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Lighting: George Hurrell credited with creating the first boom light
George Hurrell’s dramatic use of light and shadow helped create the mood in his photographs. He used high intensity spotlights to literally “paint” his subjects with light.
My father was credited with creating the first boom light while working at M.G.M. Dad was in need of a small lamp that could be easily maneuvered to provide backlighting and other effects, yet still stay out of the way. None of the existing spots were working despite his experimentation. My dad had seen boom microphones on the sound stages placed right overhead to pick up dialogue, and still remain just out of camera range. Why not put a light at the end of a boom, he thought? Dad went to the head of publicity, Howard Strickling, to lobby for such a spotlight. After much debate, he got his wish, and soon had the new light in his gallery. Dramatic portraits using this new technique began to appear from Dad’s gallery, and cinematographers all over the lot became interested. Within six months, every sound stage at M.G.M. featured a boom light as part of their standard equipment, and their use photography and motion pictures continues to this day.
 
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