What is a Director of Photography?
What does he do? The answer is: almost everything and hardly anything. His function differs so much from one film to another that it is hard to define it exactly. My work may be simply to press a button on a camera, and sometimes not even that. There are films where the camera operator actually handles the camera while I sit by in a folding chair with my name on the back. In this case I am there to supervise the image, give advice, and…have my name on the credits. In the extreme case of the huge super-productions, with all their special effects, one hardly knows who is responsible for the photography, for it ends up absorbing everything and everybody. In a low-budget movie, however, a director of photography collaborating with a director who is inexperienced or just beginning can not only choose the lens but decide on the framing of the shots, the movements of the camera, the choreography of the actors in relation to the shot, and, of course, the lighting – the visual atmosphere of e
A Director of Photography is someone who supervises the filming of movies, commercials, television series, or any other sort of filmed production. It is common to see the terms “Director of Photography” and “Cinematographer” used interchangeably, although this usage is not acceptable in all regions, as sometimes these jobs are actually quite distinct from each other. Essentially, the Director of Photography is responsible for the look and feel of a piece on film. Three things are necessary to become a good Director of Photography: training, experience, and a good eye. Many people interested in careers in cinematography go to film school, where they learn about the mechanics of the work and have an opportunity to participate in internships on set to get a feel for the work. Then, they work their way up through the ranks on set, often working in a variety of positions to learn more about the business, before finally becoming Directors of Photography, in which case a good artistic eye bec
A veteran cinematographer defines the duties of the artist most directly responsible for the visual style of a film. by Charles G. Clarke, ASC As some confusion exists about the title “director of photography,” perhaps a brief summary at this time would be in order. Since the inception of the movies, there have been cameramen. Then, as the peculiar technique of cinema was developed, the cameraman became the cinematographer. As the industry progressed, cinematography took on specialized fields. The cinematographer now devoted more of his talents to composition and lighting and left the mechanics of the camera to members of his staff. Today he directs and supervises the efforts of a large crew of workers, and is known as the director of photography. He selects the composition, sets the exposure, conceives the lighting, and designates the filters or other photographic con-trols to be employed. Some may well ask, “How does motion picture photography differ from regular photography?” While
