I want to be a DP...

Well, you can't be a colorist!

I think it will be very difficult, but I would never tell you that it's impossible. I've seen many DP's who make their living off of crap work which looks like they have a worse handicap then color blindness.

In all seriousness, it will be hard. Very hard. If you learn as much as you can, and learn how to see past the handicap, you have a chance. You can serve as a camera assistant in the meantime, but make sure you make a label system not based off colored tape!

Nothing is impossible, but color blindness is a disability when referenced in the DoP arena.


What type of color blindness do you have? Red Green difficulty? Something else?
 
Beethoven **was deaf. Nothing is impossible, but you are against great odds. But if you defy them, the spoils of victory is that much greater. :)

Does your colorblindness effect tonal differences? When you look at black and white images, do the tonal separations between colors in monochrome become hard to differentiate? Perhaps you could excel in the b&w arena... it is getting more and more difficult to find masters of the craft. Ever since all the greats of old have since retired or died.
 
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I'm not really sure this will help but I have the same problem. It sucks because people constantly tell me I've got the "eye" to see and make great shots.

What I do for both photo and video stuff (just playing around, hobby stuff for now) is have my wife check all my colors. She loves doing it and it makes for a great "team" sport. Be warned! She laughs at me. A lot! Which keeps me humble.

But like the others have mentioned, I've thought about focusing on B&W. It's timeless.
 
I had to pass a color-blindness screening before receiving an Art Director's card.

I don't know if the ASC or Local 600 require color-blindness testing, though.
 
while not color blind Robert Elswit has terrible vision. he holds everything inches from his face so he can read it. and he's arguably one of the very best. and Christopher Doyle is usually drunk when he works and the guy's a legend.

so I'm saying there is precedent for visually impaired dps. I think your body of work will go a long way toward countering anyone's fears about trusting the image to you.
 
Finnegan said:
Bumping because I have another question. Does the terminology "Director of Photography" connote that the individual leads a camera department made up of grips and a gaffer? The reason I ask is that I'm putting together a reel that showcases my work, and I'm debating whether or not I should write that I'm a Cinematographer or a Director of Photography. I do not have grips or a gaffer that work for me - by and large its just me. But I've heard somewhere that the DP title usually means that you come with a crew. This true?
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Damn good question. I've asked many MANY people this and have overheard / read many opinions.

The most common, as I know, distinction between the two, is yes, a DP usually has an entire camera department behind him... not just grips/electrics (which are not part of the camera department but are two different departments in-which assist the DP). This camera department will have an Operator, Assistants and a crew he is in charge of. He is more of a (physically) hands off department head. He sets everything up but an operator takes the shot, a gaffer sets his lights, and etc. A cinematographer is usually the operator, and etc.

But many professionals don't agree.

Vitorrio Storaro, ASC, AIC says he is a cinematographer NOT a DP. Even though he has been on huge films with huge crews!

Steven Poster the president of IATSE Local 600 (cinematographers union) says a DP is a title for big production projects like features and etc, while a cinematographer is more industrial and other stuff.

There is not a clear distinction.

Don't quote me on this, but I think the term 'Director of Photography' is the last of the old school titles where everyone wanted to be a director. There used to be a director of wardrobe, director of this, director of that.... which all seemed to dry up. My theory is the DP was the last of the titles and it stayed. Who knows.

It's your choice. You can do it the English was and be a 'Lighting Cameraman'.
 
Finnegan said:
So if there isn't really a clear distinction, could I get away titling myself a "Director of Photography" even though I plan to be a one man department? In the future obviously it'd be nice to make enough money to be able hire a gaffer and some grips to work under me full time, but I'm really just starting off (just graduated from film school) and I love to operate A-cam myself, as well as set up lights, compose shots, and the whole bundle.

By the way Ryan, your reel is sick. I'm putting together my reel right now. Suggestions? Pointers? Things to stay away from?
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Thanks man.

I think the majority of people would think the DP is a departmental head, but since there isn't a definitive answer (although some will think so) you shouldn't get flack from anyone for saying DP.

I've been that one man crew before. Setting lights, moving camera, flagging light, etc. I've given myself DP credit for those things too. Personally I'll say 'cinematographer' if it's small gig on which I don't have much control over lighting, ie, a documentary. If it's mostly run and gun, just positioning people for lighting and choosing time of day, then I say cinematographer. I'm still doing my job to the best of my ability, but if it's a glorified camera operating position... cinematographer. Although, the term cinematographer is what I describe my occupation as, no matter how big or small the production when talking to people, going through customs, or picking up chicks. The screen credit, however, will change depending on production size and the amount of creative control I can exert.

That is my .02. Like i said many people think many things. Some will swear that there are exact distinctions between the two, but if the whole industry does not seem to know, then it can't be exact can it?

As far as a reel. Having the 2 1/2 min 'wow' reel is good to get a potential client/producer/director hooked, but try to have some 'scenes' available either after the 'wow' reel or as a selection on the dvd/website. I'm in the process of that now. I've come to understand that the higher you go, the more they want to see how you carry an entire scene, if you can stay consistent, and etc.

Show them you can not only get good shots, but make solid scenes.
 
Of course you can do it. I'm trying to remember this one DP who is a member of the BSC and is totally blind in one eye...can't remember his name. But I don't think color is as important as some other aspects of photography.

[rant]

I wish I were colorblind, then I could focus on composition and contrast better. When I'm shooting stills, I use Raw so I can grab color information, but the digital polaroid is black and white for that reason. As it is I like to desaturate an image as much as I can for some projects, in others I have palettes that will make your eyes bleed, but the color information is no where near as important as the composition and contrast.

Lighting is most everything. Composition is also very important, and the rest is whatever you're shooting. But being a color blind cinematographer is like flying an airplane without windows. You still have your instruments and you can fly just fine with them. Of course, it's always nice to have someone on the wing telling you there's a mountain in front of you. And that's why we have colorists and editors and all those guys.

A DP should ideally be involved with the film's development and printing; supervising the work of the color timers and cine artists and you could still do that, albeit in a slightly limited way.

[/rant]
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Beethoven **was deaf. Nothing is impossible, but you are against great odds. But if you defy them, the spoils of victory is that much greater. :)
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Just a note... Beethoven lost his hearing over time... when he was young, and lerning, it can be assumed that he had reasonably 'good' hearing. As he aged, for reasons that have many conjectures..., he lost his hearing, and to the detriment of his neighbors, no longer bothered to have his piano tuned... As I recall he would use sticks placed on the piano and touching his head to get some form of 'bone conduction' idea of the music...
 
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