August 2025

A Hostile Takeover in War of the Worlds

This in-depth look at the making of War of the Worlds first appeared in American Cinematographer's July 2005 issue. For full access to our archive, which includes more than 105 years of essential motion-picture production coverage, become a subscriber today. Steven Spielberg’s films have often portrayed extraterrestrial life in an optimistic, positive way, but his new film War of the Worlds, based on H.G. Wells’ sci-fi chiller about an alien invasion, takes a distinctly darker view. As director of photography Janusz Kaminski, ASC attests, Spielberg wanted to amplify the horror of the story by grounding the film in the perspective of its flawed, very human central characters. “Steven puts human emotions into this film — a story that people...more

War of the Worlds 2005 Feature crop

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Speed Racer Featured
August 2025

Speed Racer: A Need for Speed

Speed Racer, shot by David Tattersall, BSC, translates a popular animated series into a live-action feature, calling for some unusual visual techniques....more

O Brother Feature
July 2025

Escaping From Chains: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Cinematographer Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC departs from traditional methods on Joel and Ethan Coen’s O Brother, Where Art Thou?, using digital wizardry to lend the Depression-era jailbreak tale a customized look....more

Caught Barbara Bel Geddes and James Mason F Eatured
April 2025

Caught: A Lost Noir Classic

Legendary director Max Ophuls and accomplished cinematographer Lee Garmes, ASC lent their skills to a widely-scorned 1949 picture that has proven its worth over time....more


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