Director of Photography (DP / DoP)
Definition
The Director of Photography (DP), also known as the Cinematographer, is the head of the camera and lighting departments on a production. The DP is responsible for the visual look of the film, making decisions about lighting design, camera placement, lens selection, color palette, and camera movement. They work in close collaboration with the director to realize the visual storytelling of the script. On larger productions, the DP may delegate the physical operation of the camera to a camera operator, focusing instead on the broader visual design.
Contextual Usage
In a tech scout of the location, the DP turns to the gaffer and says, "The windows on the north side are going to be our primary light source. I want to enhance that natural quality with a couple of large soft sources outside, and then use negative fill on the opposite side to create some shadow and depth."
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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