8 tips on being a better cinematographer

"they call me the ninja. partially because i’m fast and tend to be everywhere all the time but the nickname really came from being able to grow very quickly as just a shooter to a lead cinematographer. we all start somewhere and like many of us at stillmotion i did not have a formal education in film so i had to find ways to learn quickly. for those of you who are just getting your feet wet or second shooting for someone else, be it in event coverage like a wedding or on set in a commercial production, there are a few things i’ve learned along the way that may help you grow as a shooter and to be better faster.

1 . be proactive

no one can push you harder than yourself so take the initiative to think a step ahead when you arrive on location and assess the scene. what kind of light do you have, what color space will you be working in and what camera support would best fit the scene? sure you can just sit back and wait for your DP to give you a white balance setting and lens selection but always thinking about these things everywhere you go will 1) better prepare you for the shoot and 2) give you a chance to offer suggestions when appropriate. you ultimately take direction from your DP but being proactive gets you in the mode of always taking all these things into consideration so that when you are ready to take on a shoot of your own, or lead your own team, you’ll already have tons of practice with how to achieve the look you’re going for.

2. be mindful

think slow, act fast. shooters just starting out often roll all the time in fear of missing something but by doing so you’re not making a conscious decision about what you’re shooting and therefore actually get less out of the scene. take the time to think about what’s going on and how to capture it, and THEN hit record. you will be more focused and…

…less distracted, getting more relevant imagery out of every scene. even when there’s nothing happening you can always be looking to make the light better or find a better angle."

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