THE PROCESS

Evaluating a cinematographer's body of work for specific styles and experiences, the director usually picks his own cinematographer as they would cast an actor. After selection, the cinematographer works closely with the director to create ideas that reflect into reality.

First of all, cinematographers choose which scripts that they would like to shoot from many scripts that are offered. The script is a useful blueprint for the cinematographer and can be used to judge whether or not the project is worthy for production. Good scripts do not necessarily translate into a good movie and the end product often depends on whether or not the style adapted is agreed upon by the director and if it tells the story according to the director's intentions. Bringing in other contributing people early in the project is always an advantage; the supervision of set and costume designers by the art directors aid the early testing of lighting. In addition, when a symbiotic relationship between the cinematographer and the director is created, the dynamics of the composition of motion comes into the greatest use. 

Some directors use key images, named 'masters', to set up a shot where the lighting is set in the desired ambient for the ideal scene. Possible problems may occur when motion is incorporated into the shot from one scene to the next. This is why most cinematographers prefer a run-through of the scene before lighting the location. The composition of motion involves interframe movement created by editing, cutting from one angle to another or from long shot to close-up, while intraframe movement involves the camera or the subject's movements. The manipulation of film in the combination of camera movements and editing creates reality or believability. 

Having a fluent knowledge of the basic composition techniques are critical to seamlessly 'cover' the scene in a way that does not interfere with the director's shot and is in line with the composition of motion. These basic composition techniques are the keys to lighting a scene. 

CINEMATOGRAPHIC
PROCESS