David Shankbone
D.A. Pennebaker
FilmmakerKnown for:
Don't Look Back (1967); Direct Cinema documentary
Education:
Yale University (BS, mechanical engineering, 1947)
D.A. Pennebaker was a founding practitioner of Direct Cinema - the American form of observational documentary that used lightweight 16mm cameras and sync sound to follow subjects without staging or narration. His Don't Look Back (1967), a documentary following Bob Dylan on his 1965 British tour, is the most widely seen film of the movement and established a form of celebrity access that has influenced documentary filmmaking ever since. He also made Monterey Pop (1968) and The War Room (1993), a portrait of the Clinton presidential campaign.
D.A. Pennebaker's Gear List(1)
Eclair
Connection Source
WikipediaWebsite
Connection note
Shot Don't Look Back (1967) handheld with a 16mm Eclair Cameflex following Bob Dylan on tour
Product description
The Eclair Cameflex (also called the CM3) is a portable, shoulder-held 35mm motion picture camera designed by Jacques Mathot and André Coutant and introduced in 1947. It features a three-lens turret with reflex mirror shutter, variable speeds from 8 to 48 fps, and interchangeable magazines that can be swapped with the motor still running. Its lightweight, handheld design made it a key tool of the French New Wave, and it received an Academy Award in 1949.
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Last updated March 20, 2026