2020 / 09 — September Issue of American Cinematographer

The September issue of American Cinematographer presents an in-depth profile of top director of photography Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS, along with coverage of her work on Disney’s live-action reimagining of Mulan.

The issue also marks the debut of Picture Partners — the magazine’s new department that explores the unique creative partnership between cinematographer and director — this month featuring a Q&A with cinematographer Shelly Johnson, ASC, and director Aaron Schneider, ASC, who discuss their collaboration on the World War II maritime drama Greyhound. A deep dive into the making of Greyhound follows later in the issue, along with coverage of cinematographer Xie Zhengyu, CNSC, and director Tian Zhuangzhuang’s work on the upcoming Chinese feature Cry of the Birds. A piece on remote and virtual production provides a look at industry professionals who have employed innovative techniques to safely continue production during lockdown.

Our yearlong review of AC’s first 100 years continues with a compendium of excerpts from the magazine’s coverage in the 1990s, and Shot Craft ponders the question: “Do I really have to know the techniques to be a good cinematographer?”