Cinematography

Cinematography is the art of motion picture photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focus reflected light from objects into a real image that is transferred to some image sensor or light-sensitive material inside a movie camera. These exposures are created sequentially and preserved for later processing and viewing as a motion picture. Capturing images with an electronic image sensor produces an electrical charge for each pixel in the image, which is electronically processed and stored in a video file for subsequent processing or display. Images captured with photographic emulsion result in a series of invisible latent images on the film stock, which are chemically "developed" into a visible image. The images on the film stock are projected for viewing the motion picture.

Good cinematography is cinematography that serves the director's vision, great cinematography lifts that vision to another plane of artistry by taking that vision and infusing it with an artistic truth that make it unique and original.

Cinematography sets and supports the overall look and mood of a film’s visual narrative. Each visual element that appears on screen, a.k.a. the mise-en-scene of a film, can serve and enhance the story so it is the cinematographer’s responsibility to ensure that every element is cohesive and support the story. Filmmakers often choose to spend the majority of their budget on high-quality cinematography to guarantee that the film will look incredible on the big screen.

6 Duties and Responsibilities of a Cinematographer

• Chooses a visual style for the film
• Establishes the camera setup for every shot.
• Determines the lighting for every scene
• Explores the potential of every location
• Attends rehearsals
• Elevates the vision of the director