Cinematographer

The cameraman or cinematographer is responsible for the camera work or composition in the case of the production of films, such as films and documentaries, television dramas / series / broadcasts, live recordings, or electronic reporting.

Unlike in English, the term cinematographer has not shown the differentiation of tasks this cinematic work sector in recent decades linguistically. In the area of the fictional film, the word refers to the cameraman image formative cameraman colloquially today. In English, we used the concept for a Director of Photography ( " director of photography ", " picture director " ), whose task is the overall light and bildatmosphärische design of the film, including the decision on setting sizes. Also, the term Cinematographer is used for this task.

Of these, a distinction in English the Cameraman, comparable to the " photojournalist " in the current reporting or sports broadcasts, as well as the Operating Cameraman executive camera operator who operates the camera, as well as the Assistant Cameraman for various Assistant professions such as the Focus Puller as depth-of- puller.

The German term cameraman or camerawoman includes different professions, which can be as follows delimit:

• Activity in " motion pictures " ( within the meaning of copyright law ), such as sports and live events, shows, news coverage and other formats in the journalistic field (similar to the image Reporter)
• Art and image making in the area of " cinematographic works " ( within the meaning of copyright ) as directed film, television and video works, especially in feature films, television dramas and series but also staged documentary, industrial and advertising films ( here comparable with the photographer )

The job description can vary greatly depending on the application field.

For TV recordings distinguish between studio and live camera or EB- camera. The studio or live camera man is part of a shooting team and performs the camera direction or the camera moves while the EB- cameraman acts largely independently and mostly operates in the news section.

In film productions artistic- photographic aspects have been retained: the film camera man is concerned with the selection of motives and attitudes and develops together with the Director, the visual and dramatic overall concept of the film and converts it photographically.

This article largely deals with the professional image of the cameraman in the context of film art.

• 7.1 List of well-known film cinematographers

History

In the early days of cinema, the film photographer and camera operator were the sole operator of the film camera. Since the functions and possibilities of the cinema camera have become increasingly complex in the course of technical development, a whole camera crew is in the place of the motion picture photographers increasingly entered in the different specialized people perceive different functions.

Vocational

Colloquially, the cameraman is often equated with the boss of the camera team. The current name " camera " but says about the profession of a light passing cameraman ( UK Lighting cameraman and cinematographer in the U.S. ), so the person who is responsible for the film photograph, nothing.

The picture formative cameraman says in American and British English director of photography ( DoP, DP ), in French directeur de la photo, in Italian direttore della fotografia or autore della fotografia and in Spanish director de fotografía which could be translated as photographic director. In German, increasingly, the names of image makers and image author used.

In the United States follow him in the hierarchy of the camera operator ( " Swivel ", engl. Well as camera operator ), the first assistant camera ( focus puller ), which is responsible for the sharpness, and the second assistant camera ( clapper loader ) or material Wizard, the clapperboard served, the film material available handles, the actors pretending lines and items as required and take care of all paper documents the camera crews. In a broader sense, the camera crew still photographers who ( stills ) are responsible for the advertising images, and the workers of the camera stage, the dolly or crane use and Others ( grip, key grip, dolly grip ). In larger film production companies are also a second camera team ( second unit) a, the less important pictures ( in which, for example, the main characters do not occur ) takes over, relieves the production budget and enables parallel work.

Areas of responsibility

Feature

The cameraman has to estimate the necessary equipment and material in the pre-production and mostly put together the team. In game footage it is for image composition (perspective, Kadrage ), the camera work and responsible for the illumination of the set. After the end of shooting, he must often prepare the next set.

Prior to the shooting, the cameraman developed on the basis of the screenplay with the director ideas for visualization of the script. At one extreme, it takes over 100% of the visual realization of the substance, at the other extreme it provides "only" for the implementation of the ideas of others. In the so-called " Polish School " he is already involved in the process of screenwriting. In the so-called Dogme film the cameraman in the visualization is completely free and is virtually thrown unprepared into the situation. Any good camera man has developed his own style, whilst still being able to implement various styles. Usually, a camera man is selected for a film production, as it dominates sure the targeted style of the film. In that regard, the cameraman as a visual writer of the film images also co- author of the cinematographic work.

