American Society of Cinematographers

The American Society of Cinematographers is not a labor union or guild, but is an educational, cultural and professional organization. Membership is possible by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography with distinguished credits in the industry.

Its history goes back to the Cinema Camera Club in New York City founded by Phil Rosen, Frank Kugler, and Lewis W. Physioc and the Static Club in Los Angeles founded by Charles Rosher and Harry H. Harris. Both were created in 1913, and were united into a national organization when Rosher and Rosen moved to LA in 1918. The ASC was chartered in California in January 1919, and claims to be the "oldest continuously operating motion picture society in the world". The following year, the William S. Hart film Sand was released on June 27, bearing to Joe August the first cinematographer credit followed by the letters "ASC". 1920 also marked the beginning of publication of the American Cinematography Magazine, still in print today. The magazine's camera-centric features about new releases, often peppered with extensive interviews with the film's camera crew, ensure that back-issues remain in high demand almost indefinitely among cinematographers seeking to discover how particular films' looks were achieved. The length of one's personal back collection of the magazine is a frequently-cited source of pride.

The ASC currently has approximately 340 members.

Founding members