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After four long years, the vibrant and beautiful world of Wakanda is back on our screens and in our hearts with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Much of the crew and cast are back as well, including director Ryan Coogler, costume designer Ruth Carter, and Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, along with newcomers including Michaela Coel as Aneka and Tenoch Huerta as Namor. Hair department head Camille Friend also returns, delivering hair looks more intricate and meaningful than ever.

"This film is so important culturally and to so many people," she said at Poland's international cinematography festival.

Describing lighting as “a character in the movie,” DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw said her approach to Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was about creating a “texture of grief throughout the film.”

“Titanic,” “Avatar” and “Back to the Future” are just a few of Deborah Lynn Scott’s many credits as a costume designer, but Steven Spielberg’s “E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial” is one that Scott is particularly fond of. “I have fun memories of making it, and I can’t believe it’s 40 years,” Scott says as the film celebrates its 40th anniversary. “I think it’s lasted partly because Steven was adamant about not doing a sequel or remake and all those things that keep it a classic and unique.”

Cinematographer Claudio Miranda had an inkling “Top Gun: Maverick” might perform well at the box office opening weekend after he and director Joseph Kosinski boarded a plane and half the passengers were watching the film on their seat-back screens. “It was a real surreal moment,” says the “Life of Pi” Oscar winner, who’s collaborated with Kosinski on all of his features to date including the 2013 sci-fi thriller “Oblivion” that also starred Tom Cruise.

Temprimental VFX was responsible for all visual effects on Blonde led by Raoul Bolognini, owner, VFX producer/supervisor and Phillip Mosses, VFX supervisor.

I'll never forget when Marvel's Black Panther premiered in 2018. The African Student Union at my university organized a huge viewing of the movie at a local theater, complete with a red carpet and an Afrocentric dress code. It was instantly clear that this was a movie for the culture. Now, four years after the debut of Black Panther and two years after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, the Marvel franchise excitedly yet sorrowfully continues with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film, which hits theaters on November 11, carries much of the visual aesthetic from the first film, including the beautifully complex hairstyles created by the film's hair department lead, Camille Friend.

When Natalie Kingston was setting up how she was going to photograph the limited series, “Black Bird,” she found a specific piece of inspiration for what look the show would have. “The crux of my visual inspiration was from the photographer, Gordon Parks, and this 1957 photo essay he did called ‘The Atmosphere of Crime,’” she tells Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: TV Cinematographers panel.

Personal tales of hubris, ego and living large dominated the Camerimage International Film Festival, with the Florian Hoffmeister-shot drama “Tár,” directed by Todd Field, taking the top prize at the leading annual cinematography event.

A searing portrait of an artist unhinged, the drama Tár won the Golden Frog at the 30th EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival. In his acceptance speech, director of photography Florian Hoffmeister, BSC spoke of the excitement he felt at the festival screening of his film, calling movie theaters a "space of debate, of shared experiences." (The film will be covered in AC’s January 2023 issue.)

Chayse Irvin says the fever-dream Netflix pic starring Ana de Armas was never intended to be a feel-good biopic: "It was very much about trying to explore her point of view and subjectivity."

DPs Florian Hoffmeister, Luc Montpellier and Matthew Libatique discuss their collaborations with directors

This week on the podcast we sit down with cinematographer Jayson Crothers to discuss one of the most under-appreciated skills of any successful cinematographer.

Jayson has a wealth of experience in the feature and narrative television world and he shares some of his wisdom on working with crews, managing a team, being a problem solver and so much more.

It’s been the autumn’s unexpected box office hit in all its toothy glory; Smile, originally destined for the streamers, has topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Cinematographer Charlie Sarroff takes us behind the scenes on the spooky smash.

The international cinematography film festival in Poland is considered a bellwether for the Oscar cinematography competition.

Matthew Libatique, ASC, helps guide sophomore director Olivia Wilde through a colorful (and treacherous) desert landscape for the period drama Don't Worry Darling.

Cinematographer Sam Levy has a well-earned reputation for excellence, and his career flew to new heights in 2021 with the passion project Mayday, where he also served as producer, working alongside his wife, visionary writer-director Karen Cinorre. While Mayday was a tough act to follow, the new murder mystery comedy Confess, Fletch proved to be a perfect fit as Levy’s next feature, and there’s certainly no element of mystery as to why he chose to do the film.

Checco Varese ASC took home the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie at the Creative Arts Emmys on September 4th for his work on Dopesick‘s “Breakthrough Pain.”

For fans of Kevin Smith, a group I proudly include myself among, the fact that Clerks III is currently in theaters is a pretty big deal.

It’s likely an even bigger deal for DP Learan Kahanov, who completed a cyclical career arc with the Lionsgate sequel, having gone from serving as Smith’s gaffer on Chasing Amy to working alongside the director as his cinematographer on the trilogy capper, which brings back beloved characters Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson).

September 2022 Digital Edition; Sixty years after the death of Marilyn Monroe, Chayse Irvin, ASC, CSC, and writer/director Andrew Dominik go searching for the bombshell's ghost in Blonde.

Cinematographer Brendan Uegama, CSC enjoys shooting many different genres, from romantic comedies such as Moonshot, to horror movies such as Child’s Play (2019). He enjoys changing his approach to each project depending on the needs of the script. Brendan feels that a good filmmaker knows that the cinematographer is there to serve the story and builds trust with the DP to create the look and feel.