One of the most common questions I get from readers of this blog is “As a cinematographer, how do I get into this industry?” As you might imagine, there is no easy answer to this question, as there are countless factors that contribute to your success as a director of photography.
For starters, you need an incredible understanding of the science of lighting and the ability to creatively use that knowledge to make your work unique. You’ll also need a deep technical understanding of cameras, lenses, codecs and color – more than ever before.
But you probably already knew that. You may already be a very talented DP in your own right, able to capture beautiful cinematic images, but you’re still trying to establish yourself on a professional set. If this sounds like you, I bet you’re overlooking what I consider to be the most important determinant of success for any working DP –
You must have a very strong ability to run a set, and must truly understand that doing so is part of the fundamental nature of being a DP.
If you don’t have extensive professional production experience, you may mistakenly believe that managing a crew is solely the job of the director, first assistant director, or producer. While each of these key players plays a key role in keeping the action running smoothly in a given scene, no single crew member is more required to accomplish this task than the Director of Photography.
As a cinematographer, being able to bring your team together and keep things running smoothly on set isn’t above and beyond your job description – it’s your job description.
Yes, you may be responsible for the creative look and feel of the movie you’re shooting…but part of that responsibility means doing whatever it takes to keep the train moving when the director is fully focused. If you’ve done your prep work, developed a strong creative relationship with your director, and spent enough time in pre-production, you never need to wait for someone else to tell you what to do.
You need to stay in sync with your supervisor and understand that when he or she is not around to give orders, that responsibility falls largely on you.
The first deputy director’s job is to keep the day on track and in many ways move the train forward. That is, beyond directing, you have a much deeper understanding of what needs to be done at any given moment from a creative and logistical perspective. That’s why even the first deputy officer may need to defer to you to make critical choices and lead the crew. If your crew is standing around (or worse you’re standing around), chances are you’re not doing your job and you should take action to keep the set functioning.
This applies not only to the film crew, but to the entire crew. If the makeup department is out smoking and the actors are standing around doing nothing, say something. If you find an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with your department but is taking up filming time, talk to the producer, department head, first assistant director, or anyone else who needs to know. You are not overstepping your boundaries. You’re just doing your job and being the director’s eyes and ears while the director is rehearsing the actors, revising the script, or doing other filming.
In the same way, every film has its boundaries, and naturally every work has its own unwritten rules. You need to adapt to the work you’re producing and take the initiative as much as possible, but avoid stepping on other people’s toes.
If you don’t understand this responsibility and don’t take the initiative to lead the team when the director needs you most, your career may never be sustainable.
There are so many talented new cinematographers out there. It’s actually quite amazing to watch videos of young DPs today and see just how high the standards of independent cinematography have been raised over the past few years. While this is great in many ways, it also means the playing field is more competitive than ever.
Since entering this industry, I have seen many DPs come and go, and the few who have excelled and outperformed their peers as DPs are those who understood their responsibilities as leaders early on.
They’re not the ones who simply show up with a red camera and some lights and start rolling. They showed up months before production began and met with the director again and again to develop the necessary visual language for the script. They were so well prepared on set that they were able to over-deliver not only creatively but also logistically.
Instead, I’ve seen countless talented DPs give up on their photography skills because they didn’t get enough work. In many cases, these guys have as much talent, if not more, than the DPs I know who are currently working on very high-level projects. But what they lack is the ability to lead and take initiative.
At the end of the day, making a movie is still a job, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. As with any job, it’s someone’s responsibility to hire you and possibly recall you for other productions in the future.
If you are the needle in the haystack, step up, rally your troops, make the set run smoother and make life easier for the rest of the team, you are invaluable to any production.
On the other hand, if you just show up on the day, ill-prepared and armed only with extensive knowledge of cinematography techniques and a camera, you’re going to run into trouble.
So the next time you’re on set as a DP, look for opportunities to make things run more smoothly and your day to be more productive. It may not be the most creative aspect of the job, but I promise you, it will allow you to work more creatively than anything else…even more than your reels.
I can tell you this from first-hand experience as a director and DP. While I often shoot my own material, when I want to hire a DP on any of my directing projects, work ethic and leadership play as big a role in my decision as the quality of the film.
Always remember, this is a referral-based business. No one cares where you went to school or what your cover letter looks like. What matters is your talent, your initiative and your leadership. If you have all three, you have a winning combination.
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