vilmos Zsigmond
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    3.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Arnold Glassman
      • Todd McCarthy
      • Stuart Samuels
    • Writer
      • Todd McCarthy
    • Stars
      • Conrad L. Hall
      • John Bailey
      • Vilmos Zsigmond
    • 21User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos

    Visions of Light (1992)
    Add photo

    Top cast

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    Conrad L. Hall
    Conrad L. Hall
    • Self
    • (as Conrad Hall)
    John Bailey
    John Bailey
    • Self
    Vilmos Zsigmond
    Vilmos Zsigmond
    • Self
    Charles Lang
    Charles Lang
    • Self
    • (as Charles B. Lang)
    Ernest R. Dickerson
    Ernest R. Dickerson
    • Self
    • (as Ernest Dickerson)
    Michael Chapman
    Michael Chapman
    • Self
    Allen Daviau
    Allen Daviau
    • Self
    Caleb Deschanel
    Caleb Deschanel
    • Self
    Lisa Rinzler
    • Self
    William A. Fraker
    William A. Fraker
    • Self
    Néstor Almendros
    Néstor Almendros
    • Self
    • (as Nestor Almendros)
    Charles Rosher Jr.
    • Self
    • (as Charles D. Rosher)
    Stephen H. Burum
    • Self
    Harry L. Wolf
    • Self
    • (as Harry Wolf)
    Sven Nykvist
    Sven Nykvist
    • Self
    Robert Wise
    Robert Wise
    • Self
    László Kovács
    László Kovács
    • Self
    • (as Laszlo Kovacs)
    James Wong Howe
    James Wong Howe
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Directors
      • Arnold Glassman
      • Todd McCarthy
      • Stuart Samuels
    • Writer
      • Todd McCarthy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Todd McCarthy had hoped to include an interview with the legendary cinematographer, John Alton, whose work is highlighted in the film, but could not locate him. Alton had quit the movie business after working on Elmer Gantry - Gott ist im Geschäft (1960), and for many years, even close friends didn't know his whereabouts, or if he was still alive. In 1992, McCarthy was shocked to receive a phone call from the now 91-year-old Alton, who had heard about Visions of Light (1992), and wanted to attend the premiere. Alton insisted that there was nothing mysterious in his disappearance, that he and his wife had simply decided to give up the movie business and travel a bit. They had lived in France, Germany, and Argentina, and had a great time. Alton died in 1996 at the age of 95.
    • Quotes

      Vittorio Storaro: I understood at that moment that cinema really has no nationality.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Benny & Joon/The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom/Map of the Human Heart/Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Shadow Waltz
      (uncredited)

      Music by Harry Warren

      Lyrics by Al Dubin

      Played and sung during a clip from Goldgräber von 1933 (1933)

    User reviews21

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    A Great Documentary For Movie Buffs
    People who surf this particular website, generally-speaking, should love this documentary as it deals with the movies, and how they are photographed and how the cameramen and we, the viewer, see them. That may sound a bit dry, but this documentary is anything but that. They never stay more than a few minutes on any topic, personality or movie.

    I appreciated this DVD more and more as I became more familiar with films. The more of a fan you are of both movies and cinematography, the higher you will rate this documentary. From silent movies to modern-day, the producers on this did a fine job showing examples of films from every decade up to 1990. (It would be fun to see an updated edition of this to include films from the past 15 years.)

    This video gave me a new appreciation for black-and-white films. Some of the photography was magnificent and many cinematographers think that is the medium in which they could really show off their talents.

    Regarding color, this documentary is where I first heard about the fabulously- filmed movie, "Days Of Heaven" (1978), which has become one of my all-time favorites. In all, there are about 125 films mentioned, so you may discover some gems you weren't aware of, as I did.

    Whether you know most of these films or just a few, you should find a number of things in here interesting.
    helpful•19
    1
    • ccthemovieman-1
    • Sep 18, 2006

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    FAQ17

    • How long is Visions of Light?Powered by Alexa
    • What is the song that is played in the very beginning and very end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 24, 1993 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Japan
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Art of Cinematography
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • American Film Institute (AFI)
      • NHK
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $799,856
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $27,761
      • Feb 28, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $799,856
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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