Cinematographer (Director of Photography / DP)
Definition
The Cinematographer, also known as the Director of Photography (DP or DoP), is the chief creative and technical officer responsible for the visual image of a film or video production. The DP works closely with the director to translate the script and the director's vision into a series of images, making decisions about lighting, camera placement, lens selection, camera movement, and the overall visual aesthetic of the project. The DP supervises the camera department and the electrical department.
Contextual Usage
In a pre-production meeting, the director tells the DP, "I want this film to feel like a memory — slightly overexposed, with a warm color temperature and a lot of natural light. I'm thinking we shoot on film rather than digital to get that organic grain. What do you think?"
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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