"An American In Paris" is used as the sound track.
SYMPHONY OF A CITY: LOS ANGELES 1966 was filmed by 23 year old Phil Gries who was attending UCLA during the Fall of 1966 as a graduate student majoring in Motion Picture Production & Theater Arts.
Floyd Crosby ASC was the teacher for his production workshop class requiring each student to make a film on their own. Crosby would spend one day with each student while filming. Gries, in awe of Crosby who filmed for Robert Flaherty and received an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (TABU 1931), and was the DP on iconic motion picture, HIGH NOON 1952, was driven by Crosby to different LA locations. He would park. Gries would get out of Floyd Crosby's car and he would film people, places, and things...discussing with Crosby filming choices. The remaining days and nights of shooting was done by Gries, finding locations by foot, by bus, and one night, shooting from a car driven by his great uncle Lou where he would be able to film out the car window and record serendipitous moments of life as it unfolded on Hollywood Boulevard on a Saturday night.
Gries' 18 minute documentary was filmed in the Fall of 1966. It was edited in his $110 a month Beverly Hills garden apartment shared with fellow filmmaker and best friend Ismail H. Tsieprati.
Gries shot the entire documentary over a period of five weekends. It was shot with his own 16mm Bolex camera, originally purchased used in 1962. The camera required using hundred foot daylight spool loads (allowing for a capacity of only two and half minutes of footage per roll of film before having to change rolls). The spring wound Bolex camera permitted only 22 seconds of continuous filming before one would have to stop filming and wind the camera for another 22 seconds of maximum functionality. Such limitation created a huge challenge to get salient visually interesting moments within a take. One had to creatively anticipate before shooting, and shoot conservatively when constricted by a modest budget. Skill and luck played a big part in the outcome of the film. Mostly TRI X film stock was used (ASA 400) to film all of the exterior night scenes, and interior scenes. PLUS X film stock (ASA 160) was used to film all of the daytime exterior scenes. The entire documentary was shot relying on available light.
SYMPHONY OF A CITY: LOS ANGELES 1966 was filmed, long before the emergence and ubiquitous use of cable television, phone answer machines, pagers, cell phones, the internet, & social media. Viewing this 'time capsule' documentary affords the viewer the ability to visualize salient observational scenes filmed in and around Los Angeles, as it existed during 1966, just prior to the emergence of historic political and social changes about to unfold in the US, during the latter part of the 1960's (rioting, assassinations, civil rights protesting, and escalated unrest regarding involvement in Viet Nam).
Floyd Crosby ASC was the teacher for his production workshop class requiring each student to make a film on their own. Crosby would spend one day with each student while filming. Gries, in awe of Crosby who filmed for Robert Flaherty and received an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (TABU 1931), and was the DP on iconic motion picture, HIGH NOON 1952, was driven by Crosby to different LA locations. He would park. Gries would get out of Floyd Crosby's car and he would film people, places, and things...discussing with Crosby filming choices. The remaining days and nights of shooting was done by Gries, finding locations by foot, by bus, and one night, shooting from a car driven by his great uncle Lou where he would be able to film out the car window and record serendipitous moments of life as it unfolded on Hollywood Boulevard on a Saturday night.
Gries' 18 minute documentary was filmed in the Fall of 1966. It was edited in his $110 a month Beverly Hills garden apartment shared with fellow filmmaker and best friend Ismail H. Tsieprati.
Gries shot the entire documentary over a period of five weekends. It was shot with his own 16mm Bolex camera, originally purchased used in 1962. The camera required using hundred foot daylight spool loads (allowing for a capacity of only two and half minutes of footage per roll of film before having to change rolls). The spring wound Bolex camera permitted only 22 seconds of continuous filming before one would have to stop filming and wind the camera for another 22 seconds of maximum functionality. Such limitation created a huge challenge to get salient visually interesting moments within a take. One had to creatively anticipate before shooting, and shoot conservatively when constricted by a modest budget. Skill and luck played a big part in the outcome of the film. Mostly TRI X film stock was used (ASA 400) to film all of the exterior night scenes, and interior scenes. PLUS X film stock (ASA 160) was used to film all of the daytime exterior scenes. The entire documentary was shot relying on available light.
SYMPHONY OF A CITY: LOS ANGELES 1966 was filmed, long before the emergence and ubiquitous use of cable television, phone answer machines, pagers, cell phones, the internet, & social media. Viewing this 'time capsule' documentary affords the viewer the ability to visualize salient observational scenes filmed in and around Los Angeles, as it existed during 1966, just prior to the emergence of historic political and social changes about to unfold in the US, during the latter part of the 1960's (rioting, assassinations, civil rights protesting, and escalated unrest regarding involvement in Viet Nam).
Segment shot at The Whiskey A-GO-GO in October 1966 with TORMENTORS rock band playing, consisting of Mark Davis, Dan Davis, Lee M. Harper and Tim Daley. Group known for "Black Coffee," "Sounds of Summer/Motate," "She's Gone," and four versions of "Hanging Round."