American Society of Cinematographers
| File:ASC-logo.png | |
| Full name | American Society of Cinematographers |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 |
| Members | ~340 |
| Key people | Richard Crudo – President |
| Office location | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www.theasc.com |
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in 1919, is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. Neither a labor union nor a guild, ASC membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film industry.
Members can put the letters A.S.C. after their names. ASC membership has become one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a professional cinematographer, a mark of prestige and distinction.[1] The ASC currently has approximately 340 members and continues to grow.
Contents
Origins
Its history goes back to the Cinema Camera Club in New York City founded by Arthur Charles Miller, Phil Rosen, and Frank Kugler. Arthur Miller and his brother, William Miller, both filmmakers in New York City, worked together and established a much-needed union for cinematography workers called the Motion Picture Industry Union. Arthur Miller left to work in Hollywood, California, one year after the Motion Picture Industry Union was formed. The ASC was chartered in California in January 1919 by Miller and claims to be the "oldest continuously operating motion picture society in the world".
Publications
1920 also marked the beginning of American Cinematographer magazine, still in print today. The magazine focuses on the cinematography of current motion picture releases, including interviews with cinematographers and technical information. Back-issues remain in high demand among film makers, seeking to discover how a particular film's look was achieved.
Other than the magazine, the most well-known publication of the ASC is the American Cinematographer Manual. The first edition was published in 1935 by Jackson J. Rose as The American Cinematographer Hand Book and Reference Guide. The Hand Book evolved from the Cinematographic Annual only published twice, in 1930 and 1931. Rose's handbook went through nine editions by the middle of the 1950s, and it was from this book that the modern American Cinematographer Manual originated. The first edition of the new manual was published in 1960, and is now in its ninth edition (2004).
Founding members
- Phil Rosen
- Homer Scott
- William C. Foster
- L. D. Clawson
- Eugene Gaudio
- Walter L. Griffin
- Roy H. Klaffki
- Charles Rosher
- Victor Milner
- Joe August
- Arthur Edeson
- Fred LeRoy Granville
- J. D. Jennings
- Robert S. Newhard
- L. Guy Wilky
Award categories
Film
Television
- Best Cinematography in Movies of the Week, Miniseries, or Pilot Episodes
- Best Cinematography in Episodic TV Series
Lifetime Achievement
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Television Career Achievement Award
- Board of Directors Award
See also
- List of Presidents of American Society of Cinematographers
- British Society of Cinematographers
- Canadian Society of Cinematographers
References
- ↑ American Cinematographer Magazine
External links
- ASC official website
- American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
