Cinematography can mean a lot of things, but its ultimately
about capturing your desired images. Communicating the various techniques used
to capture these images is what separates a working professional and a student.
Manage your time effectively
The camera and lighting crew is often the biggest crew on a
film set. You are going to be interacting with all of those department heads,
and you are directly (or indirectly) in charge of all of them and their work.
This means always having a plan and executing it and having and respecting
storyboards and a shot list. You might feel that you do not have much on your
plate after devising a strategy but the cinematography is no joke. It is
essential to manage your time as this will allow you to handle other things in
an efficient way. Furthermore, you will also get to learned exceptional things
in this regard with such an approach.
Be ready
In film school, you most likely learned how to light. But
did you learn how to light fast? Or how to efficiently adjust when daylight is
almost gone? When you might not make the day and you feel the entire production
waiting as you get a little fill on the lead actress? Always be ready. But how?
Be prepared. The crew will often look to you to move forward. Don’t let them
down. Use shot list software to know the ins and outs of every shot. It doesn't
stop with the shot. The shooting schedule is just as critical. Communicate with
your AD so you can prioritize the order you'll be shooting which scenes. That
means working with film scheduling software and seeing how logistics will
affect everything you do.
Be an artist
While you shouldn’t get too precious with your work, and
always serve the story, be versed in visual art and design terminology. It can
be a great shorthand with your Director and Production Designer, as well as
others. Time is of the essence and great cinematography need not be
painstaking. At the same time, treat your shots, and each frame, like a work of
art you want to get right.
