News
Picture Imperfect - ICG Cover Story, September 2022
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.
September 1, 2022
Brendan Uegama, CSC on Moonshot, Riverdale, Truth Be Told, Child's Play and Mike, the Hulu Mike Tyson dramatic series
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.
September 14, 2022
The Man. The Music. The Legend.
MANDY WALKER AM ASC ACS ON ELVIS
The Man. The Music. The Legend. In our cover story special, we offer fascinating insight into the creation of Elvis, the electrifying biographical musical that tells the life story of the king of rock ‘n’ roll.
Cinematographer Mandy Walker AM ASC ACS and director Baz Luhrmann discuss crafting a biopic bursting with star quality.
July 1, 2022
It's a Class Act at the Filmmakers Academy
What's the best way to film actors in the unflattering light of the noonday sun? How do you shoot a horror show? How does a camera operator work differently on reality versus scripted television?
Tips on these and other aspects of production, prep and post abound at the Filmmakers Academy, an online enterprise that offers members more than 800 hours of training and advice from industry professionals via recorded videos, plus one-on-one pro mentorship and social-media interactions with other members.
July 12, 2022
Deal With a Devil
Cinematographer Natalie Kingston guides viewers into the tense, dark heart of the limited series Black Bird.
August 31, 2022
2022 Rising Stars of Cinematography: Eclectic Perspectives
AC shines its annual spotlight on nine talented artists working behind the camera.
Since 2017, American Cinematographer has released an annual roster of up-and-coming cinematographers selected by a panel of ASC members and the magazine’s staff. This year’s Rising Stars have accrued an impressive list of accomplishments over the course of their upward-trending careers. Veronica Bouza; Matthew Chuang, ACS; Jomo Fray; Michael “Cambio” Fernandez; Catherine Goldschmidt; Isiah Donté Lee; Christine Ng; Julia Swain; and Erin G. Wesley come from varied backgrounds and have eclectic artistic sensibilities, and all show immense talent, promise and an impressive dedication to the art of cinematography. Here are their stories.
July 27, 2022
Jonathan Furmanski on Choosing the VENICE for ‘Life and Beth’
We sat down with cinematographer Jonathan Furmanski (‘Good Boys’, ‘Search Party’, ‘Inside Amy Schumer’) to discuss his choice in using the VENICE to film the new television series ‘Life & Beth’. VENICE features including full-frame, dual ISO, and Rialto mode supported capturing his vision and smoothed the filming process.
July 6, 2022
‘Loki’ DP Explains How She Filmed That Complex One-Shot Sequence
Autumn Durald Arkapaw made Variety’s 10 Cinematographers to Watch list in 2014, and she just landed her first Emmy nomination for lensing for a single-camera series for Disney+’s “Loki.”
August 2, 2022
Small Wonder: Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
“The majority of films like this are often told through a child’s gaze, and that can lead to a look that makes the character feel more magical than realistic,” says Cline, whose cinematography credits include the documentaries Murder Among the Mormons and Belly of the Beast. “We wanted Marcel to feel like a real being, so we needed to create a world that felt very realistic — the most beautiful version of realistic. My main reference came from Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life [AC Aug. ’11].
July 25, 2022
Allswell DP Oren Soffer on Taking Inspiration From Classic New York Movies and His Bond With Greig Fraser
As the end of August approaches, Cinematographer Oren Soffer finds himself riding high thanks to an eventful summer that saw three of his projects premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, including Ben Snyder‘s family dramedy Allswell, which features actors such as Bobby Cannavale, Max Casella, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Daphne Rubin-Vega.
August 29, 2022
Different Worlds
Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, ASC embraces the opportunity to craft a layered visual language for Showtime’s science-fiction series The Man Who Fell to Earth.
July 1, 2022
Arlene Nelson Brings Secrets to Light
The dark stories she heard while shooting A&E's Secrets of Playboy led the cinematographer to infuse rays of hope.
July 1, 2022
‘We’re Going to Fly in This Movie’: ‘Elvis’ Cinematographer Mandy Walker on Shooting the King
Walker tells IndieWire about making the Baz Luhrmann biopic — and whether or not she can say anything about “Snow White” yet.
June 30, 2022
‘Loki,’ ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ and ‘Winning Time’ Cinematographers on Playing With Light and Color
The DPs Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Mihai Malaimare Jr., and Tommy Maddox-Upshaw reveal their approaches to lensing their vivid series.
June 17, 2022
Behind the Mask
Generation Next standout Rafael Leyva teams up with a large Latinx crewbase for Disney's new kid-superhero series, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion.
June 13, 2022
THE DARK OF KNIGHT
When shooting Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Greig Fraser ASC ACS drew upon comic book references, ‘70s cinema, combined digital and “emulsified” techniques, and entered LED volumes whilst creating an emotional experience to transport the audience to a Gotham City steeped in crime and corruption.
June 27, 2022
Taking Flight with Top Gun: Maverick (American Cinematographer)
Thirty-six years later, Cruise’s rebellious aviator is back to mentor the next generation of young, good-looking “Top Gun” pilots. To help bring the much-anticipated sequel to the screen, cinematographer Claudio Miranda, ASC and director Joseph Kosinski have harnessed the latest advances in digital-camera technology, optics and support to raise the flight-photography bar for Top Gun: Maverick.
May 26, 2022
Filmmakers Academy Review: You Never Stop Learning (British Cinematographer)
BAFTA Breakthrough cinematographer Aaron Reid explores Filmmakers Academy and shares his views on the site and its educational content as a resource for DPs and filmmakers at all stages of their careers.
Over the last four weeks, alongside prepping a TV drama, I have spent my time going through the Filmmakers Academy website, reviewing its educational content. It’s been a wonderful experience because you never stop learning in filmmaking, so undertaking this review has been a perfect refresher for me whilst prepping my latest production.
May 21, 2022
Ozu on Wheels: DP Florian Hoffmeister on Shooting Kogonada’s Half of Pachinko (Filmmaker Magazine)
With Pachinko now streaming in its entirety, cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister spoke with Filmmaker about the show’s unique visual duality (and the equally unique schedule it fostered), participating in Todd Field’s return to movie making, and how choosing a LUT is like choosing a print stock.
May 9, 2022
Claire McCarthy: Directing The Colour Room (Her Story Magazine)
There are so many inspiring aspects of directing The Colour Room, it's very difficult to narrow it down to just one!
May 1, 2022