I am interested in seeing how they do the camera stuff for movies, I read here that the director usually does it and the cinematographer is just some wagie in 9 out of 10 cases who assists him. Is that true?
Pic related is the wagie standing by while Nolan does his thing.
Books on cinematography?
Aaron Hughes
Cameron Phillips
Just take up photography faggot
Ryder Young
I'm not interested in pursuing it retard, just wanna read about it. Seems fascinating
Leo Hall
touches a ton cinematography and is a great jumping off point. highly recommended
Landon Barnes
There was a time where the cinematographer was known as a cameraman, and had worked their way up through the studio system, working as different types of technicians.
Theres a book (name escapes me) that contains a long interview with Jack Cardiff, one of the greatest cinematographers of the 20th Century, who like Freddie Young and Geoffrey Unsworth, worked their way up, rather than being what you refer to as a 'wagie'. Nolan just thinks he's Kubrick, but Kubrick had great cinematographers like Unsworth and John Alcott.
Jayden Adams
Depends entirely on the director. Some directors are very hands on and will even operate (like Nolan is doing there. Operating = actually operating the camera while recording). Operators are a different thing entirely, especially when special skills are required (handheld operators, shoulder mount operators, steadicam operators, crane operators etc.).
The Director of Photography/Cinematographer (same thing) typically decides on the lighting and frames the shots. Sometimes the DP will decide everything, like when certain types of shots are used (wide, close up, push in, pan, whatever) and the director just talks to the actors. However, like I said before some directors are much more hands on and will choose almost everything themselves, leaving the DP to tell the lighti g and camera crews what to do (there’s so much going on at a film set that the director can’t do everything him or herself directly).
Landon Wright
Yeah I can see Nolan having a storyboard or something similar where he frames the shots himself and has the others assist him, apart from some frame suggestions that he might take into account and use.
Wyatt Butler
Wally Pfister (Nolan's cinematographer) was doing comfy erotic films in the 90's, he's one of the best.
James Cooper
based Nolan hiring pornographers
Josiah Sullivan
fpbp
Ethan Lee
Cinematographers job is 99% about lighting.
Jace Davis
intredasting
Andrew Richardson
Nolan really sucks at editing though.
Jayden Bell
bump for a decent thread
Nicholas Gutierrez
I heard Nolan was gonna make 4 Batman movies in total, with the two succeeding TDKR starring Heath. God damn, we're robbed of some kino by that fuck's death.
Caleb Peterson
A Cinematographer or DP (Director of Photography) the head of the camera department and will have at least 2 assistants. Sometimes won't even operate the camera themselves. Half of it is knowing about lighting techniques too - things have to be lit in order to show up on camera. Being well versed in lighting for film/tv is a huge help. An experienced cinematographer should make at least $100 an hour up to $10k a day on high end commercial shoots and features. You will make even more if you have your own gear to rent.
I am not counting videographers who do weddings and shitty music videos
Logan Jenkins
I should add: The director does not shoot. The director "directs" the action - tells the actors what to do in the scene - and collaborates with the cinematographer on how best to capture it, based on the positioning of the actors within the frame, and the look and feel they're trying to go for. The cinematographer will execute it by choosing the appropriate lens, filters, camera position, camera mount (ie, on a tripod, dolly, crane) and lighting (which is then executed by the electrical department under the Gaffer)
Nathaniel Johnson
Depends on the director/DP. Some DPs and directors work closely on storyboards together, some directors leave all the work for the DP and concentrate on story/acting performence, some DP just manage the lighting crew, etc...
Dominic Collins
not necessarily, some directors even operate the camera
Nathan Harris
let's class action his remaining family
Adam Gray
Most do not, they stand behind monitors and watch the action. Camera people are unionized, and the director is not part of that union. You don't have to believe me and my 7 years of film set experience though.
Cooper Russell
I definitely believe you; iirc Scott had some issues with his camera crew when filming Blade Runner in the US, given that he liked to operate. Still, it's not that uncommon outside of the US.
Evan Sanchez
wtf directors can't operate the cameras? Cinematographers have that much clout? Jesus. Do they also get to force their own shots in the film, overriding the director's vision?
Elijah Long
>wtf directors can't operate the cameras?
generally they have more pressing matters to worry about than to operate a $50k piece of technology. So they hire an actual professional who knows the technology inside and out. You have some exceptions.
>Cinematographers have that much clout? Jesus. Do they also get to force their own shots in the film, overriding the director's vision?
Abso-fucking-lutely. Unless you got good director/DP collab teams, it can be a constant clash of egos. Or sometimes the director literally doesn't give a shit as long as the performances and action is good and lets the DP go buckwild coming up with new shots on the fly. The Assistant Director is there to mediate and keep everyone on schedule.
Lucas Martinez
>Abso-fucking-lutely
Not at all.
Framing, composition, blocking, that's all the job of a director who makes it beforehand with the storyboard artist or just himself. Sure some big time DPs will be involved in this process aswell, but that's not the case for the majority of them working in the industry. DPs main job is lighting.
Pretending like the DP will just put a wild dutch angle out of nowhere and the director not having a say in it is retarded.
Jace Parker
A DP who puts in a wild dutch angle completely unmotivated will not be working long. I meant more in the sense of throwing their weight around by changing a shot to be on a dolly when it's a complete hassle given the type of shot that needs to be achieved, or the environment being shot in. Or having the art department swap scenic elements out only to change their minds and go back to how it was before. Things that waste everyone's time for minimal or negligible payoff, ultimately only to satisfy their own ego. If the director is a novice or pushover they'll just go along with this bullshit and it makes for a miserable shoot. I've witnessed this firsthand.
Logan Clark
>I am interested in seeing how they do the camera stuff for movies, I read here that the director usually does it and the cinematographer is just some wagie in 9 out of 10 cases who assists him. Is that true?
Absolutely not. It's beneficial if the director has some knowledge of lenses, cameras and lighting but ultimately it's the cinematographer's job to help the director achieve the aesthetic he is seeking for the film.
I worked on one feature film where the DOP was the camera operator as well as doing all the lighting shit and aside from the director speaking to him when setting up he just let the DOP and gaffer do their shit, he spent more time with the actors.
Grayson Perry
>I meant more in the sense of throwing their weight around by changing a shot to be on a dolly when it's a complete hassle given the type of shot that needs to be achieved, or the environment being shot in.
I'd fire my DOP if he was coming out with excuses or alternate suggestions rather than solutions how to get what I wanted from a shot.
Evan Diaz
More sets need people like you. Unfortunately I've been on too many sets with directors that enthusiastically indulge such antics from the DP. The directors in these example started out in reality tv. Directors that were previously ADs or editors are a lot more firm about exactly what they want.