Unique style of Jack Cardiff?
- Thread starter djlaw
- Start date
David Mullen ASC
Active member
Well, you've had a century of each so the styles have changed many times over the years...
Bristish cinematography has been very innovative and influential, especially the groundbreaking color work of Ozzie Morris & Jack Cardiff in the late 1940's / 1950's, and later David Watkin in the 1960's (there are too many other important DP's to list...)
But they were all stylistically different from each other. In general, European and U.K. cinematography tends to be more naturalistic, lighting "spaces not faces" so to speak (i.e. they light a room naturalistically and let actors move around in that light, rather than light for actor's faces first and then the background separately. But there are exceptions.)
But Jack Cardiff's work was more inspired by painters, particularly Van Gogh's use of color for example.
Bristish cinematography has been very innovative and influential, especially the groundbreaking color work of Ozzie Morris & Jack Cardiff in the late 1940's / 1950's, and later David Watkin in the 1960's (there are too many other important DP's to list...)
But they were all stylistically different from each other. In general, European and U.K. cinematography tends to be more naturalistic, lighting "spaces not faces" so to speak (i.e. they light a room naturalistically and let actors move around in that light, rather than light for actor's faces first and then the background separately. But there are exceptions.)
But Jack Cardiff's work was more inspired by painters, particularly Van Gogh's use of color for example.
djlaw
New member
Hi David,
Thanks for the reply.
Thats true. I have read that Cardiff uses a tint of green and red in the climax of Black Narcissus to create a tragedy mood which I cant really see it in the scene. Maybe it is due to the reproduction of the DVD.
Do you think you will be able to recognize a Jack Cardiff film just by watching it? If yes, what are the things to look out for?
I am doing a school research on Jack Cardiff. Anyone with any stuff about Cardiff will be appreciated. Cheers!
Thanks for the reply.
Thats true. I have read that Cardiff uses a tint of green and red in the climax of Black Narcissus to create a tragedy mood which I cant really see it in the scene. Maybe it is due to the reproduction of the DVD.
Do you think you will be able to recognize a Jack Cardiff film just by watching it? If yes, what are the things to look out for?
I am doing a school research on Jack Cardiff. Anyone with any stuff about Cardiff will be appreciated. Cheers!
David Mullen ASC
Active member
The DVD transfer of "Black Narcissus" shows you the color effect in the pre-dawn chapel scene at the end, where the rising sun is gelled magenta (red + blue, i.e. pink) rather than the typical orange and the fill light is gelled cyan (blue + green, i.e. teal) rather than the typical blue.
Cardiff's expressive & painterly use of color in 3-strip Technicolor photography of the late 1940's was probably only matched by Leon Shamroy (see "Leave Her to Heaven" or "Forever Amber"), and what John Alton did for the "American in Paris" ballet sequence (which was probably inspired by "The Red Shoes".)
There have been various published interviews with Cardiff, plus he wrote an autobiography that you should read.
Cardiff's expressive & painterly use of color in 3-strip Technicolor photography of the late 1940's was probably only matched by Leon Shamroy (see "Leave Her to Heaven" or "Forever Amber"), and what John Alton did for the "American in Paris" ballet sequence (which was probably inspired by "The Red Shoes".)
There have been various published interviews with Cardiff, plus he wrote an autobiography that you should read.
David Mullen ASC
Active member
Besides "Conversations with Jack Cardiff" there is his autobiography called "Magic Hour". And he's interviewed in "Cinematography Screencraft" by Peter Ettedgui.
djlaw
New member
I have got cinematography-screencraft. Its a wonderful book. This is where i got to know about Jack Cardiff and where it got me all started. I have manage to browse through Magic Hour in a Library. Correct me if I am wrong, I find that this books talks more about his working relationship with celebrities and directors, not so much about techniques. Thanks and Cheers!
Similar threads
Network Sponsors
