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cinematographer or co-author


guillaume simonin

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hello everyone !

 

in Spain and Italy cinematographers are considered as "co-author" of movies there working on.

 

Europeen Federation of cinematographers IMAGO's founder Luciano Tovoli is willing to acknowledge this via "The Cinematographer's Day".

 

I'd like to have the most people opinion about this ??

 

I'm willing to write something about cinematographer's implication in the artistic part of a movie, so i need to know what's the "general" point of view about this

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I think you will find a very agreeable opinion of that viewpoint on this website. We are all students or working image-making professionals. I consider a cinematographer a co-author in a way but it's not at clear cut at that. A cinematographer can add a great deal to a movie but it is always subservient to the acting (because talent is what really draws crowds to the movies) and under the guidance of the director and production company.

 

I think of a cinematographer's job a little like that of an editor of a book. You have a great deal to add to the content or readability of the book, but the book still has to be written by the author.

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We also have a different value system than do Europeans. Our reputation for art appreciation is lower than Europeans'. I say that as an opinion about opinions about art. I don't mean to pick any fights. As a result, we just don't value the image as much as other aspects of movies. We really love star power both in performers and in directors. They are symbols of success. After all, that's what America loves most... success.

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in Spain and Italy cinematographers are considered as "co-author" of movies there working on.

 

I don't know about Spain, but I can assure you that not only cinematographers in Italy aren't considered co-authors, but some would actually say the reputation for the profession is never been as low as it is today, probably because we don't have a film industry (though some keep saying the contrary to themselves in some sort of idream-like state).

 

Europeen Federation of cinematographers IMAGO's founder Luciano Tovoli is willing to acknowledge this via "The Cinematographer's Day".

 

I like and respect what Imago is trying to do, but Cinematographer's day is something by cinematographers for cinematographers (and I have to say even a lot of professionals don't know anything about it).

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hello everyone !

 

in Spain and Italy cinematographers are considered as "co-author" of movies there working on.

 

Europeen Federation of cinematographers IMAGO's founder Luciano Tovoli is willing to acknowledge this via "The Cinematographer's Day".

 

I'd like to have the most people opinion about this ??

 

I'm willing to write something about cinematographer's implication in the artistic part of a movie, so i need to know what's the "general" point of view about this

 

 

I would love a Cinematographers Day, But apparently I am only a videographer.

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I don't know about Spain, but I can assure you that not only cinematographers in Italy aren't considered co-authors, but some would actually say the reputation for the profession is never been as low as it is today, probably because we don't have a film industry (though some keep saying the contrary to themselves in some sort of idream-like state).

 

well the information comes from IMAGO's website.

 

we aim to work simultaneously to have the Cinematographer recognised as co-author of the Film, which the Italian AIC and the Spanish AEC already do in their credits with a more appropriate and correct term that literally translated means "Author of the Photography"

 

Yet i don't know if being called autore della fotographia changes a lot your status and right for being co-author, apparently as you say the answer is no.... (and also there is a lot to do before the co-author thing REALLY gets official)

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well the information comes from IMAGO's website.

 

we aim to work simultaneously to have the Cinematographer recognised as co-author of the Film, which the Italian AIC and the Spanish AEC already do in their credits with a more appropriate and correct term that literally translated means "Author of the Photography"

 

that's in their intentions, but the reality is far from it. Again, I can speak for Italy, not for Spain.

The most widely used definition in Italian films' credits is still "direttore della fotografia", which is the exact translation of "director of photography" (and wrong nonetheless, since we translate "director" as "regista"). The only cinematographer that does things differently is Vittorio Storaro, that simply puts "cinematography by" or "photographed by" in the films he works on (well, I do it too, but I'm nobody :P ).

 

Yet i don't know if being called autore della fotographia changes a lot your status and right for being co-author, apparently as you say the answer is no.... (and also there is a lot to do before the co-author thing REALLY gets official)

 

exactly. For instance, the Italian Society of Cinematographers is in fact called "Associazione italiana autori della fotografia cinematografica", but in the end I think it's all about semantics rather than the "status" of the cinematographer. Storaro has expressed his thoughts many times (and does it almost every time he speaks in public), and some agree with him. However, changing credits has little or almost nothing to do with being recognized as co-authors of a film (and what about all the other co-authors? isn't cinema a collaborative art? Why only Cinematographer "deserve" to be credited as co-authors?)

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You're right in Spain the AEC (Association Spanish Cinematographers) organize a forum where active members of this organization participate, like Javier Aguirresarobe, Porfirio Enriquez (President AEC), Jose Luis Alcaine (VOLVER) and Tote Trenas. Here they debate about this priority objective : Emphasize the work of any director of photography as coauthors of the cinematographic work by their important creative contribution from each work.

 

Javier Aguirresarobe explain at the forum how the cinematographer make in every movie a personalize work and this job have to satisfy the script and what the director expect . Then he explain how the DP works with a quite ample freedom in the accomplishment of its work.

 

Jose Luis Alcaine says, how his achievement in the movie VOLVER (Almodovar) where the color was his key achievement contribute to the final sense in the movie.

 

Tote Trenas explain how the DP have an essential contribution in the creation of any cinematographic. Then he tell in his last movie Pesetas where he collaborated with de director-actor Carlos Iglesias, in this movie the director was ahead and behind the camera, finally in the process the DP decide which take it was good or bad.

 

 

The main conclusion on this forum was it doesn't appear in spanish law the true value about how important and creativity is the Director of Photography and his work.

 

 

You can find this info at CAMERAMAN Spain #3

 

 

 

I guess John Toll with this he can obtain another Oscar as a coauthor (Braveheart) :lol:

 

 

 

Xavier Plaza

Edited by Xavier Plaza
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what about all the other co-authors? isn't cinema a collaborative art? Why only Cinematographer "deserve" to be credited as co-authors?)

 

that is one of the point i want to clear out with this work !! that's why i'd like to have many cinematographers opinion on this thing ;)

 

thanks everyone

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You're right in Spain the AEC (Association Spanish Cinematographers) organize a forum where active members of this organization participate, like Javier Aguirresarobe, Porfirio Enriquez (President AEC), Jose Luis Alcaine (VOLVER) and Tote Trenas. Here they debate about this priority objective : Emphasize the work of any director of photography as coauthors of the cinematographic work by their important creative contribution from each work.

 

Javier Aguirresarobe explain at the forum how the cinematographer make in every movie a personalize work and this job have to satisfy the script and what the director expect . Then he explain how the DP works with a quite ample freedom in the accomplishment of its work.

 

Jose Luis Alcaine says, how his achievement in the movie VOLVER (Almodovar) where the color was his key achievement contribute to the final sense in the movie.

 

Tote Trenas explain how the DP have an essential contribution in the creation of any cinematographic. Then he tell in his last movie Pesetas where he collaborated with de director-actor Carlos Iglesias, in this movie the director was ahead and behind the camera, finally in the process the DP decide which take it was good or bad.

 

 

The main conclusion on this forum was it doesn't appear in spanish law the true value about how important and creativity is the Director of Photography and his work.

 

 

You can find this info at CAMERAMAN Spain #3

 

hey thanks that's great news ! but can you give out a link to theat forum please, i've been on aec website but couldn't find anything about a forum ..??

 

thanks very much !!

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Hi At the AEC website you can't find this info. Take a look at the www.cameraman.es there you have to subscribe an then you have access to magazine achieves, you can find this info at #3 year 2006. Obviusly all the info there is in spanish... Hope helps

 

 

Xavier Plaza

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