The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera and light
crews working on such projects and would normally be responsible for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image and for selecting the camera,
film stock
Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed,
edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent ...
,
lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...
es,
filters, etc. The study and practice of this field is referred to as
cinematography
Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography.
Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
.
The cinematographer is a subordinate of the
director, tasked with capturing a scene in accordance with director’s vision. Relations between the cinematographer and director vary. In some instances, the director will allow the cinematographer complete independence, while in others, the director allows little to none, even going so far as to specify exact camera placement and lens selection. Such a level of involvement is less common when the director and cinematographer have become comfortable with each other. The director will typically convey to the cinematographer what is wanted from a scene visually and allow the cinematographer latitude in achieving that effect.
The images recorded by the cinematographer are passed to the film editor for
editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...
.
History
In the infancy of motion pictures, the cinematographer was usually also the
director and the person physically handling the camera. As the art form and technology evolved, a separation between director and
camera operator
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task.
In filmmak ...
emerged. With the advent of artificial lighting and faster (more light-sensitive)
film stock
Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed,
edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent ...
s, in addition to technological advancements in optics, the technical aspects of cinematography necessitated a specialist in that area.
Cinematography was key during the
silent movie
''Silent Movie'' is a 1976 American satirical comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in the summer of 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and Sid ...
era; with no sound apart from
background music
Background music (British English: piped music) is a mode of musical performance in which the music is not intended to be a primary focus of potential listeners, but its content, character, and volume level are deliberately chosen to affect behav ...
and no dialogue, the films depended on lighting, acting, and set.
The
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...
(ASC) was formed in 1919 in Hollywood, and was the first trade society of cinematographers. Similar societies were formed in other countries. For example, the
British Society of Cinematographers
The British Society of Cinematographers (abbreviated B.S.C. or BSC) was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey (23 August 1901 – 28 February 1973), the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers ...
(BSC). Their aims include the recognition of the cinematographer's contribution to the art and science of motion picture making.
The ASC Vision Committee
Societies and trade organizations
There are a number of national associations of cinematographers that represent members (irrespective of their official titles) and are dedicated to the advancement of cinematography, including:
*the
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...
(A.S.C.)
*the
Brazilian Cinematographers Society
Brazilian commonly refers to:
* Something of, from or relating to Brazil
* Brazilian Portuguese, the dialect of the Portuguese language used mostly in Brazil
* Brazilians, the people (citizens) of Brazil, or of Brazilian descent
Brazilian may al ...
(A.B.C.)
*the
International Collective of Women Cinematographers (ICFC)
*the
Canadian Society of Cinematographers (C.S.C.)
*the
Finnish Society of Cinematographers (F.S.C.)
*the
Guild of British Camera Technicians (G.B.C.T.)
*the
British Society of Cinematographers
The British Society of Cinematographers (abbreviated B.S.C. or BSC) was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey (23 August 1901 – 28 February 1973), the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers ...
(B.S.C.)
*the
Australian Cinematographers Society (A.C.S.)
*the
Cinematographers Guild of Korea (C.G.K.)
*the
Filipino Society of Cinematographers (F.S.C.)
*the
French Society of Cinematographers (A.F.C.)
*the
Italian Society of Cinematographers (A.I.C.)
*the
Western India Cinematographers Association (W.I.C.A.)
*the
Indian Society of Cinematographers
Indian cinematographers work in a number of regional film centres: Chennai, India, Chennai for Tamil language, Tamil films, Mumbai for films in Marathi language, Marathi and Hindi, Hyderabad, India, Hyderabad for films in Telugu language, Telugu ...
(I.S.C.)
*the
German Society of Cinematographers (BVK)
*the
Malaysian Society of Cinematographers
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia rega ...
(MySC)
*the
Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC)
*the
South African Society of Cinematographers (S.A.S.C.)
*the
Spanish Society of Cinematography Works (A.E.C)
*th
International Federation of Cinematographers(IMAGO)
*the Uruguayan Society of Cinematographers (S.C.U)
*the Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers (LAC)
*Cinematographers XX
*Illuminatrix
The A.S.C. defines cinematography as:
Noted cinematographers
The
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture.
History
In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) w ...
is an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular
motion picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
.
A number of American cinematographers have become directors, including
Reed Morano who lensed ''
Frozen River'' and Beyonce's ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage.
There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...
'' before winning an Emmy for directing ''
The Handmaid's Tale
''The Handmaid's Tale'' is a futuristic dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England in a patriarchal, totalitarian theonomic state known as the Republic of Gilead, which ...
''.
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family V ...
, originally the
Coen brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
' DP;
Jan de Bont, cinematographer on films such as ''
Die Hard'' and ''
Basic Instinct'', directed ''
Speed
In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...
'' and ''
Twister''.
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg (; 15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing ''Performance'' (1970), '' Walkabout'' (1971), ''Don't Look Now'' (1973), '' The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1976 ...
, cinematographer on films such as ''
The Caretaker
''The Caretaker'' is a play in three acts by Harold Pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers a ...
'' (1963) and ''
The Masque of the Red Death
"The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plag ...
'' (1964), directed ''
Don't Look Now
''Don't Look Now'' ( it, A Venezia... un Dicembre rosso shocking, lit=In Venice... a shocking red December) is a 1973 English-language film in the thriller genre directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Mauri ...
'' (1973) and ''
The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1976).
Ellen Kuras, ASC photographed ''
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pi ...
'' as well as a number of
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
films such as ''
Summer of Sam'' and ''
He Got Game
''He Got Game'' is a 1998 American sports drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. The film revolves around Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), father of the top-ranked basketball pr ...
'' before directing episodes of ''Legion'' and ''Ozark.'' In 2014,
Wally Pfister, cinematographer on
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. His films have grossed $5&nb ...
's
three ''Batman'' films, made his directorial debut with ''
Transcendence
Transcendence, transcendent, or transcendental may refer to:
Mathematics
* Transcendental number, a number that is not the root of any polynomial with rational coefficients
* Algebraic element or transcendental element, an element of a field exten ...
,'' whilst British cinematographers
Jack Cardiff
Jack Cardiff, (18 September 1914 – 22 April 2009) was a British cinematographer, film and television director, and photographer. His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor, to f ...
and
Freddie Francis
Frederick William Francis (22 December 1917 – 17 March 2007) was an English cinematographer and film director. He achieved his greatest successes as a cinematographer. He started his career with British films such as Jack Cardiff's '' Sons and ...
regularly moved between the two positions.
See also
*
3D film
3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pic ...
*
Camerimage
*
Cinematography
Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography.
Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
*
Cinematography Mailing List, a communication forum for cinematographers
*
Filmmaking
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...
*
Glossary of motion picture terms
*
Indian cinematographers
*
List of film director and cinematographer collaborations
*
List of film formats
*
List of motion picture-related topics
References
External links
Cinematography.comCinematography Mailing List (CML)International Cinematographers GuildThe History of the Discovery of CinematographyAmerican Society of CinematographersThe Guild of British Camera TechniciansBritish Society of CinematographersIndian Society of Cinematographers (ISC)European Federation of Cinematographers/IMAGOAustralian Cinematographers Society (ACS)German Society of Cinematography, BVKItalian Society of Cinematography, AIC (Autori Italiani della Cinematografia)Netherlands Society of Cinematography, NSCLithuanian Association of Cinematographers, LAC
{{Authority control
Mass media occupations
Cinematography
Filmmaking occupations
Filmmaking