The cinematographer’s role in film production is to take charge of the lighting and camerawork. They create the framing, colour and look of every shot in a film and work closely with the director, tasked with capturing a scene in accordance with the director’s vision. In some instances, the director will allow the cinematographer complete independence, while in others, the director allows little to none, even going so far as to specify exact camera placement and lens selection, though such level of involvement is less common when the director and cinematographer have become comfortable with each other. The images recorded by the cinematographer are passed to the film editor for editing.

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My inspiration for this film role is Emmanuel Lubezki. He is a Mexican cinematographer who sometimes goes by the nickname ‘Chivo’. Lubezki has worked with many acclaimed directors, including Tim Burton, and has frequently collaborated with Terrence Malick, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. With his use of mise en scene, camera movements and lighting, he creates a sense of naturalism to capture the world and characters of the film. Since many of the films he works on are character-driven, Lubezki tries to capture images that utilise the characters’ emotions. He is know for his use of natural lighting and continuous uninterrupted shots in cinematography.