Tonino Delli Colli

Filmmaker

Italian·b. 1923 – d. 2005

Known for:

Cinematographer for Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns and Pier Paolo Pasolini's films, Techniscope pioneer

Education:

Self-taught at Cinecittà Studios from age 16

Tonino Delli Colli began working at Rome's Cinecittà Studios in 1938 at age sixteen, largely teaching himself cinematography on the job. He shot Italy's first color feature, Totò a colori (1952), improvising with black-and-white lighting equipment because color lamps did not yet exist in Italy. His collaboration with Pier Paolo Pasolini spanned twelve films, beginning with Accattone (1961), where he deliberately used grainy Ferrania film stock to achieve a raw, documentary texture. With Sergio Leone, he pioneered the use of Techniscope on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), delivering widescreen compositions on tight budgets.

Tonino Delli Colli's Gear List(5)

Arriflex 35 IIC

ARRI

Connection Source

ShotonwhatWebsite

Connection note

Used on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West in Techniscope 2-perf configuration

Product description

Introduced in 1963 as the final evolution of the Arriflex 35 II series, the IIC added a larger ground glass, movable viewfinder, and anamorphic desqueeze capability. It is an MOS camera with no internal electronics, powered entirely by external sources, and uses 200-foot or 400-foot magazines. Produced through 1979, it was succeeded by the Arriflex III. Over 17,000 units in the 35 II series were manufactured, making it the best-selling ARRI model line ever.

Know something Tonino Delli Colli uses that's not listed?

Related artists

Alfred Hitchcock

Filmmaker

Yasujirō Ozu

Filmmaker

Last updated April 8, 2026

Mitchell BNC

Mitchell

Connection Source

ShotonwhatWebsite

Connection note

Used alongside the Arriflex 35 IIC on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West

Product description

The Mitchell BNC (Blimped Newsreel Camera) was the standard studio motion picture camera in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1960s. Its rock-steady registration, optical viewfinder, and compatibility with studio lighting rigs made it the instrument of classical Hollywood cinematography.

Angenieux 25-250mm f/3.8 Zoom

Angenieux

Connection Source

CinematographyOther

Connection note

Primary zoom lens on Leone's spaghetti westerns. "Zoom spherical lenses (mainly the Angenieux 25-250mm f3.8)"

Product description

Angenieux's landmark 10:1 cinema zoom, introduced in 1962 with a T3.9 aperture. Won a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award in 1965. Used on The Godfather, The French Connection, The Exorcist, and the famous dolly-zoom shot in Jaws.

Eastman Color Negative 50T 5251

Kodak

Connection Source

ShotonwhatWebsite

Connection note

Film stock for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Product description

Kodak color negative stock introduced in 1962 with improved image structure over its predecessor, the 5250. Rated at EI 50 under tungsten light. Served as the primary Eastman camera negative through the mid-1960s until replaced by the faster 5254 in 1968.

Ferrania Film Stock

Ferrania

Connection Source

TheascInterview

Connection note

Deliberately chosen for Pasolini's Accattone (1961) for its grainy, raw texture. Also used Ferrania monopack color for Totò a colori (1952), rated ASA 6

Product description

Italian motion picture film manufactured by Ferrania (founded 1923) in the Liguria region. Produced both color and black-and-white stocks used by directors including Fellini, De Sica, and Pasolini. Ferrania ceased film production in 2008-2009. The FILM Ferrania company revived the brand in 2013.