Cinematographer research - 'The Prince of Darkness'

As I am taking upon the role of the cinematographer in the production of 'Flight', I have decided to undertake some research into the area to ensure that I will produce the highest quality film possible, and to see other techniques which famous cinematographers have used in the past.

Gordon Willis was born May 28th, 1931 in America. He was appropriately nicknamed as 'The Prince of Darkness'. This is due to his frequent use of dark lighting, and multiple blacks and browns showing up in his films. He has famously worked for many directors in what is known as 'The Golden Age of Cinema'. The most famous film for which he was the cinematographer is The Godfather films. He used lighting to portray a gritty, realistic setting, which reflected the mood of the entire film. A critic has suggested that "more than any other director of photography, 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". This shows his popularity amongst film critics, as his use of lighting and colour inspired many cinematographers. He subtley uses gritty colour within his films, and, although he uses a dark colour palette, he uses a wide range of these dark colours. Willis has famously used amber colours to paint a nostalgic shot, particularly when characters within the narrative are reflecting on past events, particularly in The Godfather II.Other popular films include: Manhattan (1979), Zelig (1983), and All the President's Men (1976).

Below you can see some of the shots which The Prince Of Darkness has chosen to use.