From the course: Creating a Short Film: 07 Cinematography

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Responsibilities of the DP

Responsibilities of the DP

From the course: Creating a Short Film: 07 Cinematography

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Responsibilities of the DP

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- In this chapter, we're going to take a break from talking about cinematography and instead look at what it's actually like to work as a cinematographer. The cinematographer, also called the director of photography, or DP for short, is one of the most important people on a film set. The DP sets the visual tone of the film and directs the camera and lighting work. On set, the DP has a lot to do, especially on smaller sets where there might not be many other people in the camera department or in the G and E department. Or sometimes, on smaller or lower budget projects, DPs might have plenty of help, but the people on these teams might not be as experienced. The DP tells the gaffer and camera department at the beginning of each set-up what the framing will be and what the lighting should look like, so those teams can get to work. But the job actually starts in pre-production, where the DP works with the director to establish the visual look and feel of the film. The DP should have a…

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