Director vs Cinematographer
- Thread starter salils
- Start date
Batutta
Major Contributor
I think if you are interested enough in pursuing cinematography then take that route, as it's not uncommon these days for DP's to segue into directing work down the line. Also, you'll learn a lot of stuff you would never learn in school by watching other directors working. And generally I think DP's have it easier, as when they're starting out in school they are usually practicing on someone else's dime (usually the director's).
Beat Takeshi
Two-Hip Shakur
Do both, it will help you both ways. Knowing what the DP does helps as a Director and knowing what the Director does helps as a DP.
Geoff_R
Veteran
In my opinion, Directing is something you're either good at or not...you can read a few books, jump on a few sets and see how it works, but more than anything I feel it's something intrinsic and moreso measured by your abilities to understand emotion coupled with a decent amount of common sense.
Cinematography, while still requiring some natural talent to start with, deals more with applicable knowledge and skills. You learn about camera mechanics, lighting methods, and a whole slew of useful knowledge that will help you in years to come as either a cinematographer or director. You'll gain a better understanding of how to shoot a scene, frame a particular shot and even block your actors to better suite the visual image.
I say study cinematography and get damn good at it. And during your weekends and time off, shoot and 'direct' short films, commercials, music videos, whatever you can get your hands on.
Cinematography, while still requiring some natural talent to start with, deals more with applicable knowledge and skills. You learn about camera mechanics, lighting methods, and a whole slew of useful knowledge that will help you in years to come as either a cinematographer or director. You'll gain a better understanding of how to shoot a scene, frame a particular shot and even block your actors to better suite the visual image.
I say study cinematography and get damn good at it. And during your weekends and time off, shoot and 'direct' short films, commercials, music videos, whatever you can get your hands on.
salils
Well-known member
Thanks for your input Batutta, Beat Takeshi, and Geoff_R.
Just a bit of more information pertaining to my interests... One of the things that I haven't had much experience with is writing screenplays, I've only written about 3 shorts. This was initially because I started out making more video production type pieces like events commercials, etc as opposed to narrative work which I've moved into now. However I am starting to write more. Additionally post-production has always been of interest to me; I actually got a job as an assistant editor last summer...but I can't stand working in the dark room in front of a computer screen for most of my life.
Just a bit of more information pertaining to my interests... One of the things that I haven't had much experience with is writing screenplays, I've only written about 3 shorts. This was initially because I started out making more video production type pieces like events commercials, etc as opposed to narrative work which I've moved into now. However I am starting to write more. Additionally post-production has always been of interest to me; I actually got a job as an assistant editor last summer...but I can't stand working in the dark room in front of a computer screen for most of my life.
Geoff_R
Veteran
Just realized you are from Naperville. I grew up in Schaumburg and went to Columbia College downtown in Chicago. They've got a really solid cinematography program, easily the best program they offer. I studied a little bit of everything for about 2 years at Columbia but I wish I had taken the cinematography program exclusively. Is that where you are planning to go?
Batutta
Major Contributor
Then you definitely DO NOT want to be a writer or editor...You won't meet any women doing those things either, so consider that (unless you're gay, but generally writers and editors aren't an attractive lot).
salils
Well-known member
Possibly, I've heard Columbia, Chicago has a good cinematography program (I hope it's not just cuz Spielberg's cinematographer came out of there??), but not such a good directing program so I'm not really sure. I got into Grand Valley State University and University of Milwaukee (definitely not considering going to Milwaukee, my parents just made me apply because it was cheap and easy to get in). I've applied to NYU and University of Austin Texas, I'm not sure if I will get into to either. So I'm looking for 2 or 3 less competitive schools that have late deadlines. I may just transfer to a school like USC, NYU, or UCLA for my second year if I can get in. (this year I didn't apply to a lot of those top schools since I didn't know my dad was retiring soon --therefore-- more likely to get financial aid) I was hoping to go to a school that has both a solid cinematography and directing program so I could go either way. And say if I were to go with cinematography...I could hopefully work with some better directors because of the program's reputation.
JasonFox
Internet Sensation
Hey, don't be lumping me in with the troll-like editors.
-sniff sniff- I'm not THAT ugly. =\
Agreein' with everything Reisner said. You can get BETTER, especially once you have enough crew to where you can actually do ONE job on set instead of many. Do Cine first, because people really need good DPs to work with as they grow.
Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
it's funny. this was an eye opening post because it offered a perspective entirely reversed to my own. i've always felt that directing was more the "craft" that is largely based on a set of learnable skills and cinematography was largely the artform that took a certain intrinsic appreciation for light and color, etc that not everyone has. but reading your post, geoff, i'm now convinced there is likely (more or less) more that is learnable and intrinsic to both disciplines than we realize.
David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Hey now! I'm a writer. And I'm an editor. And I look.........oh. Nevermind.
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
true. I think where Geoff is right on is in the marketability of skills. When pitching around for gigs, I've found directing is a lot like writing: Everyone thinks they can do it. As where the applicable skills in cinematography are more tangible and demonstrable.
Luis Caffesse
Admin
I think that's absolutely true.
Of all the people I know who went to film school here - the one that has worked consistently over the past 10 years, and has been able to continually build a career, is the one guy that concentrated on cinematography as opposed to directing.
Since building up his reel (on other people's dime) he's been moving into directing of music videos and other short form stuff.
Now granted, many people who want to direct simply don't have an interest in the technical side of cinematography - and that's fine.
But if you're at all debating which route you want to go, cinematography seems like a good track to take.
As others have mentioned, the leap from that to Director is not a large one.
And when you do make that leap - you'll be speaking the cinematographer's language, which will hopefully make you that much better at your job.
Cliff Wildman
WildMember
One thing I think anyone who wants to study film should consider is... not going to film school for a degree.
Like Luis said, one guy out of many he knows has what can be called a successful career. Others are struggling or have left the field. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but I think part of your evaluation should focus on the possibility of getting a degree outside of film that you can always rely on as support and/or further your knowledge in another field.
I'm not trying to say "get out of film now!" However, both directing and cinematography are crafts, though I solidly agree that directing is harder to 'learn' and cinematography is a much easier skill to market.
If you're in the right kind of town (LA, NY, Chicago, Miami, Austin, etc.) you should be able to find plenty of people to work with. Hands on experience is truly the only way to learn this stuff. Many classes that are offered can help, but I'd have to say that there is minimal difference between someone with a film degree who has been shooting a lot of stuff and someone who took several film classes and has been shooting a lot of stuff. Regardless of what you choose, remember, the classes are just that, classes. The only way to really get there is to get out there and do it. And fail. And do it again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The end result if you chose this path would be to come out of school, ready to shoot/get hired (because you've built up the reel over college) and at the same time you have a greater depth of education outside of film. A business or finance degree could be extremely valuable in this field, especially if you go into indie filmmaking where fundraising is, in itself, a craft.
Sorry for the longwinded response, but I thought you might want to look outside of the two options you set for yourself by posing the original question.
(btw, I got my degree in emerging (now new) media, and have a pretty decent job because of it.)
Like Luis said, one guy out of many he knows has what can be called a successful career. Others are struggling or have left the field. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but I think part of your evaluation should focus on the possibility of getting a degree outside of film that you can always rely on as support and/or further your knowledge in another field.
I'm not trying to say "get out of film now!" However, both directing and cinematography are crafts, though I solidly agree that directing is harder to 'learn' and cinematography is a much easier skill to market.
If you're in the right kind of town (LA, NY, Chicago, Miami, Austin, etc.) you should be able to find plenty of people to work with. Hands on experience is truly the only way to learn this stuff. Many classes that are offered can help, but I'd have to say that there is minimal difference between someone with a film degree who has been shooting a lot of stuff and someone who took several film classes and has been shooting a lot of stuff. Regardless of what you choose, remember, the classes are just that, classes. The only way to really get there is to get out there and do it. And fail. And do it again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The end result if you chose this path would be to come out of school, ready to shoot/get hired (because you've built up the reel over college) and at the same time you have a greater depth of education outside of film. A business or finance degree could be extremely valuable in this field, especially if you go into indie filmmaking where fundraising is, in itself, a craft.
Sorry for the longwinded response, but I thought you might want to look outside of the two options you set for yourself by posing the original question.
(btw, I got my degree in emerging (now new) media, and have a pretty decent job because of it.)
puredrifting
Major Contributor
Hi Geoff:
You obviously haven't worked with many big Hollywood directors. I work around the them a lot and 'common sense' isn't a quality that leaps to mind when I think of successful directors. Egomaniacal, assured, talented, stuck up, narcissistic, insecure, abusive, monomaniacal are all adjectives that come to mind. Common sense? If they had any, they wouldn't be in this business ;-)
Dan