July 2025

Iron Man: Heavy-Metal Hero

This in-depth look at the making of Iron Man first appeared in American Cinematographer's May 2008 issue. For full access to our archive, which includes more than 105 years of essential motion-picture production coverage, become a subscriber today. Matthew Libatique, ASC has never shied away from bold strokes in his work, but his latest project, Iron Man, required him to restrain some of his more experimental inclinations. “Typically, I take an aggressive tack to visual language, but on Iron Man, [director] Jon Favreau’s intention was to have the actors do the majority of the work and the camera do less of it,” he says. “I had to view the camera as a facilitator of the actors, not solely of the cinematography. This film, more than any...more

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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

Ran Featured
March 2025

The Japanese Method for Ran

Legendary director Akira Kurosawa prefers to use multiple cinematographers on all of his films, dating back to 1954's The Seven Samurai. ...more

JFK Garrison Featured
March 2025

The Whys and Hows of JFK

Robert Richardson, ASC details his complex visual approach to director Oliver Stone’s cinematic “counter-myth” to the Warren Commission Report. ...more


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