December 2022 Issue of American Cinematographer

The December 2022 issue has a special focus on the cinematographer-production designer collaboration, offering interviews with the teams behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths; and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This issue also looks at the feature Blonde; the creative partnership of Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS and Baz Luhrmann; the importance of understanding production budgeting; and the critical need for cinematographers and colorists to confer at every stage of volume-based virtual production.   

 

• In his monthly column, ASC President Stephen Lighthill considers the importance support and encouragement play in professional success.

 

• Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC reflects on the path that took her from independent filmmaking to Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler. In a sidebar, production designer Hannah Beachler describes what made working with Arkapaw unique.

 

• Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC and director/writer Alejandro G. Iñárritu detail their approach to the existential drama Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, their first feature together. In a related article, production designer Eugenio Caballero discusses his work on the project.

 

• Alex Disenhof, ASC breaks down how he and co-cinematographers Aaron Morton, NZCS and Óscar Faura, AEC executed the ambitious visual strategy for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, while production designer Ramsey Avery discusses the directives he received from showrunners D. Payne and Patrick McKay.

 

• Chayse Irvin, ASC, CSC shares some techniques he developed to create a chaotic canvas for Blonde, directed by Andrew Dominik.

 

• Picture Partners: Cinematographer Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS and director Baz Luhrmann discuss the creative kinship that began with a Chanel No. 5 campaign and led to the current box-office hit Elvis.

 

• Shot Craft: The ability to determine production necessities prior to a shoot can make or break a cinematographer’s career. Here’s how you can be better at budgeting your filmmaking requirements.

 

• The Virtual World: The Book of Boba Fett collaborators David Klein, ASC; ASC associate Steven J. Scott of Company 3; Felix Jorge of Narwhal Studios; and Jon Rocke of FotoKem explain the importance of controlling color at every stage of a volume-based virtual production.

 

• Clubhouse News: The latest bulletins from the Society feature Jackson Wild Summit participants Stephen Lighthill, ASC and Paul Atkins, ASC; Evolution Mallorca film festival honoree Ed Lachman, ASC; and ICG ECA honorees Patti Lee, ASC and Lawrence Sher, ASC.

 

• Wrap Shot: You Only Live Twice