Mukesh Chander Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 I worked both in cinematography and post production(vfx)... Right now I am getting chance in both the field... And I dont know wat to choose... I love cinematography as a lifestyle/passion more than a profession... But I am scared abt the future... I need money... I am depending on myself... Even rit now most of the hollywood films are containing more CG shots than live action shots... And on the other side digital cinematography is booming up, where we no need to worry abt focus, exposure and we can see the result immediately... So the grip/control of the cinematographer over the camera/image is reducing... Also I have a thought like may be in documentaries there will be still value for cinematographers... Once the 35mm goes out of the market I think there would be a drastic change in cinematographers value... I dont know whether the value for cinematographers will go high or down after tat... On the other side CG is also competing with us... There are lots of things to think before choosing cinematography as a career for me... Now the James Cameron's movie 'Avatar' which is going very much advanced technically is also containing 60% of cg shots and only 40% of live action(tat too wit vfx)... So tat only I am a bit scared... I dont know wat to decide... So people here plz tell me wat to do? In which field shall I go? ( my ambition is like to work in documentaries for discovery, NGC etc which is adventurous and in which we can travel around...) So plz guide me considering all the above facts... I also need a peaceful life... plz tell me wt do u people feel abt this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted October 21, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 21, 2008 No matter where you go, you're enslaved to the overall economy. Jobs dry up both in Post as well as in Production. I don't think, though, that the proliferation of digital technology in any way replaces the cinematographer. Just because a film is shot digitally doesn't mean the DP is any less important; after all, someone still has to figure out the lighting on the set. Even all CGI films hve lighting and camera motion, and the like, and the skills of the DP in composing and lighting a frame to emote can translate there as well. You would be well positioned, in fact, on VFX films as a DP given your VFX background... Go with your heart. In then end, happiness is the most important and elusive thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Ryan Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 No matter what, cinematography will not going away. And with the amount of CGI shots, it makes the cinematographers job just as important because someone has to make sure it is shot correctly so the compositors can do their best. Think about shoots like Sin City or 300, they are 100% in front of green screens and if it wasn't for knowledgeable cinematographers shooting that, it would have and could have turned to poop. Personally I think 300 was poop. And that brings me to another point. With shows right now going overboard on CG, they are putting story aside for visuals. That won't and can't last. Since it's so new the film world is producing films based around CG, not story. But as everyone knows, story is number 1 and this will prevail. Focus and exposure are not what makes up the DP's job either, thats only a fraction of it. Visually telling the story through digital or film photography is still and always will be the most important. Do what you love. Never take a job for stability in this industry or you will end up hating it after a few years. Ask yourself this, do you want to sit in a dark room in front of a computer for 12 or more hours a day, or would you rather be on set working with cameras, lights and crews? The answer to that is where you should go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Allein Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Film will never go away. It may not be as popular or used as much, but it will always be there. Im sorry, Im just so sick of that argument. Painters still paint on canvas, people will always shoot on film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Wengenroth Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Film will never go away. It may not be as popular or used as much, but it will always be there. Im sorry, Im just so sick of that argument. Painters still paint on canvas, people will always shoot on film. Amen, bro. Aaaaaaaamen. I kinda want to print this thread out, bury it somewhere, then dig it up in 20 years and either laugh or cry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Rodgar Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Amen, bro. Aaaaaaaamen. I kinda want to print this thread out, bury it somewhere, then dig it up in 20 years and either laugh or cry... As to shooting film I think we'll cry. :( But even if the movie is done CG, there is usually a DP who "lights" the picture. There is still light in CG films, but in virtual reality instead of physical reality. The movie's pictures still have to be lit realistic, or beautiful, dark, you name it. For example, IMDB lists Robert Presley as the cinematographer for Beowulf. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/fullcredits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mukesh Chander Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 As to shooting film I think we'll cry. :( But even if the movie is done CG, there is usually a DP who "lights" the picture. There is still light in CG films, but in virtual reality instead of physical reality. The movie's pictures still have to be lit realistic, or beautiful, dark, you name it. For example, IMDB lists Robert Presley as the cinematographer for Beowulf. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/fullcredits So u say tat cinematographers are used in lighting CG sets. I think may be today they totally believe in cinematographers for lighting. But since they lit it in softwares they can lit n see the CG sets as much as they can and I think by tat they will slowly master in lighting themselves... In a CG set we no need to carry lights... but we can just simply place the lights here n there n we could see how it works... n correct it... so i think they can master themselves in lighting... And I think in CG there are lighting artists whose duty is to light the CG set... