Page "Cinematography" Paragraph 53

Directors of photography make many creative and interpretive decisions during the course of their work, from pre-production to post-production, all of which affect the overall feel and look of the motion picture.

Many of these decisions are similar to what a photographer needs to note when taking a picture: the cinematographer controls the film choice itself ( from a range of available stocks with varying sensitivities to light and color ), the selection of lens focal lengths, aperture exposure and focus.

Cinematography, however, has a temporal aspect ( see persistence of vision ), unlike still photography, which is purely a single still image.

It is also bulkier and more strenuous to deal with movie cameras, and it involves a more complex array of choices.

As such a cinematographer often needs to work co-operatively with more people than does a photographer, who could frequently function as a single person.

As a result, the cinematographer's job also includes personnel management and logistical organization.