John Alton

“Taking pictures was always a passion that I had. For me the best job on a film crew has always been operating a camera. I adore operating, I love the challenges. Capturing images that you hope and pray people will enjoy looking at gives me great satisfaction. It gives a feeling of joy looking through the viewfinder. I’ve been so lucky.”

« Prendre des photos a toujours été une passion pour moi. Je pense que le meilleur poste sur un tournage est à la caméra. J’adore opérer, j’aime les défis. Capturer des images - en espérant et en priant pour que les gens aiment les regarder - me donne une grande satisfaction. J’éprouve du plaisir à regarder dans le viseur. J’ai eu tellement de chance. »

Bogen Imaging annonce la sortie d’un nouveau pied Avenger, le Long John Silver Junior. Version plus " courte " que le Long John Silver, il supporte une charge de 120 kg de 1,26 à 3,38 m.
Ce mât extrêmement compact bénéficie d’une nouvelle caractéristique. En effet, le système à piston situé sur chacune des jambes est à présent protégé afin d’empêcher toute détérioration.

We learnt of the death of John Bailey, ASC, just as the 31^st annual Toruń Camerimage festival was about to begin. The most European of American cinematographers died on 10^th November, in Los Angeles, at the age of 81. Two weeks later, on 27^th November, Victor J. Kemper, ASC, one of the architects of the revival of American cinema in the 1970s, passed away at the age of 96. Let’s take a look back at two parallel careers that embody two different sensibilities in American cinema.

Nous avons appris la disparition de John Bailey, ASC, juste au moment où le festival Camerimage de Toruń s’apprêtait à lancer sa 31e édition. Le plus européen des chefs opérateurs américains s’est éteint le 10 novembre, à Los Angeles, à l’âge de 81 ans. Deux semaines plus tard, le 27 novembre, c’est Victor J. Kemper, ASC, un des artisans du renouveau du cinéma américain des années 1970, qui nous quittait à l’âge de 96 ans. Revenons sur les grandes lignes de deux carrières parallèles qui expriment deux sensibilités différentes dans le cinéma américain.

Hommage à John Ford en six films : Steamboat Round the Bend (1935), Je n’ai pas tué Lincoln (1936), Vers sa destinée (1939), Les Raisins de la colère (1940), Qu’elle était verte ma vallée (1941) et La Poursuite infernale (1946).

John Seale, ACS, ASC is one of Australia’s most famous director of photography (along with Dean Semler and more recently Greig Fraser). Working with his compatriot and director friend Peter Weir on most of his greatest films (Picnic at Hanging Rock, as cameraman, then Witness and The Dead Poets Society) he is also the DoP of several George Miller films (including Lorenzo’s Oil or Mad Max Fury Road).
He also won the 1996 Best Picture Academy Award for The English Patient, by Anthony Minghella. He is the president of the jury of the 45^th Manaki Brothers festival and comes to talk to us, among other things, about colors, control and tolerance.... (FR)

When he is asked about his best memory from Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri, British cinematographer Ben Davis tells us about his first meeting with Frances McDormand who very seriously said to him: “You know, Ben, I want you to film me like John Wayne in this film.” This film is therefore an authentic Western, with a sheriff, a small town, and an avenger, all of whom are seeking redemption. He discusses the film of Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, 7 Psychopaths), which was a great audience success at Camerimage.

During its Annual General Meeting on Sunday 9^th April 2006, the BSC was delighted to announce the winner of the Best Cinematography Award for 2006 : John Mathieson, BSC for Phantom of The Opera directed by Joel Schumacher.
The award will be presented at the BSC Operators Night Dinner on Friday 8^th December 2006.