Inside the October 2025 Issue of American Cinematographer
The October 2025 issue delves into the art of crafting horror and suspense, and spotlights specialized lighting techniques and camera movement. Our coverage includes in-depth features on HIM, The Knife, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, as well as a look at the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55 demo short film Okay.
President’s Desk
Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS reflects on her affection for the horror genre.
HIM — Framing High-Impact Sports and Surreal Horror
Kira Kelly, ASC's visual strategies for director Justin Tipping's sports-horror feature incorporated the sleek visual language of commercials and some unusual stylistic flourishes to depict football's raw brutality.
Building Disparate Worlds for Kiss of the Spider Woman
Cinematographer Tobias Schliessler, ASC; director Bill Condon; and production designer Scott Chambliss detail their approach to creating contrasting visual realms for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Digital Edition Exclusive
Lighting diagrams with commentary from Schliessler provide detailed looks at setups for the film's ballroom, exterior-village and prison-infirmary sets.
Reviving Rock Legends for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
Director of photography Lincoln Else, director Rob Reiner and concert-lighting designer Mike Baldassari capture Spinal Tap's return to the stage for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Digital Edition Exclusive
Lighting diagrams with Baldassari’s notes reveal how theatrical lighting helped bring the titular band's reunion concert to life.
The Knife — Drawing Suspense From a Single Location
Alejandro Mejía, AMC illuminates how he built tension in a fixed environment for director Nnamdi Asomugha's chilling psychological drama.
Short Takes: Shooting Okay With Fujifilm’s GFX Eterna 55
Cinematographer Oren Soffer takes the new digital motion-picture camera for a test drive on director Andrew Kightlinger's short film.
Tools of the Trade
Betty Lights Luminous Reflectors leverage a multifaceted surface coating to produce diffused, booklight-style illumination.
In Memoriam — John S. Bartley, ASC, CSC
Honoring the cinematographer's legacy, which was marked in part by his acclaimed approaches to such landmark series as The X-Files and Lost.
Clubhouse News
The latest bulletin from the Society features a celebration of the 2025 AC Rising Stars of Cinematography.
Wrap Shot — This Is Spinal Tap
A look back at cinematographer Peter Smokler's work on the monumental rock mockumentary, which forever changed satiric filmmaking.
