Director of Photography Basics: What Does a DP Do?

It’s perhaps fair to assume that most aspiring filmmakers want to do one of three things: direct, write, or shoot the film. And when we say shoot the film, we're referring to the practice of cinematography. 

In any visual media, whether television, music videos, feature films, or even a 30-second Super Bowl commercial, the Director of Photography, also known as the DP, DOP, or cinematographer, governs the cinematography. When it comes to film hierarchy and creative application in a film, there are no roles more important than the director and the director of photography. 

Image via Unsplash 

Some compare the director and director of photography partnership to a president and vice president, but unlike a traditional VP, the DP plays a deeply creative and technical role in shaping the film's look.  In this article, we'll discuss what a director of photography does and how you can become one. 

What does a director of photography do?

The director of photography's role is one of the more fluid positions within a film production. Depending on the director of photography and, more importantly, the director, they could be as hands-on as operating several shots themselves or more focused on ensuring the director's ideas are fully materialized while allowing the director more input with framing and camera movement.  

From the moment production is greenlit, and a director is hired, the director of photography is one of the first crew members to be hired. While many associate directors of photography with being on set, their process actually begins far earlier in pre-production.

Although some directors, like Guillermo del Toro, have a distinctive visual style, the director of photography is the creative who can ensure the film is brought to life as intended. The collaboration between the director and the director of photography is essential in developing and defining the look of the film, so the choice of the director of photography is imperative.

For example, a Greig Fraser-looking film is vastly different from a John Toll-looking film.

Dune cinematography by Greig Fraser 

Legends of The Fall cinematography  by John Toll

During pre-production, the director of photography and their crew will test different camera sensors, filters, aspect ratios, and lenses to try and find the right elements that will bring the director's vision to life. Choosing between a spherical or anamorphic lens significantly affects how the image is captured and perceived by the audience. 

After this stage, sometimes, as a combined effort between the director and director of photography, or sometimes driven entirely by the director, storyboards and shot lists are developed. Likewise, if needed, advanced pre-visualization (pre-vis) techniques may be used to see the shots in action before stepping onto the set.

The more that can be broken down and planned in pre-production, the smoother the production will be. Director David Fincher once said “if I do my job right in prep I always feel like the shooting should be boring”.  

When we move to production, this is where the cinematographer’s craft comes to light (pun intended). In our cinematography guide, we outline entirely everything that encompasses the craft, but in brief, we can summarize their duties as follows:

Lighting

You would be right to assume the camera is the director of photography’s primary tool, but often, lighting is often more significant. It creates atmosphere, sets the mood, and guides the viewer’s gaze. The best directors of photography use lighting as a storytelling tool, from harsh, low-key lighting that evokes mystery to high-key diffused light that conveys warmth. “Painting with Light” by John Alton is recommended if you want to learn more.

• Selecting the type of lighting (high-key, low-key, natural, artificial). 
• Determining light placement and intensity. 
• Using light to create depth and contrast. 
• Using color to establish mood and time. 
• Working with practical and motivated lighting sources.
• Coordinating with gaffers and lighting technicians.

Camera

The camera’s placement, movement, and choice of lenses significantly impact a film’s visual tone. Directors of photography use different film stocks, camera sensors, and lens types to achieve distinct looks, whether it’s the organic texture of 16mm film or the grungy aesthetic achieved through vintage Soviet lenses. How the camera moves can completely change a scene's perception. 

• Designing the shots. 
• Choosing the right camera system (digital, film, sensor size)
• Selecting lenses based on focal length, depth of field, and distortion
• Deciding on aspect ratio and frame rate
• Planning and executing camera movement (dolly, handheld, Steadicam, drone)

To execute these actions, the director of photography relies on the talent and workforce of three key departments that they will oversee. Simplified, they look like this: 

Electric department - lighting 

• Gaffer
• Best Boy Electric
• Set Lighting Technicians

Grip department - lighting equipment and camera equipment 

• Key Grip
• Best Boy Grip
• Dolly Grip
• Grips

Image via Freepik

Camera department - camera operation 

• Camera Operator
• First AC
• Second AC
• DIT or Media Manager

And it is these personnel that will help bring the director of photography’s vision to life.  

However, the director of photography’s job isn’t done when the final scene has been shot. They still play a pivotal role in post-production across two areas: VFX and color grading. 

Color grading

Most cinema cameras film in LOG, a flat color profile allowing extensive post-production adjustments. While the colorist applies the final grade, directors of photography work closely with them to ensure the film's look aligns with their vision. You will find that many directors of photography use Look-Up Tables (LUTs) on set to preview the intended grade while shooting to avoid any potential mishaps (such as an area being too underexposed when the grade is applied). 

While there are many variables in a director of photography's role, these are some of the core foundations that a director of photography will work with. As we can see, it’s perhaps a far cry from simply positioning the camera and ensuring that you’re capturing a pretty picture. 

