Director of Photography Job Description

The director of photography is responsible for planning, directing and coordinating filming to control the quality and style of photography and imagery in films or videos.

Typical Job Duties

• Plans, directs and coordinates motion picture filming

• Must confer with the director regarding the interpretation of scenes and desired effects

• Determines filming and lighting requirements by observing set or location and reviewing drawings and other information that relates to natural or artificial conditions

• Reviews charts and computes ratios to determine the required lighting, filter factors, shutters, camera distance, depth of field and focus and other variables to produce desired effects

• Views film after processing and makes any necessary adjustments to achieve desired effects

• Surveys the location of the shoot, or the set for potential problems and makes any necessary changes prior to filming

• Instructs camera operators regarding camera setup, angles, distances and other variables including cues for starting and stopping film

Scholarships for Becoming a Director of Photography

The Applicable Majors section below shows fields of study relevant to a career as a Director of Photography. You can search for scholarships matched to those fields of study on our Film Studies Scholarships page.

Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!