American Cinematographer – March 2026 – American Cinematographer

Mohr won an Academy Award for the film as a write-in candidate. but they usually didn’t put a lot of little lights in the background just to create some out-of-focus sparkle. “Midsummer Night’s Dream has some bokeh you’ve never seen before, with patterns that make no sense for any kind of net filters or glass filters — like lightning-bolt flares around a point of light. I don’t know any filter that can create that, and I think it possibly was done with special irises cut into patterns.

Gregg Toland was famous for put- ting Waterhouse stops [a hole cut to an f/stop size] in place of his iris in Citizen Kane, but I’ve never heard of specialty stops where they cut a weird pattern in the metal to create a unique bokeh with it. I haven’t found anything Hal Mohr said about it, and I’m not aware of it in any other Hollywood movie.”

[Ed. Note: In April ’36, AC published a short feature about Mohr’s Oscar win but did not cover the production.] Mohr also took an adventurous approach to diffusion on the film, giving certain characters special treatments. “He said he put sequins on nets and put them in front of the lens,” Mullen says. “I recently tried to do that for a shot on a film I did with Anna Biller, and I couldn’t create anything like the effect he achieved. When I put sequins on nets and put them in front of the lens, it just sort of went out of focus com- pared to the actor …

I saw some blobs and the netting in the bokeh. If Mohr wasn’t using a special aperture pattern, he was probably using a much bigger frame of a vintage black lace that was closer to the actors so the sequins were more in focus and could be front-lit. Or, he had two frames for nets, one close to lens made from black lace and one larger and further away with sequins he could hit with lights.”

Mullen looks forward to experimenting further.

David Chambille Shoots Richard Linklater’s Stylish Homage to Godard’s Breathless Plus: The ASC Honors Mullen, del Toro, Pizzello “THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY SHOT FILM OF THE YEAR.” “THE SORT OF MASTERPIECE YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A DIFFERENT AGE ALTOGETHER.” 4 Academy Award ® nominations including best picture • best cinematography ADOLPHO VELOSO, ABC AIP FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM w i n n e r critics choice awards BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY w i n n e r los angeles film critics assoc.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY w i n n e r las vegas film critics society BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY w i n n e r Boston Online Film Critics ASSOC. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY w i n n e r san diego film critics society BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY a s c a w a r d s n o m i n e e best cinematography ADOLPHO VELOSO, ABC AIP WATCH HOW ADOLPHO VELOSO CAPTURED THE STUNNING LIGHT OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Discover • Learn • Create Join our world-class cinematography community • Cinematic Lessons • Tech Tips • ASC Insights • ASC Legends Features 14 Nouvelle Vague Celebrates Godard’s Breathless David Chambille helps director Richard Linklater salute a timeless classic of the French New Wave.

By Carolyn Giardina 24 M. David Mullen, ASC: A Refined Eye and Mind The cinematographer is feted for his imagery, technical savvy and historical knowledge with the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award. By Matt Mulcahey 34 Guillermo del Toro: Fantastical Visions The ASC honors the director’s creative legacy with its Board of Governors Award. By Joe Fordham 42 Stephen Pizzello and the “Greatest Job Ever” The Society recognizes American Cinematographer’s long-tenured editor-in-chief with an Award of Distinction.

By Iain Marcks Departments 8 President’s Desk 10 Shot Craft: Creating Your Contract With the Audience 50 Tools of the Trade: The Prosumer Evolution 54 Clubhouse News 58 In Memoriam: ASC associate member Dedo Weigert 60 New Products and Services 63 Ad Index 64 Wrap Shot: Breathless On Our Cover: Guillaume Marbeck stars as director Jean-Luc Godard in Nouvelle Vague, shot by David Chambille.

(Image courtesy of Netflix.) VISIT THEASC.COM MARCH 2026 VOL. 107 NO. 3 Contents 2 / MARCH 2026 24 14 MULLEN PORTRAIT BY NICOLE RIVELLI. FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM A f i l m b y G u i l l e r m o d e l T o r o “Achingly gorgeous.

Dan LAUSTSEN’s cinematography will take your breath away.”

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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• Unique ID: c9bd23f891e36e43
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• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 6262170685
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• Language: English (en)

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