What Is a Cinematographer & What Do They Do?
Creating a film requires the work of many individuals who all come together to create the final product that audiences can enjoy. The cinematographer is behind the camera and works to ensure the film is beautiful from a visual perspective. Their talents are vast and necessary to produce the final film that the audience can view for themselves. It takes a significant amount of education and time to develop the skills required to become a talented cinematographer, and that is something worthy of consideration when considering if this career path is right for you.
What are the Responsibilities of a Cinematographer?
There are plenty of responsibilities that fall under the umbrella of the role of cinematographer. Among those responsibilities include the following:
- Lighting – Another part of a cinematographer’s job is ensuring the production’s lighting is done properly. This is incredibly important because lighting is a major part of setting the mood for any given scene. The cinematographer has to consider the intensity, color, and direction of the lighting for every scene to create the feelings that they want to evoke in the audience.
- Collaboration with the Director – Working with the director is a major part of the cinematographer’s work. The cinematographer wants to ensure that the way they film the scenes is in line with what the director has in mind regarding their creative vision. When those things line up, then the production will look much better than it would otherwise.
- Camera Crew Management – A cinematographer is also important in controlling how the various camera crew members work and get their jobs done. The cinematographer must ensure that everyone stays on task and knows their roles in the production.
As you can see, there are many things that the cinematographer must do to help ensure that the production is set up exactly as designed. It is a job with many responsibilities, but it is also a highly rewarding field. If you think you can handle this type of workload, you should pursue the idea even further.
How Do I Become a Cinematographer?
Getting classroom-style training and hands-on experience is necessary to become a cinematographer. You should get a jump start on that as soon as possible. After all, it is only once you put in the hours of work that you can start to enjoy the fruits of your labor. A cinematographer has to work hard because a lot is expected of them. You can make a great cinematographer as long as you are prepared to take on those responsibilities.
Interested in Becoming a Cinematographer?
Set an appointment to speak with one of our professionals at BeOnAir if you want to become a cinematographer. We are happy to offer you the tools and resources necessary to set yourself up with everything you need to take on this job role. Our seasoned experts will happily work with you to get the help you need to become a cinematographer. For more information on how to get yourself signed up for our classes, please contact us and let us know what you are interested in and how we can help you.