Cinematographer - wikipedia Cinematographer A camera crew sets up for scenes to be filmed on the flight deck for the motion picture Stealth with the crew of the Nimitz - class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln ( CVN 72 ). A cinematographer or director of photography ( sometimes shortened to DP or DOP ) is the chief over the camera and light crews working on a film, television production or other live action piece and is responsible for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image. The study and practice of this field is referred to as cinematography. The cinematographer selects the camera, film stock, lenses, filters, etc., to realize the scene in accordance with the intentions of the director. Relations between the cinematographer and director vary ; in some instances the director will allow the cinematographer complete independence ; 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 not common once 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. Several American cinematographers have become directors, including Barry Sonnenfeld, originally the Coen brothers ' DP ; Jan de Bont, cinematographer on films as Die Hard and Basic Instinct, directed Speed and Twister. In 2014, Wally Pfister, cinematographer on Christopher Nolan 's three Batman films, made his directorial debut with Transcendence ; whilst British cinematographers Jack Cardiff and Freddie Francis regularly moved between the two positions. Contents 1 History 2 Societies and trade organizations 3 Noted cinematographers 4 See also 5 References 6 External links History A cinematographer on set 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 silent movie era ; with no sound apart from background music and no dialogue, the films depended on lighting, acting, and set. In 1919 Hollywood, the then - new motion picture capital of the world, one of the first ( and still existing ) trade societies was formed : the American Society of Cinematographers ( ASC ), which stood to recognize the cinematographer 's contribution to the art and science of motion picture making. Similar trade associations have been established in other countries too. Societies and trade organizations There are a number of national associations of cinematographers which represent members ( irrespective of their official titles ) and which are dedicated to the advancement of cinematography. These include : the American Society of Cinematographers ( A.S.C. ) the Canadian Society of Cinematographers ( C.S.C. ) 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 Indian Society of Cinematographers ( I.S.C. ) the German Society of Cinematographers ( BVK ) the Spanish Society of Cinematography Works ( A.E.C ) the European Federation of Cinematographers / IMAGO 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. Noted cinematographers See Category : Cinematographers and Academy Award for Best Cinematography See also 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 Jump up ^ Hora, John. `` Anamorphic Cinematography ''. In Burum, Stephen H. The American Cinematographer Manual ( 9 ed. ). ISBN 978 - 0935578317. External links Cinematography.com Cinematography Mailing List ( CML ) International Cinematographers Guild Burns, Paul The History of the Discovery of Cinematography American Society of Cinematographers The Guild of British Camera Technicians British Society of Cinematographers Indian Society of Cinematographers ( ISC ) European Federation of Cinematographers / IMAGO Australian Cinematographers Society ( ACS ) German Society of Cinematography, BVK Italian Society of Cinematography, AIC ( Autori Italiani della Cinematografia ) Film crew ( filmmaking ) Above the line Actor Leading actor Movie star Superstar Character actor Cameo actors Film director Screenwriter Film producer Executive producer Line producer Below the line Pre-production Unit production manager Production coordinator Production accountant Assistant director Script supervisor Script coordinator Casting director Production assistant Location manager Storyboard Storyboard artist Production design Production designer Art director Costume designer Hairdresser Make - up artist Set decorator Property master / mistress ( `` props '' ) Visual Art Matte painter Illustrator Scenic design Photography Cinematographer / Director of photography Camera operator Focus puller Clapper loader Steadicam Gaffer Best boy ( electrical ) Lighting technician Key grip Best boy ( grip ) Grip Dolly grip Sound Director of audiography Production sound mixer Boom operator Utility sound technician Dialogue editor Re-recording mixer Foley artist Composer Music supervisor Music editor Orchestrator Special effects Special effects supervisor Visual effects supervisor Animation Animator Visual effects Modeling Rigging Layout artist Talent Acting coach Dialect coach Movement director Choreographer Extra Talent agent Actor ( voice ) Cast member Stand - in Acting instructor Stunt double Stunt performer Post-production Film editor Sound editor Colorist Animator Technical director Visual effects Visual effects editor Compositor Computer - generated imagery Rendering GND : 4029412 - 2 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cinematographer&oldid=829255484 '' Categories : Media occupations Cinematographers Cinematography Filmmaking occupations Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Shqip Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు Türkçe Українська 中文 32 more Edit links This page was last edited on 7 March 2018, at 14 : 59. 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Question: what is the job of the cinematographer on a film
Answer: the chief over the camera and light crews working on a film, television production or other live action piece and is responsible for making artistic and technical decisions related to the image