How To Become A Full-Time Cinematographer
Advice from all of the team on what we think is the right path to becoming a full-time cinematographer. Who would you agree with most?
Joe — Producer/Director/Writer/Actor
Experimenting is key. We all have seen the same shots, over shoulder and reverse over shoulder. Cinematography is an art form, and the craft improves over time as you shoot more. Don’t sweat the small things. Play with your craft and have fun. It will sound selfish, but just starting out you need to experiment and find your vision. The rest will come, but it starts with picking up the camera and filming.
The pay will suck at first. Until you can prove your worth, you may be stuck doing things for free or very little money. This is something to expect right off the bat. Once you’ve built up a reputation you can start asking for more, but you need to make something before you can start asking for pay.
Lastly, networking is key. It really is all about who you know first, and what you know second. Get out and meet people on sets (again you may have to do things for free), build relationships and connections so that next time they need a cinematographer they know who to contact. It takes work and you have to consider whether this is what you truly want to do. If it is, then the struggle will be more bearable. If not, I recommend reconsidering.
Bassey — Editor/Director
Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from compelling shots in media like shows/movies and research how they achieved those shots. Then, try and copy those shots for practice. It might not look as good (at first), but you’ll get a better appreciation for the craft, learn where you can improve, and your shot-lists will probably be more dynamic!
Jasper — Cinematographer
If you’ve come to this page and read this far, it’s for a reason. You love filmmaking.
It’s obvious to say that this industry requires a lot of hard work and slow growth; you have to love what you’re doing. Because we are talking about cinematography, you’ve cleared step one — finding your role. It’s good to be diverse and experienced with many aspects of the film process, but spending a majority of your time perfecting your specific craft will take you farther more quickly. When starting out, every new project you complete should be geared toward portfolio material. If you feel like all your work is consistently looking the same as the last in terms of quality then you aren’t growing.
Ways to learn and grow are countless, but cheap and fantastic places to start are learning new techniques from books, YouTube, Reddit, and online courses and then practicing them yourself. Want to learn how to light better? Look up a lighting technique from a movie you like and recreate it in your own house (it doesn’t even have to be a whole scene, just a camera on a tripod with yourself as the subject). I used to do this a few times a week (and still do) to gauge how lighting interacts with different environments and learn how to shape different aesthetics. The only way to really understand lighting is to work with it hands on.
If you don’t have much gear, learn to light with natural and available light. Learning this skill early on will leave you well prepped for situations where lighting isn’t available or necessary, and you’ll have an understanding of how to shape and control light. This knowledge is much more important than the gear itself.
Once you do have yourself a presentable portfolio and reel, start reaching out. Connect with other filmmakers. Find local productions and work as a PA or AC. Even the smallest sets will offer valuable opportunities. I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska where someone not into film would think there are zero shoots happening there. With the right networking and dedication, it is not too hard to find all the quiet productions and seemingly hidden studios in a small town.
Great places to start are local Reddit groups, Facebook, UpWork, LinkedIn, Craigslist, and many others. Do some research on the most active sites in your area. This will be the core catalyst of your growth for a long time — working on new sets, each a slightly higher budget than the last. Some months will be slow and some will feel like a breakthrough.
It’s cliché to say but true; stay dedicated to your craft and dismiss the anxiety in your head. When I look forward I’m still concerned that the quiet times mean I’m going nowhere. However when I look back I see how far I’ve come in such a short time. I never thought I’d be successfully making films in Las Vegas at 21 years old!
Andrew — Writer/Director/Actor/Producer
Step 1 for me would be to perfect your craft. Cinematography is an art form and very hands-on. It’s one of those things that takes a lot of skill, talent and dedication to be able to do well. Cinematographers might be the most talented people on a film set, and that’s because of the vast amount of knowledge they have. I am not personally great behind a camera, but I can appreciate just how hard the job is based on observation. It would take a lot of practice and learning for me to get good. So, if you can take the time to do that, that’s the biggest step in my opinion.
