We have a meeting scheduled with Simon on the 19th March to discuss our ideas before the pitch and confirm our roles. We already have a rough idea on what roles we think we would like to try that we have not gone into depth before. I would like to try being a DOP (Director Of Photography) as I have already been an editor, director and producer before. I haven't written a script either however we have all agreed that we won't be changing the script therefore the script writer will be more of a transcriber.
What I need to know about my role
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.
Skills that are generally required to perform well under this role are:
- Having a good artistic eye for photography, or in other words, being able to frame shots and recognize good shots, as any photographer would.
- Knowing the technical basics of photography -- how to make lighting work to your advantage, how to use lenses, and how film speeds and exposures work.
- Having knowledge of film-specific photography equipment and techniques, such as film cameras on dollies, hand-held cameras, the Steadicam and Blue screen. This includes both set-up and operation.
- Being experienced with the filmmaking process from preproduction through postproduction, including working with a film house to prepare the final print.
- Being able to collaborate with a Film Director in developing an artistic vision for a film and then producing it.
- Having the flexibility and problem-solving skills to handle production when scenes don't go as planned due to weather, equipment problems, budget limitations or artistic changes. This includes being able to make fast, instinctive decisions about which film, technique or equipment works best for a particular scene.
- Keeping up with ever-changing advances in film technology and knowing when to shift to or drop in new technology instead of the old.
- Being able to manage a budget and staff, and coordinate with other departments like lighting, to keep production running smoothly.
Because filmmaking is a collaborative art, bringing many people together in the production process, a cinematographer needs the ability to get along and work with everyone. As cinematographer John Schwartzmann phrases it in the book "100 Careers in Film and Television," "The most important skill that you need to be successful in the film business is to be able to play well with others."
