A Cinematographer is a Highlighter

My perception of cinematography was it’s simply the essence of a film. I believed it was the way the camera captured a scene and brought it to life. I always thought, to be a great filmmaker one had to master the art of cinematography. Although after my first cinematography class, I learned that I was off. When I used to look at films, I used to look at the overall output and how the cinematographer captured the scenes. But to my surprise cinematography is more than that and is not what I thought at all.

Cinematography is the study of people, from understanding how people act and how situations play out. When you understand people you can showcase them in a certain light. You are then able to turn those actions into a visual medium. There are two mind-blowing takeaways I’d like to share.

The first takeaway is, cinematography is not about you. What does this mean? If you are a videographer there’s a tendency to simply try and show off your skills. You try to figure out the best way to shoot a scene that people can recognize as your work. But that’s not the job of a cinematographer. Your job as a cinematographer is to make people forget the camera work. They should be lost and feel connected to the characters on the screen. Which brings me to my second takeaway.

The second is not to overshadow the production team. The job of a cinematographer is to become the pedestal of the production team. You are meant to showcase the work of the production team, from the sets, the costume, and even the tiniest details of the makeup. The cinematographer compliments the story and immerses the viewer in it. The goal isn’t to have the audience walk out of the theater and say the cinematography was the best part of the film. If that’s the outcome, you’ve failed at your job.

Cinematography is much more than the cool techniques of the camera work, it’s about translating the scene to the viewer. You are meant to bring the viewer into that world and highlight what’s happening. When you are on that set holding the camera, ask yourself “Is this frame able to capture the essence of the character, will this shot come across the viewer.”