Working with the Director of Photography
Whether you are making a fiction film or a documentary, a music video or a commercial, as you’ve seen, there’s much for the director and director of photography to discuss.
Here are some more subjects you will have to cover.
What kind of lighting is needed? Do we want to see the natural environment of our subject, or are we more interested in changing it (i.e. adding a backdrop, a slash of colour or other dramatic effects)?
What kind of lenses or depth of field will we use? Do we want the background to be soft and the subjects in the foreground to be sharp?
These are all things to consider, and that’s why, well before the camera starts to roll, the director and director of photography will have talked out all aspects of the shoot.
But what are the conscious, specific decisions made by the director to create this type of film and to make sure that it respects what ultimately is his own vision for the film? Thinking about that can help you make the kinds of choices you will need for your own film.