“If you do not bother to take the time to compose and to light properly, then you end up with something almost less than reality. You end up without the soul, the heart, the art of the moment.” IfsHeartArtSoulEndsMomentsRealityLightBother Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“There is something more to "reality" than just the tangible. There is also mood, and you cannot skip that.” RealityMoodTangibleSkip Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“When I was in Hungary in December I was looking at student films and I could not tell which ones were shot on film and which ones were shot digitally. I think that is because the filmmakers in Europe go to four years of film school and learn the techniques.” ThinkingYearsSchoolFilmFourStudentsShotsEuropeTechniqueFilmmakerFour YearsDecemberFilm SchoolHungary Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I think too many film students in America are losing the artistry and not learning lighting the right way.” ThinkingWayAmericaFilmStudentsLosingRight WayLightingArtistryFilm Students Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I love the Dutch impressionists - Vermeer, Rembrandt. What they were able to do with light was astonishing. As for photographers, I think mostly of the Hungarians: Robert Capa, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Jozsef Pesci. In fact, I have one of his photographs hanging in my house.” ThinkingFactsLightAbleHousePhotographerPhotographAstonishingDutchHungariansImpressionistsVermeer Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I don't know the American photographers as well, but I admit I love Ansel Adams. His landscapes are so crisp.” KnowsWellsPhotographerLandscapeCrisps Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“When I first came to America there still was Look Magazine and LIFE Magazine, and the photography in those magazines was amazing to look at. They had the best portraits, and their news photography.” FirstsLooksStillsAmericaPhotographyNewsMagazinesPortraits Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“In fact, I probably learned more about photography from studying black-and-white photography in those magazines [Look Magazine and LIFE Magazine] than I did from watching movies here. That's the truth.” LooksFactsBlackWhiteStudyPhotographyMagazinesBlack And WhiteBlack And White Photography Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“Mexican cinematographers Gabriel Figueroa and Emilio Fernandez were students of both Sergei Eisenstein and Toland. Their exteriors and lighting were gorgeous. And the films Ingmar Bergman did with Sven Nykvist were exceptional.” FilmStudentsExceptionalGorgeousMexicanLightingExteriorGabrielCinematographersBergman Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“These days that wouldn't happen - waiting for the light to be exactly right. Because it takes time and time is money. And with these big productions with expensive actors, you just don't have the time to get every shot exactly right.” BigsLightHappensActorsWaitingShotsProductionsThese DaysExpensiveTake TimeIt Takes TimeTime Is Money Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I should mention Vittorio Storaro, who was Bernardo Bertolucci's cinematographer. You watch those films and they are exceptional.” ShouldFilmWatchesExceptionalCinematographers Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I'm not really satisfied with the technology today. Using film was so much easier than the digital technology of today. But digital is still at the beginning of what it can be and they'll be fixing all those problems.” StillsProblemTodayFilmTechnologyEasierSatisfiedDigitalFixingDigital Technology Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“You used to feed a piece of celluloid into an editor. [Digital] is not expensive and that is an advantage, but I must say that I don't love it.” UsedPiecesAdvantageExpensiveDigitalEditorsCelluloid Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“Sometimes the shots serve as homages to other movies and other directors, like Hitchcock.” SometimesDirectorsShotsHomageHitchcock Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“There are many, many different kinds of movies and directors and styles. I don't mind that a movie looks like a movie.” MindLooksKindDifferentStyleDirectorsDifferent Kinds Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I had never met Woody Allen before Melinda and Melinda. My agent knew the producer of the movie and he suggested that we would work well together and then we did. We had a great time on that film.” WellsTogetherFilmMetsProducersAgentsGreat TimesWoodyHad A Great Time Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I love Woody Allen. He's very clever, always thinking, and he's great with actors. He lets actors do what they want to do and occasionally he'll give them a specific kind of direction.” ThinkingWantGivingKindActorsCleverWoodyAlways ThinkingVery Clever Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“As an actor, Sean [Penn] is brilliant. And he's really an excellent director, as well. We got along really well.” WellsActorsDirectorsBrilliantExcellentSean Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“Jack [Nicholson] really knows about the camera. He's one of the directors who likes to play with the camera. He'll change things around, play with lighting, things like that. He'll even spend hours on the set-up for an insert shot. He's an interested person who gets involved in all the aspects of the films he is making.” KnowsPersonsPlayFilmHoursInvolvedDirectorsShotsAspectCamerasLikesGet InvolvedLightingInsertNicholson Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“Hayden [Sterling] told me that he was thrilled about the way he moved around the set, that wherever he would go, there would be lighting. He didn't think about his marks because they were set in the only places he could move.” ThinkingWayWould BeMovingMarkMovedLightingSterling Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I think film is about images. Cinema needs good images. I think that if you don’t have good images, it’s not going to be a good film. I think all films should be really visual.” IfsThinkingNeedsShouldFilmCinemaVisualsGood Films Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“For me, movies should be visual. If you want dialogue, you should read a book.” IfsWantShouldBookDialogueVisuals Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
