Historical study of cinema depth imaging
This is the only known historical study of the use of great depth of field cinematography (called "deep focus") for aesthetic and narrative purposes in primarily American feature films (movies). The book begins with 1895 to 1970s and covers the technological aspects for pictorial depth presentations and uses over 300 films as a cohort for aesthetic and narrative analysis.
Conclusions include the evidence that "deep focus" was used to tell stories from the beginning of movies and that CITIZEN KANE was only one of a long line of Hollywood-type feature films (before and since) to utilize this technique.
This book is the lonely pioneer scholarly approach to moving image studies that takes technological factors (lenses, light, camera film, etc.) as a basis for historical and aesthetic considerations.
Note: included is the Hal Mohr "swing lens" experiments and a serious treatment of cinematographers as true artists of the visual image.
