Research
Who is a Camera Operator?
A Camera Operator also known as a cinematographer or, on larger productions, the ‘DoP’ (Director of Photography) is in charge of operating the camera and designing shots alongside the director. On larger productions there may be several camera operators who follow the direction of the DoP. The role, which from here on in I will be refering to as ‘the Cinematographer’, is the role which requires the most technical knowlege out of the 3 which is they use to bring the director’s vision to life.
So… what will I have to do as a cinematographer?
As a cinematographer I will be responsible for:
- Working with the director to plan shots and to create a shot list,
- Planning what equipment will be needed,
- Booking out and looking after equipment,
- Setting up shots with the director on set,
- Changing and selecting lenses,
- And setting up lights.
And how much are cinematographers paid in the industry?
According to Payscale.com a cinematographer in the UK can earn anywhere between £22K and £92K with the average being around £30K. However this can scale with the production so, for example, if you are a cinematographer/DoP working on a Hollywood blockbuster then you can earn significantly more.
Pre-Production
The Paperwork
Created by Kyle Dowman
Created by Kyle Dowman
Filled Out by Jacob Barnes
Production
Shoot Day Photos
The shoot was originally planned to take one day but in the end it took 3 days. The first shoot day (Friday 6th October) was unsuccessful because of the weather and becuase we couldn’t get our light working, however the other two days were more fruitful. On Tuesday 10th October we managed to get all of the opening wide shots and medium shots done and on the 11th we finished all of the close-ups and the ending shots. We ended up using a 35mm prime lens and a 14-45mm zoom lens.
On the day I deviated slightly from the shot list to add shots like the one on the left in which I racked focus to make the scene more tense as it adds shock value to the betrayal.
Evaluation
What went well and what went wrong?
Overall I think we managed to produce a film that fits the western genre. Paddy, when he reviewed it complimented the cinematography, however, he did point out that there were a few out of focus shots and he suggested that there was an overuse of shallow depth of field, he also acknowledged the poor lighting conditions which made it difficult to shoot. The shot that I dislike the most is the over-the-shoulder POV shot because not only is it very shaky but it is under-exposed and the action isn’t very natural.
In terms of how we worked as a team, I believe this was the smoothest of the 3 films as it was very well planned and whilst I did deviate on occasion I generally stuck to the detailed shot list created by Kyle. Whilst we were unable to film as planned on the first shoot day, we managed to film at a good pace and wrap shooting after only two days.
When the film was screened to our peers, reviews were generally positive and people were easily able to identify the genre, people complimented the story and acting however some people raised issue with the obviously plastic prop guns and as well as the clacky sound they make on the ground which ruins the immersion.
Overall, I believe that we did well on this film and is the one which most closely fits the brief, it was well-planned and efficiently executed.