ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

A good DoP, cinematographer or lighting cameraman needs to understand something of both worlds - they are painting with light, after all. They will set the types and positions of the lamps (a gaffer will do the actual electrical department stuff), they will set the mood, may assist the director with lens length choices etc. They need to know not necessarily the detail of every single camera body, but at least about distance, focus, lenses, light sensitivities, etc.

One thing I would recommend would be making sure you're up on your GCSE physics - there's a lot of fetishism, fashion and folklore in that department, but fetishism, fashion and folklore don't trump physics. You want a shot with a blurry background? Physics will tell you how to do it. Want to work in low light? Physics will tell you the best combination of speed, lens, aperture, additional light etc. Or if you're working in the sun, do you need those ultrafast f0.95 primes when you are stopping everything down with shed loads of ND anyway? Could you use a good multi length lens and hence speed up production? Understanding light at GCSE (and by all means take it further, but the bulk of useful light, lenses, pinhole camera stuff is covered at GCSE) will mean you're not following arbitrary rules and casting spells based on hearsay, but are being a master of light - the only artists material in your kit.

I've seen some people calling themselves DoPs who 'know' multi-length lenses are 'bad' but can't explain why, so insists on expensive sets of fast primes for a daylight shoot (them stop them down with ND). In fact, Spielberg and Kaminsky use decent Arri multi-length lenses extensively, they're ideal for some jobs. But the DoPs just hear gossip they treat as fact. But coming from base principles you'll be able to avoid all of that nonsense, and will be much the stronger cinematographer for it.

My 2p, anyway.

11 years, 3 months ago - Jamie Kennerley

Hi George,

Sorry for the delay in chipping in here. Going the "lighting route" is less common here in the UK than it is in the US. There are some DoPs like James Friend who were gaffers and then became DoPs, but largely people take the camera department route. I should say also that, in general, those taking the lighting route likely don't always do so consciously. It's sometimes something that comes with a bit of a rethinking of your ambitions once you've done all you think you can do in the lighting department. I think, because, if you want to be a great gaffer, that's basically what you want to be, and to want to be a great gaffer so you can then become a great DoP, well, that'll likely confuse your ambitions to be a great gaffer. Also, you have to cope with many years stood with a foot on a light stand or plugging in cables, far from the action on set. That said, I know of some great young DoPs who sparked for a year or so before being accepted in the NFTS on the cinematography course.

I say all that partly because your role as a DoP is as a visual storyteller, and the camera is inextricably linked to that. So if all you do is lighting then you have a big curve to climb in terms of being able to discuss looks, breakdown of scenes, lenses, tracking shots etc. You have to understand all this to be able to be a working DoP. Not even to be the best DoP, but to be a WORKING DoP! I was a camera assistant for many years and about 5 years ago considered moving to sparking and then - if I made it - gaffering. Precisely to get more lighting experience and to learn from DoPs that were more experienced than me. But then a friend of mine who's a major DoP reminded me that I'd have to do some serious electrical training, spend days stacking sand bags and wrapping cables etc etc, and did I really want to leave the camera department? It's true - I didn't!

It's tricky once you first stop assisting and start shooting and lighting for yourself because suddenly you're not working with a DoP anymore from whom you can learn. But that's where your own intuition, talent, ability to take risks etc comes into play. Experiment, do loads of short films and music videos - good ones and bad ones - and try to learn by trying. Work with gaffers who are more experienced at lighting than you are, and you can learn from them. Also, it mustn't be underestimated the importance for a DoP of making alliances and friendships with directors who will take you up with them. That has been the key for me, and always will be, I think. They will give you the opportunities to shoot nice stuff, take risks and get better gigs.

Those are just my initial thoughts...