TV

The work and the associated requirements for television working cameramen can be divided into two different fields of activity.

EB- camera people work mainly in the "three- man team " and continue the story of the editor largely autonomously visual aspects to. The task area is versatile and can range from the 20-second short message to the 45 - minute documentary.

The relatively new job description of a video journalist is highly controversial, as a " one-man team," the EB team can not replace it.

E- cameramen working in the so-called composite camera system ( studio or live ) and receive their instructions via intercom from the Director. The pre-recorded or live transmissions with multiple cameras, the director creates in advance a concept that can be often not implemented in live productions 1:1. Unlike movie or commercial productions often lack the time to talk through with cameramen and editors for each individual subject. Rather, work cameramen and editors here relatively independently.

Training

Training for the camera man is not standardized. Either a photographic training with additional training at a film academy and Television Academy, or as an initial basic training at an art school or college. During the study period, it is important to gain practical experience.

Further education

In addition to the training of Master of Arts (MA) or master student, there are also artistic master classes. One possible development is the job description of a video journalist.

Prices for camera work

Although for many years own Oscar Award in the category " camera " is, the profession is still little attention has remained in the shadow of attention for actors or film directors. Using the German Camera Award, a special award will be in Germany only since 1982 awarded. Moreover, there since 2000, an international award granted, the Marburg camera Award, which is awarded jointly by the city of Marburg, the local theater companies and the Department of Media Studies at the Philipps- University.

Renowned Cinematographers

Among the famous cameramen include Karl Freund, Hans Schneeberger, Franz planner, Michael Kaufmann and Boris Kaufmann ( the two brothers of Dziga Vertov ), Eduard Tisse, the cameraman Sergei Eisenstein. In the present, Michael Ballhaus, who has worked a lot with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the most famous German cameraman (Director of Photography ). Known camera women are also known as Regisseurinen Elfi Mikesch and Sophie Maintigneux.

List of well-known film cinematographers

• Conrad L. Hall (†)
• Michael Ballhaus ( German, worked often with Martin Scorsese together)
• Jost Vacano ( German, Oscar nomination for the boat, photographed eg RoboCop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers )
• Gregg Toland († most important cinematographer of the 1940s )
• Dean Semler ( known for outstanding recordings, such as in Dances with Wolves )
• Gordon Willis ( took all the movies from the series The godfathers )
• Robert Richardson ( won 3 Oscars )
• Roger Deakins (8 Oscar Nominations )
• Wally Pfister (4 Oscar nominations, won 1 Oscar for Inception )
• Joseph Ruttenberg (†, won 4 Oscars )
• Leon Shamroy (†, won 4 Oscars )
• Janusz Kaminski ( won 2 Oscars, master cinematographer for Steven Spielberg )
• John Toll ( won 3 Oscars, including for Braveheart and The Thin Red Line )
• Vittorio Storaro (each won an Oscar for Apocalypse Now, Reds and The Last Emperor )
• Sven Nykvist ( award-winning cinematographer Ingmar Bergman, including Oscars for Cries and Whispers and Fanny and Alexander)
• Robby Müller ( Dutch cameraman, including for his work with Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders known)
• Raoul Coutard ( style icon for the French Nouvelle Vague, for example, worked with Jean -Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Jacques Demy Jacques Rivette and )
• Jack Cardiff (British, pioneering the use of the Technicolor process )
• Yūharu Atsuta ( cinematographer of Ozu Yasujirō )
• Kazuo Miyagawa ( among other things known for Rashomon - The Pleasure grove )
• Vilmos Zsigmond (Hungarian -American cinematographer, including known for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Deer Hunter and people along the river )
• Sacha Vierny (intense collaboration with Alain Resnais and Peter Greenaway )
• Yanagishima Katsumi ( award-winning Japanese cameraman, frequent collaboration with Takeshi Kitano )

Movie Documentary

• Visions of Light - The history of the camera operator ( Original title: Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography). Documentary by Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, and Stuart Samuels, USA 1992, 92 minutes