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The National Film and Television School are holding a series of Career Clinics throughout March 2022. The last one in the series is about Cinematography. But what is Cinematography and what exactly does a Cinematographer do?
Cinematography is an essential part of filmmaking - visual storytelling is emphasised alongside the art of creating mood and evoking emotion through the right combination of composition, lighting, camera angles, colour and more. This is why cinematography is essential to the filmmaking process. It is both and art and a craft. Everything that cinematography is, can serve and enhance the story to create cohesion and support it further. A film’s director and cinematographer work closely together throughout the process of creating a film to ensure that the cinematographers choices support the director’s overall vision for the film.
Here are 5 important responsibilities a cinematographer has to ensure that a film is the best it can be:
1. Choosing a visual style – A cinematographer determines the approach for the visual style of the film. For example, it can be a cinematographer’s duty to decide whether to use re-enactments or rely on photographs and historical footage in order to make a documentary.
2. Attends rehearsals – A cinematographer is present at rehearsals to observe how a scene changes and evolves so they are able to adjust the camera in response to particular actions, gestures or body positions of the actors.
3. Deciding on the camera setup for each shot – A cinematographer gets to decide the camera techniques, lenses, angles and types of camera needed to bring a scene to life. They may also work with the script supervisor and location manager to design what the most effective vantage points for the camera will be. This helps to create the overall visual mood of the film.
4. Decisions on lighting – A cinematographer uses different lighting strategies to create the right visual mood that the director has envisioned. This includes enhancing the shot’s depth, contrast and contour to support the atmosphere of the film.
5. Location potential – A good cinematographer explores the potential of each location and makes recommendations about what shots to capture based on the director’s vision.
The NFTS information session is on Monday 28th March at 4:30pm. Book at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cinematography-creative-careers-clinic-tickets-277404633727