History and Role of Cinematographers
– In the early days of motion pictures, the cinematographer was often also the director and camera operator.
– As technology advanced, a separation between director and cinematographer emerged.
– Cinematography played a crucial role during the silent movie era, relying on lighting, acting, and set design.
– The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) was established in 1919, followed by similar societies in other countries.
– These societies aim to recognize the contributions of cinematographers to the art and science of filmmaking.
Societies and Trade Organizations
– American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C.)
– Brazilian Cinematographers Society (A.B.C.)
– International Collective of Women Cinematographers (ICFC)
– Canadian Society of Cinematographers (C.S.C.)
– Cinévore Madagascar
– Finnish Society of Cinematographers (F.S.C.)
– Guild of British Camera Technicians (G.B.C.T.)
– British Society of Cinematographers (B.S.C.)
– Australian Cinematographers Society (A.C.S.)
– Cinematographers Guild of Korea (C.G.K.)
– Filipino Society of Cinematographers (F.S.C.)
– French Society of Cinematographers (A.F.C.)
– Italian Society of Cinematographers (A.I.C.)
– Western India Cinematographers Association (W.I.C.A.)
– Indian Society of Cinematographers (I.S.C.)
– German Society of Cinematographers (BVK)
– Malaysian Society of Cinematographers (MySC)
– Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC)
– South African Society of Cinematographers (S.A.S.C.)
– Spanish Society of Cinematography Works (A.E.C)
– International Federation of Cinematographers (IMAGO)
– Uruguayan Society of Cinematographers (S.C.U)
– Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers (LAC)
– Cinematographers XX
– Illuminatrix
Noted Cinematographers
– The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded annually to a cinematographer for their work on a specific film.
– Wally Pfister, known for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, made his directorial debut with Transcendence.
– British cinematographers Jack Cardiff and Freddie Francis often transitioned between cinematography and directing.
Related Topics and Resources
– 3D film
– Camerimage
– Cinematography
– Cinematography Mailing List (a communication forum for cinematographers)
– Filmmaking
– Glossary of motion picture terms
– Indian cinematographers
– List of film director and cinematographer collaborations
– List of film formats
– List of motion picture-related topics
– The ASC Vision Committee
– IMAGO – International Federation of Cinematographers
– The American Cinematographer Manual, 9th edition, edited by Stephen H. Burum
– Cinematography.com
References Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographer
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera and light crews working on such projects. They would normally be responsible for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image and for selecting the camera, film stock, lenses, filters, etc. The study and practice of this field are referred to as cinematography.
The cinematographer is a subordinate of the director, tasked with capturing a scene in accordance with the 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 scenes recorded by the cinematographer are passed to the film editor for editing.
