What is a 'director of photography'?

What is a 'director of photography'?

Ben Lyons (Producer) gives expert video advice on: Who is hired during pre-production? and more...

The director of photography is the one who's actually going out there and shooting the movie. A lot of people think that it's the regular director who's doing that, but it's not. The director of photography is in charge of the lighting and how it looks on the camera and how it looks in frame. Often, they're the one who's got the camera on their shoulder, while the director will be watching on a monitor, sometimes half a block a way. The director is there to organize and to give direction to the director of photography and to the actors, and to have their vision be told, but the director of photography is the one who knows how to work with the camera, the lights, the balances and the bounce boards. Everything aesthetically on screen is the responsibility of the director of photography.