The American Cinematographer

I will be late out there on this one, but I bought an one year long subscription from American Cinematographer. Already on 20th December.

It was my personal Christmas present for the upcoming year. As I browsed online to do a bit of research on the industry report I was planning the entire time, I found a sale online with the American Cinematographer, offering a digital subscription version for roughly $9 instead of the standard $50.

So naturally, I took my credit card out and subscribed immediately. I am now getting each issue in my inbox on a monthly basis and I hope that they will live up to my expectations (and their previous standard).

For I have already read issues of them. I got hold of my two very first personal issues of the American Cinematographer back in July/August 2007 and reading through them that summer solidified my dream of wanting to work in the film industry some day.

Now here I am, almost eleven years later and still harbouring the same dream. While it struck me that I somewhat wasted such a long time to finally be where I am today, it watered down my mood tremendously before I finally decided to see this as a sign to a second attempt and move on with my life.

And now, with this really amazing deal, I hope to learn more about the industry in general and cinematography in particular, as the American Cinematographer (apart from tech ads) offers a range of interviews, kit recommendations, and new release discussions that might be helpful. If I extrapolate from earlier issues I could get my hands on, they usually have approx. 90 to 140-page long issues, so I will have enough material to work from.

When I skimmed through my first January-issue, I realised that all the articles so far had been male-centered. I did not find one article about female cinematographers, which ties into the overall issue that I am currently investigating with the industry report.

However, I will need to wait for the upcoming issues to gain a more balanced and stable stance on that matter before I jump to any conclusions.

Until then, I have an interesting read to enjoy!

Reference:

Puzzle, S. (ed.) (2018) The Shape of Water - Darkest Hour - Downsizing - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Disaster Artist American Cinematographer Vol. 99 No 1 January. pp.127