Conrad Hall

It was 100 feet of 16 mm black-and-white film of a car coming to a stop sign, and driving off. I had to decide how to frame and light it. It was magic. There was a sense of mystery.

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

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.

My peers say I have made a difference. That means more to me than winning an Oscar.

That's why I like fast film. It gives you more freedom to light more naturally.

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.

I don't think of myself as a director or writer. I think of myself as a filmmaker.

I was very happy sitting alone at a dining room table, writing a script.

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.

Photography is a very important part of my life.

I saw Tequila Sunrise as a romantic picture with complex, bigger than life characters.

You have to understand the nature of light.