Cinematographer at 234 Naija

A Cinematographer is a visual psychiatrist, moving an audience through a movie (making them think the way you want them to think, painting pictures in the dark).

Cinematographers (a.k.a. directors of photography) work alongside directors to give films, TV shows, music videos and television commercials their own unique aesthetic style. Responsible for managing camera crews and lighting crews, they oversee the selection and manipulation of technical equipment to create striking images on screen.

Duties of a Cinematographer

• A cinematographer reads the script and works with the director on how each scene should be filmed. Both the Cinematographer and the director decide how to achieve the desired outcome by choosing the angles, lighting, framing and movements. They determine the mood of a scene by manipulating the effects.
• Bringing the camera crew together and guiding each crew on how to take each scene. They should be educated on the different aspects of camera operations including filter, lighting and film types. A Cinematographer should be aware of the different ways to approach an effect for them to make suggestions to the director and achieve the desired mood.
• Once the shooting starts, a Cinematographer takes a series of test shots on location to decide which lenses and what kind of lighting should be used. When filming begins, they would make the necessary adjustments. They also screen actors to make sure that they are right for their role.
• A Cinematographer works together with the processing lab to ensure that the film preserves the color and atmosphere that they wanted. The cinematographer also re-evaluates dailies including the first and final turn out of the film. Having a critical eye and being a part of quality control is vital right the way through postproduction.

Qualification

Previous experience as a cinematographer