Once you have the skill down, and you can master lighting and understand human psyche enough to get certain moods and feelings, you can truly start breaking into the industry. Networking is going to be your next biggest move (step 2). If you live in a city where the film community is small or non-existent, then start finding other filmmakers on Facebook or freelancers around you and start building relationships. For all you know, that person has a producer friend or their uncle is a famous director, etc. At least until you have enough money to move to a city like L.A., Atlanta, Vancouver, etc, where the film scene is much larger, networking is a key necessity. Even just a bigger city like Vegas is starting to blow up in the film industry. Because if you can get onto a big set even as an AC, all of a sudden your networking opportunities have dramatically increased. From there you can begin to build up a portfolio and resume and growth becomes exponential.
Jenna — Actor/Director
Wow. Cinematography. Where do we begin? As an actor I’ve worked for quite an array of skill levels when it comes to DP’s. What I’ve observed over the years are a lot of do’s, and more than a few don’ts. Do make an effort to hone your craft outside of official projects. Do study and observe others who you admire, be they famous, foreign, or local. Shoot, even check out people you don’t know at all. No doubt you’d learn a thing or two from them as well. Do join social media film communities and if something is filming in your area, ask if you can join them on set, even if it’s just to observe. There you can start to learn terminology, how to light a scene, camera movement, slating, and so on… In my opinion, it’s critically important to learn everything there is to know about being on set, even outside of being directly behind the camera. We are pretty lucky to have Jasper on our team. His talent is limitless, and I know I’ve learned so much from him so far. Do have passion. Do be willing to practice. Do have a thirst for knowledge. Soak it all in.
As for the don’ts… Don’t have a negative attitude. Don’t be unwilling to flex. Many roadblocks will pop up in front of you while filming, and you have to know how to adapt and overcome. As my mother always says, “If there’s a will there’s a way.” And often times, those roadblocks become a blessing. We recently filmed a music video that I don’t think would have turned out as incredible as it did if it weren’t for our team’s willingness and readiness to tackle the obstacles we faced. You’d be surprised to learn that those barriers are where your best creativity often manifests. Don’t screw around. Time is so precious when filming, and if you want to jack around the whole time, you are never going to get anything done. You might as well just make home videos if acting foolish is your intention. And my final don’t… don’t hesitate to ask questions. (goes along with the “soak it all in” sentiment). You’ll never learn if you’re too afraid to ask. Shyness doesn’t bode well for aspiring cinematographers. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. DON’T DOUBT YOURSELF. If your heart is telling you this is what you want out of life, then GO FOR IT! To stifle your own creativity, will only lead to imminent failure. Don’t listen to your inner saboteur. We don’t want that for our fellow artists. You’ll surprise yourself every day if you believe in your own ability. We believe in ours, and I’d say it’s going pretty damn well so far. It feels incredible to be continuing down the path of making meaningful work.
John — Producer
“If you are serious about becoming a cinematographer, go work in the lighting department for 10 years. The best cinematographers I know worked for 5+ years as gaffers. There is no substitute for on-the-job training and working your way up. If you can get on a good crew and work under a great DP you will learn more than you would at any film school.”
Study the crap out of lighting, no light means no image in the camera. Lighting is an art form and millions of different things you can do to invoke certain emotions and vibes. This is some sound advice, if you can move to a city big enough to work on a bigger production, you not only will learn a lot, but get to practice, and network to help grow your career.
John —Cinematography
“My path to cinematography was through lighting. I can’t preach the gospel of learning how to light strongly enough. The mood is set for the piece by the lighting. Start as an electrician and watch and learn your way up to the gaffing slot. Then find some good Dp’s who will let you stretch your legs and bring ideas to the table. As you work closely with them observe how they work with the director adjusting blocking and deciding how to approach the scene. Don’t try to force your way into that dynamic unless you are invited to do so.”
“While you are walking down that career path shoot everything that comes your way. This is your chance to learn lenses and camera movement that you will miss on set because you are lighting!”
“When the opportunity comes your way to shoot with a professional crew, choose people who are better at their jobs than you are. By that I mean hire a really strong gaffer/key grip/operator. Collaborate with them and listen to their ideas.”
