Cinematography can be defined to mean the art and craft of making motion pictures by capturing a story visually with a camera and light. Cinematography can be best categorised into three basic elements: lighting, composition and camera movement.

A Cinematographer is the crew chief that presides over the camera and light crews on a film or video production, they manage a shots setup which include lighting and composition. A cinematographer might block different elements of shooting in advance, such as the timing of camera movements, to get the visuals they desire.

A cinematographers role is different to that of a director because a directors job is to oversee the ability to tell a story using cinema, and to capture an accurate and entertaining depiction of a series of events, whereas the job of a cinematographer includes choosing what combination of lighting, composition and camera movement conveys the most effective emotion to aid the work of a director in the most desired way.