The Best Cinematography Magazines?

Nick Walters

Nick Walters

Mentholated Member
I realize their is a topic for books, but I'm wondering what everyone's opinions are on magazines. I've been studying cinematography for about 5 years now, but have stuck almost strictly to books and forums such as these. Now that I think I have a decent amount of information between my ears I'd like to subscribe to a few magazines so that I can keep abreast of current technology and news.

I suppose I'm looking for three different categories of magazines:

1. Digital Film
2. Celluloid Film
3. Amateur/Hobbyist/Prosumer

Heck if anyone can think of another category I'm missing please let me know.....in fact I know another area I wouldn't mind keeping up with, and that's Digital Still Photography.

So which magazines are the best of the best?
 
There are not so many magazines which specialize in film... most either includes film or doesn't.


My favorite magazine, is hands down, American Cinematographer! I own almost every magazine since 1960 and use it as resource library of which I can't imagine any greater.

Film and Digital Times is a good newsletter/magazine.

The Society of Operating Cameramen have a great magazine too! It's called SOC.

Those tend to focus on the professional level, but the concepts still apply to smaller productions. Sometimes. :beer:

To be honest, I've kinda lost the pulse on the HD video/ prosumer type magazines... it's been a couple of years since I've had a subscription to them!

Best,

-ryan
 
like Ryan mentioned American Cinematographer is a good read. I also like ICG, International Cinematographers Guild. http://www.icgmagazine.com/wordpress/

I think those are the best for feature film cinematography. i also subscribe to a bunch of "general" cinematography/videography mags that have a lot of tech reviews on various equipment. all of these come to my door step free of charge. juts go to their website and fill out the free subscription form. some of them also offer a monthly digital version that's emailed to you every month. here's a list:
1. Millimeter
2. HD Video Pro
3. DV (digital video)
4. Videography
5. P3 Update
 
HD Video Pro isn't free unless I somehow got scammed out of $35 dollars for my two year subscription! I enjoy it though, it is really geared toward lower budget filmmakers who tend to favor the HD medium for its cost effectiveness.
 
DV mag and Videomaker mags are now available free online, so are certainly worth the money :)
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
My favorite magazine, is hands down, American Cinematographer! I own almost every magazine since 1960 and use it as resource library of which I can't imagine any greater.
Click to expand...

What!? I'm super jealous. I have about 70 issues, starting from around 1998 and I thought I was doing well.

How'd you manage to get everything since 1960? That would be incredible to have.
 
American Cinematographer is the best. Hands down. I've learned generations worth of knowledge from those things. I've still got some holes in the 1960's area, and a misc few scattered within the last 30 years. But all in all a solid collection. It's going to be from 1922-1959 which will prove to be the challenge. The oldest American Cinematographer I have is from July 1922. It's a hobby of mine to collect older cinematography books and publications. I'm building a large library of resources.

You can see some of my American Cinematographer collection in the following picture, along with some really old ASC Manuals from as far back as 1930.
1254556381.jpg
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
American Cinematographer is the best. Hands down. I've learned generations worth of knowledge from those things. I've still got some holes in the 1960's area, and a misc few scattered within the last 30 years. But all in all a solid collection. It's going to be from 1922-1959 which will prove to be the challenge. The oldest American Cinematographer I have is from July 1922. It's a hobby of mine to collect older cinematography books and publications. I'm building a large library of resources.

You can see some of my American Cinematographer collection in the following picture, along with some really old ASC Manuals from as far back as 1930.
1254556381.jpg
Click to expand...
Thats *some*???.

Thats a pretty sick collection!
I take it you reccomend I order those $1 dollar each back issues?
I've never seen the magazine personally, but it always sounded interesting to me.

What kind of content is in it? Is it just interesting content, or some sort of applicable content into cinematography in general?
 
I bought the 1$ issues, but there are only like 70 of them... and the other non $1 issues are like $50/pop... which is retarded. I expect $50 back issues to be signed by Connie Hall or James Wong Howe. LOL

You'd be better off on ebay for deals
 
Ryan, wow. I'm surprised that shelf hasn't collapsed yet...

But to the OP: I like American Cinematographer too. I also like ICG magazine because I get it for free.

Surprisingly though, I find American Cinematographer has more in-depth information that ICG magazine. ICG has too much stuff about the people in the craft, rather than the craft itself. That's surprising because it originates from local 600. It's probably because AC hires good writers who really make it their business to dig into what their readers want to know, whereas the ICG articles are sometimes sadly fluff pieces, this month's article on "Fame" being one of those fluffy biz articles with kind of half Variety magazine / half AC type details. Blah.

Anyways, they are both worth getting IMO.
 
dadoboy said:
Ryan, wow. I'm surprised that shelf hasn't collapsed yet...

But to the OP: I like American Cinematographer too. I also like ICG magazine because I get it for free.

Surprisingly though, I find American Cinematographer has more in-depth information that ICG magazine. ICG has too much stuff about the people in the craft, rather than the craft itself. That's surprising because it originates from local 600. It's probably because AC hires good writers who really make it their business to dig into what their readers want to know, whereas the ICG articles are sometimes sadly fluff pieces, this month's article on "Fame" being one of those fluffy biz articles with kind of half Variety magazine / half AC type details. Blah.

Anyways, they are both worth getting IMO.
Click to expand...
I've only read ICG, it wasn't what I expected. It's like you said: Fluff... Not why I wanna read a magazine. hahaha
 
DV magazine has one or two interesting articles per issue. It is free. Has a web version.
HighDef has some interesting materials, also free, also has a web version.
 
I tried to buy the $1.00 editions, but the shipping is absurd!
5 magazines = $5.00 + $50.00 Shipping!!!!!!!!!!!!! that must be a joke or something

12 mags = $12.00 + $87.00 shipping, that's insane
 
Just wanted to throw an update here.

Just bought 192 issues of American Cinematographer that I did not previously own. Looking at the post above, I find it sadly funny shipping from the Eastern time zone to Los Angeles only cost me $23 for all 192 issues. :P

I now own American Cinematography Magazines from 1940-2010, with only around 10% or less of small gaps here and there. I find this magazine so informative and inspirational (pre-1969 is inspirational, while post 1970 is informative and inspirational.) that I am going to eventually hardbound my collection in personal leather binding by year. So far, once the gaps are filled, I'll have 70 volumes. :)

I'll post a picture when the rest of the magazines arrive through the mail.


I hope this serves as a ringing endorsement of what a great magazine it really is, and in that measure, how AC magazine is actually one of the biggest and solitary sources of documentation of our profession. Besides the published books by a select few cinematographers, and the work of individuals like Jon Fauer (films like Cinematographers Style), the approach, inspirations, goals, thought process, and style of cinematographers would only be found in an interpretation of their works. The 70+ years of documented articles in my collection is a behind the scenes glimpse into the minds of cinematographers unable to be found anywhere else. Truly worth collecting and saving.
 
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