American Cinematographer

American Cinematographer
source
Title	American Cinematographer
Editor	John Higgins
Frequency	Monthly
Category	Film magazine
Company	American Society of Cinematographers
Firstdate	1920
Country	United States
Language	English
Issn	0002-1104

American Cinematographer is a monthly magazine published by the American Society of Cinematographers that documents advances in motion picture and television cinematography, camera technology, and production practice. It serves as a trade and reference resource for professionals associated with film and television production including directors, producers, gaffers, grips, and visual effects supervisors. The magazine combines technical analysis, interviews, and illustrative photography to chronicle work from major studios, independent productions, and international cinema.

History

The magazine was established in 1920 during a cinema expansion that included studios such as Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Universal Pictures, United Artists, and Warner Bros. Early issues covered developments at facilities like RKO Radio Pictures and documented innovations by practitioners associated with Charles Rosher, Gordon Willis, Emmanuel Lubezki, Roger Deakins, and James Wong Howe. During the studio era, coverage reflected collaborations with directors from Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Orson Welles, and Howard Hawks. The period around World War II featured technical articles intersecting with work at United States Navy training films and documentaries by figures like John Huston and companies such as RKO. In the late 20th century the magazine tracked transitions tied to companies like Panavision, Arri, Eastman Kodak Company, Technicolor, and Dolby Laboratories, while profiling cinematographers on projects by auteurs including Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott. The digital revolution prompted sustained coverage of developments at Sony Pictures, Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, and facilities used by filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and Guillermo del Toro.

Editorial Focus and Content

Editorially the publication balances technical exposition with craft-oriented interviews, producing articles that analyze camera tests, lighting diagrams, lens choice, and color workflows used on films by directors like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, and David Lynch. It regularly dissects postproduction pipelines involving vendors such as Technicolor, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Company 3, and digital intermediates used on titles by studios 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. Features examine equipment from manufacturers including ARRI, RED Digital Cinema, Blackmagic Design, Panasonic, and Canon Inc. while connecting techniques to cinematographers such as Gordon Willis, Vilmos Zsigmond, Janusz Kamiński, Haskell Wexler, and Conrad Hall. The magazine publishes gear reviews, show coverage of events like NAB Show, IBC Amsterdam, and interviews with professionals affiliated with organizations such as Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, British Society of Cinematographers, and Camerimage.

Publication and Distribution

Published monthly, the magazine circulates in print and digital editions distributed to members of the American Society of Cinematographers and to subscribers in markets served by distributors like Condé Nast retail channels and independent bookshops in cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. Special issues and annual summaries collate material on award seasons including pieces tied to Academy Awards, BAFTA, and César Awards contenders. Partnerships with film festivals—Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Venice Film Festival—provide on-the-ground reporting. The magazine has adapted to digital platforms through tablet apps, archival databases, and social channels used to highlight portfolios from cinematographers who have worked on films distributed by Netflix, Amazon Studios, Hulu, and HBO.

Notable Contributors and Editors

Contributors have included cinematographers and writers who double as technicians and historians, with bylines from or profiles of individuals such as Leon Shamroy, Joseph LaShelle, Robert Richardson, Michael Ballhaus, Dean Semler, Greig Fraser, and Rachel Morrison. Editorial leadership has featured editors and publishers connected to industry figures like ASC President John Bailey as well as contributors from outlets such as Sight & Sound, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Cahiers du Cinéma. The magazine’s interviews and case studies often involve collaborations with directors of photography who worked with directors James Cameron, Ang Lee, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, M. Night Shyamalan, and Sofia Coppola.

Awards and Recognition

The publication and its featured cinematographers are frequently cited in contexts surrounding major industry awards—Academy Award for Best Cinematography, BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography, ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography, and festival prizes such as Camerimage Golden Frog. Annual features compile nominees and winners from ceremonies like the Golden Globe Awards and technical honors tied to Emmy Awards and ASC Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. Industry organizations and societies acknowledge the magazine’s role documenting craft through citations at events organized by American Film Institute, Film Independent, and university programs at institutions such as USC School of Cinematic Arts and AFI Conservatory.

Influence and Legacy

Across a century of publication the magazine has influenced cinematographers, directors, and technicians working on projects ranging from studio features at Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. to independent films screened at Sundance Film Festival and international co-productions presented at Berlin International Film Festival. Its technical articles have been used in curricula at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, London Film School, and University of Southern California, while archival issues serve as primary-source documentation for historians researching figures like Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton, D.W. Griffith, and Charlie Chaplin. The magazine’s legacy persists in ongoing dialogues about image aesthetics and technological standards influencing productions by studios and streaming platforms including Paramount+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max.

Category:Film magazines Category:American Society of Cinematographers