Cinematographer
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a
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.
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 emerged. With the advent of artificial lighting and faster (more light-sensitive) film stocks, in addition to technological advancements in optics, the technical aspects of cinematography necessitated a specialist in that area.
Cinematography was key during the
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) was formed in 1919 in Hollywood, and was the first trade society for cinematographers. Similar societies were formed in other countries. For example, the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC). Their aims include the recognition of the cinematographer's contribution to the art and science of motion picture making.[1]
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 (A.S.C.)
- the Brazilian Cinematographers Society (A.B.C.)
- the International Collective of Women Cinematographers (ICFC)
- the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (C.S.C.)
- the Czech Society of Cinematographers (AČK)
- the Cinévore Madagascar
- the Finnish Society of Cinematographers (F.S.C.)
- the Guild of British Camera Technicians (G.B.C.T.)
- the British Society of 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 (I.S.C.)
- the German Society of Cinematographers (BVK)
- the Malaysian Society of Cinematographers (MySC)
- the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC)
- the Association of Slovak Cinematographers (ASK)
- the South African Society of Cinematographers (S.A.S.C.)
- the Spanish Society of Cinematography Works (A.E.C)
- the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC)
- the International Federation of Cinematographers (IMAGO)[2]
- the Uruguayan Society of Cinematographers (S.C.U)
- the Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers (LAC)
- Cinematographers XX
- Illuminatrix
The A.S.C. defines cinematography as:
A creative and interpretive process that culminates in the authorship of an original work of art rather than the simple recording of a physical event. Cinematography is not a subcategory of photography. Rather, photography is but one craft that the cinematographer uses in addition to other physical, organizational, managerial, interpretive and image-manipulating techniques to effect one coherent process.[3]
Noted cinematographers
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture.
A number of American cinematographers have become directors, including
See also
- 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
References
- ^ The ASC Vision Committee
- ^ "IMAGO – International Federation of Cinematographers". imago.org. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ISBN 978-0935578317.
External links
- Cinematography.com
- Cinematography Mailing List (CML)
- International Cinematographers Guild
- The History of the Discovery of Cinematography Archived 2020-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- American Society of Cinematographers
- The Guild of British Camera Technicians
- British Society of Cinematographers
- Indian Society of Cinematographers (ISC) Archived 2020-04-06 at the Wayback Machine
- European Federation of Cinematographers/IMAGO
- Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS)
- German Society of Cinematography, BVK Archived 2017-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
- Italian Society of Cinematography, AIC (Autori Italiani della Cinematografia)
- Netherlands Society of Cinematography, NSC
- Lithuanian Association of Cinematographers, LAC Archived 2021-12-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Association Française des directrices et directeurs de la photographie Cinématographique (AFC)