Billy Bitzer
Encyclopedia
Gottfried Wilhelm "Billy" Bitzer (April 21, 1874 - April 29, 1944) was a pioneering cinematographer
notable for his close association with D. W. Griffith.
Bitzer provided assistance during Griffith's directorial debut, 1908's The Adventures of Dollie
, which was shot by Arthur Marvin
. He eventually succeeded Marvin as Griffith's regular cinematographer, working with him on some of his most important films and contributing significantly to cinematic innovations attributed to Griffith.
In 1910, he photographed Griffith's silent short, In Old California, in the Los Angeles village of "Hollywoodland", qualifying Bitzer as, arguably, Hollywood's first Director of Photography.
In 2003, a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild named him one of the ten most influential cinematographers in history. Bitzer, it is said, "developed camera techniques that set the standard for all future motion pictures."
Among Bitzer's innovations were
Prior to his career as a cameraman, Bitzer developed early cinematic technologies for the American Mutoscope Company
, eventually to become the Biograph Company. He admired and learned the art of motion picture photography from Kinetoscope
inventor W.K.L. Dickson, who directed the early Biograph shorts on which Bitzer cut his teeth. Until 1903, Bitzer was employed by Biograph primarily as a documentary photographer, and from 1903 onward primarily as the photographer of narrative films, as these gained popularity.
In 1908 Bitzer entered into his first collaboration with Griffith. The two would work together for the rest of Bitzer's career, leaving Biograph in 1913 for the Mutual Film Corporation where Bitzer continued to innovate, perfecting existing technologies and inventing new ones. During this time he pioneered the field of matte photography and made use of innovative lighting techniques, closeups, and iris shots.
The apex of Bitzer and Griffith's collaboration came with The Birth of a Nation
(1915), a film funded in part by Bitzer's life savings, and the epic Intolerance
(1916).
For all his innovation, Bitzer did not survive the industry's transition to sound, and in 1944 he suffered a heart attack
and died in Hollywood in relative obscurity.
His autobiography
, Billy Bitzer: His Story, was published posthumously in 1973.
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
notable for his close association with D. W. Griffith.
Bitzer provided assistance during Griffith's directorial debut, 1908's The Adventures of Dollie
The Adventures of Dollie
The Adventures of Dollie is a 1908 film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was Griffith's debut film as a director. A print of the film survives in the Library of Congress film archive. The film tells the story of a young girl who, after being kidnapped by a gypsy pedlar, ends up trapped in a barrel...
, which was shot by Arthur Marvin
Arthur Marvin
Arthur Marvin , was an American cinematographer who worked for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in which his brother Henry Marvin was one of the four founders .He shot 418 films between 1897 and 1911, including The Adventures of Dollie , the...
. He eventually succeeded Marvin as Griffith's regular cinematographer, working with him on some of his most important films and contributing significantly to cinematic innovations attributed to Griffith.
In 1910, he photographed Griffith's silent short, In Old California, in the Los Angeles village of "Hollywoodland", qualifying Bitzer as, arguably, Hollywood's first Director of Photography.
In 2003, a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild named him one of the ten most influential cinematographers in history. Bitzer, it is said, "developed camera techniques that set the standard for all future motion pictures."
Among Bitzer's innovations were
- the fade out to close a movie scene;
- the iris shotIris shotAn iris shot is a technique frequently used in silent film in which a black circle closes to end a scene.Some non-silent era slapstick comedy, such as that of Red Skelton, Benny Hill, and Warner Bros.' Road Runner cartoons, employ the technique as an homage to the silent film era....
where a circle closes to close a scene; - soft focusSoft focusIn photography, soft focus is a lens flaw, in which the lens forms images that are blurred due to spherical aberration. A soft focus lens deliberately introduces spherical aberration in order to give the appearance of blurring the image while retaining sharp edges; it is not the same as an...
photography with the aid of a light diffusion screen; - filming entirely under artificial lightingLightingLighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
rather than outside; - lighting, closeups and long shots to create mood;
- perfection of matte photographyMatte (filmmaking)Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting...
.
Prior to his career as a cameraman, Bitzer developed early cinematic technologies for the American Mutoscope Company
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, and for two decades was one of the most prolific, releasing over three thousand short...
, eventually to become the Biograph Company. He admired and learned the art of motion picture photography from Kinetoscope
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. Though not a movie projector—it was designed for films to be viewed individually through the window of a cabinet housing its components—the Kinetoscope introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic...
inventor W.K.L. Dickson, who directed the early Biograph shorts on which Bitzer cut his teeth. Until 1903, Bitzer was employed by Biograph primarily as a documentary photographer, and from 1903 onward primarily as the photographer of narrative films, as these gained popularity.
In 1908 Bitzer entered into his first collaboration with Griffith. The two would work together for the rest of Bitzer's career, leaving Biograph in 1913 for the Mutual Film Corporation where Bitzer continued to innovate, perfecting existing technologies and inventing new ones. During this time he pioneered the field of matte photography and made use of innovative lighting techniques, closeups, and iris shots.
The apex of Bitzer and Griffith's collaboration came with The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay , and co-produced the film . It was released on February 8, 1915...
(1915), a film funded in part by Bitzer's life savings, and the epic Intolerance
Intolerance (film)
Intolerance is a 1916 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and is considered one of the great masterpieces of the Silent Era. The three-and-a-half hour epic intercuts four parallel storylines each separated by several centuries: A contemporary melodrama of crime and redemption; a...
(1916).
For all his innovation, Bitzer did not survive the industry's transition to sound, and in 1944 he suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and died in Hollywood in relative obscurity.
His autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Billy Bitzer: His Story, was published posthumously in 1973.