Gordon Willis
Also Known As: Gordon Hugh Willis Jr., Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr.
Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr., ASC (May 28, 1931 – May 18, 2014) was an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather series as well as Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan. Fellow cinematographer William Fraker called Willis's work a "milestone in visual storytelling", while one critic suggested that Willis "defined the cinematic look of the 1970s: sophisticated compositions in which bolts of light and black put the decade's moral ambiguities into stark relief". When the International Cinematographers Guild conducted a survey in 2003, they placed Willis among the ten most influential cinematographers in history.
Department: Camera
Place of Birth: Astoria, New York, USA
Birthday: May 28, 1931
Deathday: May 18, 2014
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Known For:
Woody Allen: A Documentary
Overview: Iconic writer, director, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen allowed his life and creative process to be documented on-camera for the first time. With this unprecedented access, Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Robert B. Weide followed the notoriously private film legend over a year and a half to create the ultimate film biography. "Woody Allen: A Documentary" chronicles Allen's career - from teen writer to Sid Caesar's TV scribe, from stand-up comedian to award-winning writer-director averaging one film-per-year for more than 40 years. Exploring Allen's writing habits, casting, directing, and relationship with his actors first-hand, new interviews with A-listers, writing partners, family and friends provide insight and backstory to the usually inscrutable filmmaker.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-11-20
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Visions of Light
Overview: Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
Genres: Documentary History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1992-09-17
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'Klute' in New York
Overview: A closer look at the making of "Klute" (1971). The project follows the complex shooting on multiple locations in New York with major stars Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, under the direction of Alan J. Pakula. The two actors and the director share a little about their perspectives on the film and the experience of being part of it.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1971-12-31
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To Woody Allen from Europe with Love
Overview: Initiated by producer-director Pierre Drouot, Woody Allen for the very first time agrees to let a filmmaker, Belgium's André Delvaux, film him during one of his own productions, Stardust Memories. Woody talks about his work, always steering clear of the anecdotal or the private.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1980-01-12
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Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of "All the President's Men"
Overview: A short documentary on the making of "All the President's Men."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-02-28
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Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Overview: Film Noir burrows into the mind; it's disorienting, intriguing and enthralling. Noir brings us into a gritty underworld of lush morbidity, providing intimate peeks at its tough, scheming dames, mischievous misfits and flawed men - all caught in the wicked web of a twisted fate.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-07-18
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Emulsional Rescue: Revealing 'The Godfather'
Overview: We hear from Coppola, Spielberg, director of photography Gordon Willis, consulting restoration cinematographer Allen Daviau, film archivist Robert A. Harris, Paramount Post Production executive VP Martin Cohen, MPI senior technical advisor Daniel Rosen, MPI scanning technician Chris Gillaspie, senior digital artist Steven A. Sanchez, digital artist Valerie V. McMahon, and MPI technical director and senior colorist Jan Yarbrough as they offer interesting facts about the original cinematography, details on the restoration of the three films.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2008-09-23
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An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road
Overview: Documentary about the 1970 film, "End of The Road."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2012-10-10
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Fog City Mavericks
Overview: Fog City Mavericks: The Filmmakers of San Francisco is a compelling exploration of the legendary filmmakers who call the San Francisco Bay Area home including George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Chris Columbus and producer Saul Zaentz. The special weaves interviews, commentaries and unforgettable moments from some of the most visionary movies ever created such as American Graffiti, the Star Wars film series, the Indiana Jones film series, The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Lost in Translation, Flags of Our Fathers and many others. It also features interviews with those who have worked with Bay Area mavericks: Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Anthony Minghella, Milos Forman and Frank Darabont.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-24
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Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
Overview: The chronicle of the mind-blowing journey that was Hollywood during the seventies; the true and gripping story of the last golden age of American cinema, an exalted celebration of creativity and experimentation; but also of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll: a turbulent and dark tale of ambition, envy, betrayal, hatred and self-destruction.
Genres: Documentary History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-03-09
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