Should I be a cinematographer?

Have you ever watched a movie and thought, "How do they do that?"

A cinematographer is the person that makes the magic happen!

You could be the one creating the look, color, and lighting for a scene, if the job is right for you.

A cinematographer creates a film's look, color, and lighting, and frames every scene.

Photo by Natalie Parham on Unsplash

What Do They Do?

A cinematographer is responsible for:

• Working closely with the movie's director to execute the director's vision of the story

• Camera movement and placement for a scene

• Lighting a scene

• Managing both camera and lighting crews

Cinematographers work on films or television shows. They may work on a film set or in a studio but sometimes they may travel to a specific location like a desert or rainforest to shoot a specific setting for pre-production or post-production.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

The average salary for a cinematographer in the U.S. is $62,000 USD.

The average salary for a cinematographer in Canada is $52,000 CAD.

• You're interested in HOW a shot visually appears on film.

• You're a good storyteller. Cinematographers support the director's vision and help further the story in a movie.

• You have good communication skills. Cinematographers must communicate with the director and give direction to both the camera and lighting crews.

• You like to travel. Cinematographers often travel to different locations around the world.

• You don't like change. Cinematographers have to adapt and balance many changes daily to support the director's vision.

• You'd prefer a 9-5 schedule. Cinematographers often work at all hours of the day. You might have to be up early to film a sunrise or work late into the evening.

Photo by Steven Van on Unsplash

Does being a cinematographer sound like an interesting career to you?

It does? Great! Then: