What Does a DP Actually Do? (Director of Photography)

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[@abelgeorge4953]

Nice explanation... I was wondering what a photographer was doing in a cinema set😂... Now I get it

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Glad it was helpful!

[@k1ranchavda]

Me bhi yahi soch ke aaya tha😂

[@nascentmediahouse]

I’m working on my first full production film set and will pretty much doing exactly this so thank you for your great explanation

[@TheObsessiveDP]

I hope it goes wel!

[@nascentmediahouse]

@@TheObsessiveDP thank you!

[@Leprutz]

All the best to you.

[@ClipCrew]

I love you added that little high note from the first clip onto the intro lol

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Nice catch!

[@nikitakalonji9725]

This was the best explanation of DP I’ve come upon 👌🏽🔥🙌🏽

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Great to hear!

[@phoenix21studios]

Director is strategy DP is tactics.

[@AMOproductions100]

Actually, many view that the term “cinematographer” is fitting to a DP who has achieved the making of at least one long form/feature project and is generally therefore regarded as a lil more accomplished. You can’t really call yourself a cinematographer by the pure sense of the term if you’re a DP with only short form/commercial/corporate experience. In a nutshell, you need to have “created a piece of cinema”.

[@shadracknana5250]

hello, thanks a lot for the explanation of DP and the insight you gave. SO please i want to as this question. As an animator, how do you come out with great and best angles for your animated scenes. Been wondering about that and i know of storyboards but how do you envision the best angles for each scene and frame.

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Watch your favorite movies and take screen grabs of the angles they use. Then use those photos as a guide for the angles in your animations.

[@Leprutz]

Watch a ton of movies to get the gist of frame angle and composition as well. Why is something in focus, why is something blurred, how does each component add to the story telling. Specially ask yourself how does this shot and angle motivated the story. If it just looks cool is not an answer.

[@utopiaretouch8107]

Hii, I was wondering what DP does in the movie crew and I fortunately found you. I'm thinking about study photography, but there are a lot of pieces of advices saying there's no need of it. I would like you please help me to understand the difference between the art director vs the photographer director, and hopefully what should be the educational path that I should follow in both scenarios, if that so. I'd really appreciate it if you can make a video about it, I'll be forever grateful. 💜💜💜

[@iammalawa2903]

wow! Thank you for this . I am going to dop a documentary tomorrow , wish me luck😘

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Good luck!

[@iammalawa2903]

@@TheObsessiveDP Thanks a lot!❤ I was super!

[@vesnavasich8123]

This is my dream to become a DP in the film industry

[@SavannahtheUkie]

same, I've wanted to do this since I was 13, among other things in the film industry: speaker, writing, and director, other jobs, also that interest me in the film industry. I also want to be a photographer and a videographer. I hope you become a director of photography, good luck!

[@boomboxbreezy]

Great video and explanation my brother 🎥🎥🎥

[@ILoveTheGreyScale]

There is an odd beef with the word cinematographer. You are trying to take 24 frames/photographs per second, light them, frame them, and move them, in a cinematic fashion. With a cinematic outcome, hopefully creating great cinema. You are not taking one picture, or photograph. You may direct the gaffers in lighting choices but you are not the Director. You are responsible for the cinematography. I find that Photographers like the hole DP thing. Cinematographers are telling stories with tools. Photographers do not tell stories. Where one picture is worth a thousand words, it is not the photographer who will speak them or even think them. Yes a person can see a story beating inside of one single frame of work but if a picture is worth a thousand words than a single second/24 frames/24 pictures is worth a Billion. Nobody says wow that was such a photographic movie. No, they say it was such a cinematic movie. I just think it is a shame to hear the name and title of Cinematographer down played when I feel it means something far more technical and advanced.

[@sukhmanstube1148]

Who’s channel did he take over? I don’t remember subscribing to him

[@insanevlogs6856]

Lemonade Records

[@sukhmanstube1148]

He technically “cheated” the system because he didn’t made a new channel, he took over another channel!

[@insanevlogs6856]

@@sukhmanstube1148 yes

[@user-vk8xm4vv1v]

DP basically is half the directing but without the decisive vision nor the appropriate amount of credits

[@jusprince9088]

Needed this explanation

[@boosteau3641]

Hey question for you, is the DP responsible for creating a shotlist for the shoot in pre production? Also, is the DP responsible for planning on which equipment should be ordered (cameras, lenses, lighting, etc)?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Yessir! the DP usually ingests the script and creates a shotlist and rental list based upon it. Since they are the head of both the camera dept and lighting, both rentals fall under their responsibility.

[@Theaaronchris]

@@TheObsessiveDPso the DP doesn’t operate the camera at all? What’s the camera op called? Just a camera op?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

@@Theaaronchris Some DPs operate while other times the DP directs the cam op.

[@mychalsimmons4177]

Kool man thanks

[@TheObsessiveDP]

You bet

[@sampeterson8274]

So let's say a DP is the image engineer

[@ijyoyo]

Great Video, thanks for explaining it !

[@Mrgrayis]

That gave me clarity. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏽

[@DaftRebel]

First time here. I'm signing up just to see if anytime you'll make a tutorial on how to build a van like yours

[@TheObsessiveDP]

where there's a will there's a way!

[@DevonHaase-mq7gz]

the homie

[@Rajeev_kumar991]

📸☺🎬😎📽😋🎥😊📹😉

[@Aka_gho]

I think DP means dude perfect :)

[@zacbaillie5266]

Great explanation, Thanks.

[@DreiiFernandes]

Oh it seems that the role of a DP is better of for me than the role of a Director.

[@reamsofmind]

great explanation!

[@totallycheckthisout]

great video thanks

[@LustThoughts]

how do you call the zoom transition you use and where can I purchase them

[@dallasdandigitalproduction393]

Great vid on topic. I wouldve included Camera Operator in this. Seems like its a very thin line between dp and cinematographer duties. Dp always seems like the chief of the camera team triangle- cam op, gaffer and dp.

[@myreelart659]

Great explanation 🎞

[@IRoseSpidey]

I hope everyone is staying safe and having an amazing day! 😃💙 #NotificationSquad

[@ILiveInATrashcan]

So who shoots the movie?

[@MistaHolism]

hi, does this concept apply at all to making photos? like if you want to do pictures for your Tinder profile, there is some thinking that needs to go into what fits in the frame, the angles what you want to show, the light etc, it is just still, not moving

[@MikaelAsh]

Bro I cant unsee that C-stand now lmao

[@conradnel6151]

Hey Ryan, great video...I work in television as a camera, dolly and Jib operator and I want to take it to the next level in terms of becoming either a video creator or DOP...What I want to know is - Do you need to study to become a DOP or can you do it with talent and experience? TIA

[@TheObsessiveDP]

BOTH!! Study courses / movies / films AND have a lot of hands on experience on set!

[@howardmcmillian5764]

How do I become a DP?

[@nrmlnyi]

can you please explai where t find a job as dp or other member of filmcrew or ad shooting crew? maybe platforms like linked in?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Storyhunter, Facebook groups, linked in

[@billzidis2656]

I'm calling myself a cinematographer 😂

[@crystalfoxfilms]

Does the director give entire script to DP or just shot list?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Script! DP usually makes the shot list along with the director.

[@clhound]

Do you ever find yourself wondering around the set like " ah da da da da" while the actors are filming?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

This might be my favorite comment. “Oh good for you!!”

[@clhound]

@@TheObsessiveDP lol, that was a classic. I actually found your video through that one. I was curious if you get into this profession through college or some kind of trade school?

[@HeapsMad]

Cool video! Is it usual for the dp to also be the colourist?

[@TheObsessiveDP]

Yup!

[@anon9]

Hi!

[@santiagosuarez1773]

THANK FUCKING YOU, THANK YOU so much, for real. As you said at the end, there's a lot of cinematographers on youtube that explain a lot of their job, and they always say "you just practice and you would get it by mistakes", likes YES I KNOW U IDIOT, but I want to know what a DP..... a D fucking P has to do in pre production, what he actually do, so thank you so much for this video.

[@polarwolf2627]

99 th like

[@marioben7]

change the music next time please

[@TeddyBearSquad1]

10th like yay

[@felipeteixeira2296]

.

[@aaronvonheimburg4498]

don't heart this

[@TheObsessiveDP]

I won’t.