Conrad Hall Quotes

United States, Cinematographer
June 21, 1926 – January, 4, 2003.

Conrad "Connie" Lafcadio Hall, ASC (June 21, 1926 – January 4, 2003) was an American cinematographer from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. Named after writers Joseph Conrad and Lafcadio Hearn, he was best known for photographing such films as In Cold Blood, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, American Beauty, and Road to Perdition. For his work he garnered a number of awards, including three Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards.

There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors... it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job.

Conrad Hall
- Job
- Light
I was very happy sitting alone at a dining room table, writing a script.

Conrad Hall
- Writing
- Happy
- Alone

The audience has to understand that if the film is going to have any meaning for them. If they are going to empathize with the characters, they have to visualize the process of concentration involved in making every move.

Conrad Hall
The sun is the most parallel light source because it is so far away.

Conrad Hall
- Light
- Sun
That's why I like fast film. It gives you more freedom to light more naturally.

Conrad Hall
- Why
- Freedom
- Light
In aptitude tests, I scored highest in music.

Conrad Hall
- Music
It took a while for me to grasp that my colleagues believe I have made an impact on the history of cinema.

Conrad Hall
- Believe
- History
I don't think of myself as a director or writer. I think of myself as a filmmaker.

Conrad Hall

You have to understand the nature of light.

Conrad Hall
- Nature
- Light
I can still recall the thrill of shooting my first film.

Conrad Hall
Dad, wherever you are, you are gone but you will never be forgotten.

Conrad Hall
- Dad
I think one of the reasons people quit is because they're afraid they won't be able to get better and better; that they have to come to a zenith of some kind.

Conrad Hall
- People
But you still have an awesome responsibility, because you are helping to create something which might influence the thinking of millions of people.

Conrad Hall
With today's fast films, you can light the way your eye sees the scene. You can abuse the film and create subtleties in contrast with light and exposure, diffusion and filters. That's what makes it an art.

Conrad Hall
- Art
- Today
- Light

The truth is that every experience, every feeling, every film you see, becomes part of the sensibilities you apply to making a movie.

Conrad Hall
- Experience
- Truth
- Movie
Every cinematographer I worked with had his own way of solving problems.

Conrad Hall
Painting and writing are solitary arts.

Conrad Hall
- Writing
- Painting
Photography is a very important part of my life.

Conrad Hall
There are a lot of directors who are knowledgeable about images, and others who aren't.

Conrad Hall