Preferred Title

[Andy O'Neil]

Feel free to explain your choice.

[Jayson Crothers]

As far as I'm concerned, there's only one director on set, and it's not me.

 

I'll use the term DoP, of course, when chatting with people in a hurry, but I try to avoid it.

 

I think Director of Photography also allows some folks to view our roles more as technician and less artistic or creative - I want my director and producer to view me as a creative member of the production - not as a meter jockey.

 

Ultimately though, it's just a title. I suppose they could call me "The Grand Poo-Bah" just so long as they were paying me and it was a good experience in making the film............

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't really care -- the work is more important than the label.

 

"Director of Photography" suggests that the cinematographer is in charge of a multiple departments; it also suggests the lead cinematographer, since a film can also have second unit cinematographers, efx cinematographers, etc. It's basically a term that the union came up with. But I don't care whether I'm called the cinematographer or the DP. I even took "Lighting Cameraman" on one project. As long as people know what I did when they see the movie.

[Greg Gross]

I do not object to cinematographer which I think is a professional term and

well respected. I've found that younger people seem to react to DP better and

seem to have a vision of what you do. Personally I'm kind of shy about being

called one or the other (I'm a student right now,have been professional photog-rapher for over 20 yrs.). My girlfriend is a graduate of a film school in Philadelphia

and she calls herself a filmmaker. I suppose what my peers think of me is more

important to me than a title. I think I really would feel good if a peer said to some-

body else, did you see that film that Greg Gross shot? His use of the camera was

awesome,the color saturation,details in the shadows were fantastic. They would not

have to use DP or cinematographer after my name. I suppose the ultimate joy

would be to have ASC after my name. I would be honored beyond belief. I truly

and sincerely respect this title. I think we all know what ASC means and the in-

tegrity of the title. While I was away on location one morning two weeks ago I had

about four hours freetime. I saw a gentlemen performing Ti Chi on the beach and

decided to film it. I was so busy filming him and working with the camera that I

was'nt aware of the crowd building up behind me. A gaffer buddy of mine asked

some of the people if they knew who I was(real practical joker) I was really emba-

rrassed. Is'nt it funny how crowds will try to make you famous? I might have made

the newspaper that day,I don't know. Do I have to call myself a student director

of photography now? Greg

[Tim Tyler]

I like "Photographed by"

[Greg Gross]

Hello Tim,

This is a great forum! Thank you!

 

Yes I agree with you." Photographed By". Thats an outstanding way to do

it. Its especially good for shy guys who just want to be recognized by their

peers, as thats what I think is important. One time,long time ago I was out

shopping and ran into Michael Chapman, I won't say where. Well you can

imagine I just about peed in my pants,it was very sudden and un-expected!

I'm sure he does'nt remember me! I wanted to ask him how he felt about hanging

from cables to take meter readings. I had seen pictures of him taking meter

readings in this manner. Well I could hardly speak,I mean to me he's one of the

gods,and next to Conrad Hall(God Bless Him) my next favorite cinematographer.

Well I think I said something like-"its you" and he said-"yes its me. I said I'm a

photograher sir, I love your films your photography. He said thank you sir. No-

body else there knew it was Michael Chapman, I kept my mouth shut I did'nt

tell anybody because I sensed he wanted privacy. Maybe he's shy too, I don't

know. I wonder maybe if a lot of cinematographers are shy? To this day I'm

so pleased that I got to tell him I love his work.

 

Greg

[Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith]

To my crew, DP

to the average bod on the street, cinematographer

 

Although, when talking "Director of Photography" and "Cinematographer" unabbreviated, I'd say cinematographer. A photographer takes stills, cinematographer shoots cine.

[Stephen Press]

The first time I worked Dave Paul (a fantastic DOP) I thought he must be a bit stuck up because every one on set called him DP all the time. "Hey DP where do you want the tracks?" "What lens are we using DP?" it really bugged me until at the end of the day I realized it was DP for David PauL... man I felt like an idiot.

Call me what you like I know what I do.

[Laurent Andrieux]

In France, we don't have the equivalent to "cinematographer".

 

We use DoP basically for an operator who's doing the lighting only, not operating the camera as well.

 

When an operator does both lighting and operating the camera, we use to call him "Chef opérateur" that you could translate by "cinematographer" but the words don't mean the same. In england I heard the terms of "lighting cameraman". We also use the word "operator", that is a bit weird, since it's used for DoP as well as for cameramen, you can't tell if they only do the lighting, the camera or both. It may mean that they are competent for both.

 

It's fun to see that in the beginning of cinema, and I noticed that some people still consider it this way in this forum, the cameraman was call "adjoint operator". It was meaning that the DoP was the key person, and that the cameraman was under his orders somehow.

 

I once worked as a cameraman with a dop who was always telling me where to put the camera, from what the director was telling us... strange situation, sometimes...

 

When you see the term "cameraman" on a generic, it means somebody else did the lighting, it's the only thing you hardly can be sure of...