Defining the Director/DOP Relationship
(c) Peter D. Marshall
The cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (The Conformist, The Last
Emperor, Apocalypse Now,) said that cinematography was a shared
art that couldn’t be articulated by any one single person.
The director is usually the one person that can take credit for
any specific element that happens during the making of a film
because whatever creative or technical concept that ends up on
the screen, it’s assumed to have been the vision of the director.
Good cinematographers have the luxury of being able to look at
the movie from both the outside logistics – and still possess a
vision of the subworld. By doing this, these cinematographers
will have the ability to retain a certain objectivity the
director may not have.
Adam Thursby, in his article for MovieScope Magazine, “César
Charlone – A Shared Vision” said: “The magic of the moving image
is not guaranteed by great writing, sublime performance or even
singularity of vision: it’s an alchemic process fuelled by the
collaborative nature of the medium, and the partnership between a
director and cinematographer is a key element within this
process.” http://www.moviescopemag.com/insiderspov/cesar-charlone-a-shared-vision/
We all know that professional collaborations happen on every film
shoot. However, from a creative filmmaking point of view, how the
director interacts with, and relates to the Director of
Photography is crucial to how most films turn out.
There are many things (such as personal, creative, technical,
budgetary) the director and DOP have to consider before
collaborating on a film together.
First, can they both serve the story? Story is number one and
good directors must be willing to take suggestions from the
creatives around them. Can both the director and the DOP put
aside their own opinions for the greater good of the film?
Second, will it be a good fit for both of them because they have
to work with each other for weeks or even months at a time!
Good cinematographers must have their own vision of the film and
they need to work with directors who will collaborate with them
to allow their vision to end up on the screen. They can’t rely on
their technical skills alone.
This is why many film director’s work as much as they can with
one Director of Photography on all of their movies.
Citizen Kane is considered to be one of the best movies of all
time. Why? Mainly because of the incredible creative relationship
between Orson Wells and Greg Toland, his cinematographer.
Steven Spielberg has worked with Janusz Kaminski ever since they
both worked together on Schindler’s List.
Because some directors are more technical than others, there’s
not always a very clear line between the director’s style and
that of the cinematographer’s.
Some directors are very story focused and actor-driven and they
tend to let the DOP be more creative in their choices of
lighting, blocking and lenses.
While other directors are very image and technical driven. They
know exactly what they are looking for and give very detailed
notes and instructions to their DOP on how they want the film to
look.
For a director, establishing a good working partnership with your
DOP early in prep is crucial and can go a long way in making sure
your production experience is successful.
So if you’re a first time writer/director with no practical
experience or background in filmmaking, then hiring an
experienced DOP (along with an experienced 1st AD) will certainly
serve you well.
Copyright (c) 2014 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
Recent Comments