Master Class - The American Society of Cinematographers

The American Society of Cinematographers’ in-person Master Class program is designed for cinematographers with an intermediate-to-advanced skill set.

The program provides live demonstrations of lighting and camera techniques, instruction in current workflow practices and analysis of feature films.

This five-day seminar is taught in Los Angeles by some of the finest directors of photography in the world.

Larwrence Sher, ASC leads a discussion on the use of his Shotdeck visualization tool during a Master Class session that focused on shooting commercials.

Enrolling in the ASC Master Class will enable you to hone your craft while making valuable professional connections that can jump-start your career. Prominent Society members and associates serve as instructors, offering invaluable insights not only on the creative and technical aspects of the cinematographer’s profession, but on business-related topics as well.

Subjects and Activities include:

• Five-day class including multiple interactive lighting demonstrations
• Engagement with ASC Members, ASC Associate Members and Sponsors
• Presentation of shooting with an LED wall
• Color grading workshop at a post facility
• ASC Cinematographers-turned-Directors Panel
• Agent and Politics of Cinematography Panel Discussions
• Analysis of cinematography from notable films of the past
• Presentations about cameras, lenses, sensors and future technologies

Specialized Instruction

Some of the curriculum in each class varies, depending on the instructors’ area of expertise. Specialized instruction might cover such subjects as commercial product lighting, the use of drones, or greenscreen cinematography, for example.

Instruction takes place at the ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood and at nearby production and postproduction facilities. All necessary equipment is provided.

Enrollment in each ASC Master Class is limited to 30. Applicants must submit a current résumé in order to be considered. Covid vaccination required

Here’s a full report on a recent class.

Instructor Sam Nicholson, ASC (center, on dolly) with his students during the May 2017 session.

Here’s a full report on a session that focused on shooting motion-picture film.

Instructors Edward Lachman, ASC and Linus Landgren, ASC, FSF (together, at center) with their students during the November 2018 "on film" session.

Five female students attended the June 2018 Master Class session. They were (from left) Suelen Romani, Sara Garth, Veronica Bouza, Melissa Kirchhoff and Sophie Cuadra. Their ASC instructors included (from far left) members Bill Bennett, Stephen H. Burum, Ueli Steiger, Don McCuaig, Rodney Charters and Curtis Clark. You can read more about this session here.

Instructors in our online Master Class have included (from left) ASC members Larry Fong, M. David Mullen and Lawrence Sher.

David Stockton, ASC (center) talks with students during a session held at the ASC Clubhouse in May of 2022.

Robert Yeoman, ASC takes questions during the May 2022 session.

Here are details about our May 2022 Master Class session held in Hollywood, which focused on lighting and virtual production.

An ASC Online Master Class will take place
on Aug. 27-28, 2022

The American Society of Cinematographers will hold a two-day Online Master Class from Saturday, Aug. 27 to Sunday, Aug. 28. Derived and adapted from our signature in-person Master Classes, the seminar will have live interactions and Q&A sessions with some of the world’s top working cinematographers.

The planned curriculum — including two pre-recorded lighting demonstrations by separate instructors, selected film clips, live instruction and interactive discussion periods — is designed to last about 6 1/2 hours per day, with each session starting at 7.30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (10.30 AM New York; 3.30 PM London; 4.30 PM Berlin; 9:00 PM Mumbai; 11.30 PM Beijing).

The class size will be limited to 30 participants.

Confirmed ASC Lighting Demonstration instructors*:

**John Conroy, ASC, ISC** (*Penny Dreadful, Westworld, Luther, The Name of the Rose*)

**Patrick Cady, ASC** *(Bosch, Rectify, Interrogation)*

Each lighting demonstration — set up, shooting, editing, and color grading — will be live-narrated by the on-set cinematographer., followed by Q&A sessions, allowing students to address specific areas of interest or gain further detail.

Presentations by ASC Instructors to include*:

Unlocking The World of Optics - An in-depth look at the construction of optics and the endless opportunities for visual expression by understanding lens properties.
Presented by Chris Probst, ASC (Co-author of The Cine Lens Manual)
Moderated by Jay Holben, Associate Member (Co-author of The Cine Lens Manual)

Color Science - How do you create a proper color workflows to manage a project’s look from prep to final release? Detailed information on camera sensors, color space and how LUTs are applied and organized to realize a cinematographer’s visual goals.
Presented by Joachen Zell, ASC Associate Member

Agent Panel - An open discussion on the ins and outs of securing representation with an agency. When do I need one? How can I get one and what can I expect from an agent/DP relationship?
Moderated by Anne Murphy

Film Screening Q&A - A deep dive into Quyen Tran, ASC’s work in the pilot episode of the Netflix miniseries Maid. Attendees will screen the film prior to session. This class will be moderated discussion followed by Q&A with class attendees.
Presented by Quyen Tran, ASC
Moderated by Shana Hagan, ASC

Political Minefield – A panel of ASC members will answer questions on all topics — from how to get an agent to sharing experiences managing long periods on the road. This a unique opportunity to ask any question to a panel of industry experts. This class will begin with an open question to the panel, speaking to the question of set-safety.
Moderated by Charlie Lieberman, ASC

Each presentation will be followed by Q&A sessions, allowing students to address specific areas of interest or gain further detail.

The program will include:
• Welcome address by ASC member describing the online Master Class format.
• Deep-dive discussions on influential films of artistic significance, curated by ASC instructors, (to be viewed by students prior to the session).
• Participation with ASC Ambassadors — Society members in addition to primary event instructors — in break-out rooms for discussions and daily social sessions.
• Panel discussions with ASC members on select topics.

Registration is now open for students worldwide. All instruction will be in English and conducted via Zoom.

The price of participation in this two-day event is $800 USD, paid by Mon., Aug. 22.

A complete, final day-to-day schedule will be emailed to participants on Wed., Aug. 24. Attendees of the Online Master Class will be given a 10% discount on a future in-person Master Class.