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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Emmanuel Lubezki
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.
1.Sólo Con Tu Pareja (Alfonso Cuarón, 1991) 2.Y Tu Mamá También (Alfonso Cuarón, 2001)3. Amsterdam (David O. Russell, 2022)
Cinematographer– someone who oversees or directs photography and camerawork in film-making, especially one who operates the camera.
Possible Inspirations
1. Roger Deakins 2. Hoyte van Hoytema 3. Robert Richardson
Roger Deakins – an English cinematographer who worked on Prisoners (2013), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and 1917 (2019).
“The biggest challenge of any cinematographer is making the imagery fit together of a piece: that the whole film has a unity to it, and actually, that a shot doesn’t stand out.”
1. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve, 2013) 2. Fargo (Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 1996) 3. No Country For Old Men (Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 2007)
Hoyte van Hoytema – a Dutch-Swedish cinematographer who worked on Her (2013), Dunkirk (2017), and Tenet (2019).
“The camera wants to follow the action. Our actors are kind of pulling the camera wherever the camera needs to be. It’s a very reactive way of filming. You could compare it with doing a documentary, where you’re always a little bit behind the action.”
1. Her (Spike Jonze, 2013) 2. Tenet (Christopher Nolan, 2020) 3. Ad Astra (James Gray, 2019)
Robert Richardson –an American cinematographer who has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, for his work on JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo.
“It’s far better to shoot a good picture than a good-looking picture.”