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I And on the other side digital cinematography is booming up, where we no need to worry abt focus, exposure and we can see the result immediately... Well this simply isn't true. -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 But since they lit it in softwares they can lit n see the CG sets as much as they can and I think by tat they will slowly master in lighting themselves... Already you can have some very interesting degrees of lighting *control* in DI/digital post. (I seem to be in a minority here who sees this as a good thing). This certainly will become more flexible and powerful, but pure CGI aside, you still have to illuminate the base image and choices there drive everything that happens downstream. -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chad Stockfleth Posted October 22, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted October 22, 2008 I find things like focus and exposure to be a real nuisance! Thank goodness with digital all I have to do is turn on the camera and let it do the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Rodgar Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I find things like focus and exposure to be a real nuisance! Thank goodness with digital all I have to do is turn on the camera and let it do the rest! That is right, thank goodness for video!!! Nothing like wrestling control outta those pesky "old school cinematographers." Conrad Hall? Pfew! Move over Roger Deakins! The new generation of digi DP's is taking over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Wengenroth Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit huffing Arri grease. ...What? Oh, sorry. Wrong topic. Ah...there's only one solution. I will simply be forced to turn myself into a robot and replace my brain with a hard drive. It's the only way I can compete with the technology. I will be the world's first Robo AC. I mean jeez... you act like we're making, I dunno, ART, or images with MEANING or something. Heck. Why do we need people at all?? And where's my flying car? No, actually, I can't think of anything truly meaningful and not sarcastic to say to this thread. In what is truly a historic moment, I am at a loss for words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benson Marks Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I worked both in cinematography and post production(vfx)... Right now I am getting chance in both the field... And I dont know wat to choose... I love cinematography as a lifestyle/passion more than a profession... But I am scared abt the future... I need money... I am depending on myself... Even rit now most of the hollywood films are containing more CG shots than live action shots... And on the other side digital cinematography is booming up, where we no need to worry abt focus, exposure and we can see the result immediately... So the grip/control of the cinematographer over the camera/image is reducing... Also I have a thought like may be in documentaries there will be still value for cinematographers... Once the 35mm goes out of the market I think there would be a drastic change in cinematographers value... I dont know whether the value for cinematographers will go high or down after tat... On the other side CG is also competing with us... There are lots of things to think before choosing cinematography as a career for me... Now the James Cameron's movie 'Avatar' which is going very much advanced technically is also containing 60% of cg shots and only 40% of live action(tat too wit vfx)... So tat only I am a bit scared... I dont know wat to decide... So people here plz tell me wat to do? In which field shall I go? ( my ambition is like to work in documentaries for discovery, NGC etc which is adventurous and in which we can travel around...) So plz guide me considering all the above facts... I also need a peaceful life... plz tell me wt do u people feel abt this... I'm no cinematographer, and I am not in the filmmaking business...Yet (So, maybe you shouldn't take my advice, who knows?), but from my point of view, I don't see the cinematographer disappearing anytime soon. Why? Let's look at the possibilities. What if film were to go extinct? Would that mean complete annihilation of all cinematographers? Of course not. In fact, digital video captures even less light than film and thus digital video needs more light than film does. So, even if we replace film, there will still be a need for cinematographers who are experienced and know how to light up a movie. How about CG? Is that going to bring about the extinction of the cinematographer? Doubtful. As somebody else said there will always be green screen where lighting is badly needed. Green screen is not the only thing that indicates cinematography won't die anytime soon. Very few mostly CG movies have been extremely successful. Beowulf did well, but it didn't make really huge achievements. Sin City made the top spot on its first week but then dropped by more than 50 percent on it's second week. The last time a mostly CG film actually did well was 300, which made no. 7 at the top ten box-office results at the end of the year it came out. The thing is, there would have to be an awful lot of computer geeks who are obsessed with CG to cause the extinction of cinematography, and since that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, I don't see the end of cinematography as we know it. Even if Avatar makes a fistful of dollars at the box-office, I wouldn't freak out. Here's my opinion, if cinematography is your passion, pursue it. I have a passion to be a screenwriter and director, and I'm pursuing that career myself. If you want to be a cinematographer, go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Wengenroth Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I think that you should always do what you want to do for a living. Why stick with a job that makes you unhappy? But you also need to be aware of potential risks: the possibility that your job description could change, that you might not make as much money, that there might be competition, that you might be miserable. The question looms over all our heads: what will happen to 16? What will happen to 35? Well, it works both ways. I bet those CGI guys are sitting there staring at their screens thinking, "Oh god...here come the cinematographers." I say, WE are more of a threat to THEM because we understand the physical phenomenon of light, of setting up shots, and they do not. And to me, it seems MORE risky to put your time and money in a field that is constantly changing, than in one that stays the same. This is where we will win out. Personally, I would rather work with something that will simply go away in 20 years, than something that will change constantly and leave me wondering what will happen next and what I will be required to learn next in order to keep on top. At least when it goes away, I will have a solid answer...and more time behind me with a solid experience. At the same time, you should prepare yourself for change, but with the mindset of using that change to break new ground in an old craft. HD/digital has already had an impact on so many things: the amount people spend on their television sets, the amount DIT's get paid in comparison to AC's, the amount production spends on their show/commercial/movie, the classes they have at film schools, the way a film set runs. I feel like if anything, this makes the role of a DP MORE critical. Do you WANT your sets and your ideas taken over by the CGI people? Ya know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Borowski Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 All I have to say is, this is the fault of too many middle-aged men having mid-life crises: Cameron, Lucas, Jannard. Stop trying to fu ck with an industry to quell your inner demons guys! 'Nough said. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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