Director vs. director of photography 

One of the more interesting attributes of the director of photography is that their role isn't inherently as defined as it is with a camera operator, clapper loader, or a boom operator, where their roles have specific boxes.

Some directors prefer a hands-on approach to cinematography, taking the helm of camera movement, focal length, composition, and framing. In these instances, the director of photography is responsible for ensuring that the director's desired framing is adequately illuminated and that the mise-en-scène is prim and proper.

Conversely, some directors are so ingrained in directing the actors, blocking the scene, and bringing out the best performance of the talent on-screen that they leave everything behind the lens to the director of photography's discretion.

Of course, these are two extremes on either end of the spectrum. In most circumstances, you will find that it's a playful mix of the two roles meeting in the middle, where the director relies on the director of photography’s expertise to bring their vision to life properly and the DP understands that the captain can request a course change at any given moment. 

And every so often, you will find a director like Steven Soderbergh, who is also the cinematographer for his films. 

While this is rare, you may feel like this is where you fit into the filmmaking ecosystem if you are currently making video content with your own gear. But is it as simple? 

Can you move from videography to cinematography? 

So, what's the typical career path for a director of photography? Well, while digital cameras and online video editing platforms have helped disrupt the conventional norm for traditional filmmaking careers, becoming a fully-fledged director of photography typically requires climbing the ladder from the lowest ranks of the camera department to the top. 

Image via Unsplash. This isn’t quite the same as cinematography. 

You may understand how you want to frame your scene, and if you have your gear, you probably know a fair bit about cameras. But when it comes to the actual production side, you need to know how to organize and establish communication with your crew. It's somewhat like being a staff sergeant within a military unit, you don't necessarily jump to a leading position on your first day.

The DSLR revolution changed filmmaking, and it's never been the same since. Lone wolf camera operators can create short productions without an extensive crew. However, as this article outlines, there's a vast difference between filming a corporate video on your FX6 and managing a team to bring someone else's vision to life. 

With this, a traditional film school degree can also be incredibly beneficial. Again, while online filmmaking resources and inexpensive equipment have disrupted traditional paths, the methodology and formality of working with a larger crew cannot be taught on YouTube. 

Ultimately, you need to get involved with other people. Learn to work as part of a collective unit rather than as an individual. Depending on your age, you could link up with other students to bring your skills to their short films. Or, if you're a little older, networking is a must — whether it’s attending film festivals in the city or local independent film screenings at your nearest art house.

Becoming a collaborator is the first step towards becoming a cinematographer. At first, you may even need to start as a second AC, slating the camera and learning how to move in sync with a team.

One important aspect to remember 

If you're a young and aspiring director of photography, you're likely constantly watching YouTube videos about the latest camera announcements, reading reviews about newly released lenses, and fully immersing yourself in how this technology evolves. After all, it’s exciting, right? Who doesn’t love seeing Sony, Canon, or Blackmagic announce they have a new product on the way?  

As such, it's imperative to know how cameras work and the functions behind them. However, we’d like to highlight an interview with Oscar winner cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who won back-to-back Oscars three years in a row (at least someone can do it — sorry, Kansas City Chiefs.)

Image via 20th Century Studios 

In an interview with DPReview, he said

“You know, one thing I can tell you is that I'm the worst geek in the world! Sometimes, I don't even know how to turn on the camera. [Laughs, obviously joking] But from an instinctive, craftsman point of view, whenever I'm going to start a movie or buy a camera or start a project, I do a lot of tests.” 

And DPReview concludes the interview by asking

“All this technical discussion brings up an interesting question. In the digital age, does a cinematographer need to be as much of an expert on the science and technology of their imaging equipment as they are an artist in order to achieve their vision?”

And interestingly, Chivo responds with 

“I think you have to know a little bit about your equipment, at least in the way I do, in an intuitive way. You need to be able to test it and know what you can do with it. I don't know if you necessarily need to know that the chip is connected with 27 cables into… I don't know if that's imperative. I wish I could learn it. I haven't had the time and the passion to open up a camera and go through exactly how it works, but I didn't do that on film either. To me, the results were more important. What was I getting, and how was it connected to the story and mood, and what I was trying to tell the audience?”

This is an incredibly important factor to consider when developing your craft as a director of photography. Your focus should be on storytelling and visual composition rather than the technical minutiae of camera mechanics. When you start becoming too entwined with the inner workings and science of the camera, you shift away from cinematography and more toward camera engineering. 

So, whether you’re an aspiring director of photography who has yet to make your first project, or perhaps a fledgling videographer looking to transition to larger projects, it’s important to understand that, at its core, cinematography isn’t just about gear; it’s about light, movement, and composition to promote the correct emotion and, importantly, bring the director’s vision to life.