O que pensam, e o que fazem os DOP (Directors Of Photography)

O que pensam...

"And later I thought, I can't think how anyone can become a director without learning the craft of cinematography."
Nicolas Roeg

"Cinematography is infinite in its possibilities... much more so than music or language."
Conrad Hall

"Every cinematographer I worked with had his own way of solving problems."
Conrad Hall

"You make the movie through the cinematography - it sounds quite a simple idea, but it was like a huge revelation to me."
Nicolas Roeg

"A cinematographer is a visual psychiatrist - moving an audience through a movie (...) making them think the way you want them to think, painting pictures in the dark."
Gordon Willis

"Zooms are lazy closeups. And too many people hang their hats on video assist; it's a way to avoid too much. Video assist helps people dissociate from the scene that they are directing. Pretty soon the director will be directing all the way from his apartment."
Gordon Willis

"On a film set, I think of myself as a cook. With its own minor notes and surprising harmonies, the sauce I make concurs to the taste of the movie and brings out the story and the actors. Three extra grains or too little spice can change the experience of the people eating the meal. I love to cook, and when I do, I want to start with the best ingredients. If you leave something out of the recipe so you can cook faster or easier, it's probably not going to taste the same. Cinematography and cooking are sensual experiences. They are part art and part science, part tradition and part innovation. Whether I am cooking or part of a team creating a movie, I love improvising under pressure."
Denis Lenoir

"There are no rules and there is no formula to filling the frame to please everybody. I've got this corny saying though: 'There are three types of photography: good photography, bad photography, and the right photography. The right photography is what tells the story best."
Freddie Francis


O que fazem...

São os chefes do serviço de imagem que engloba a equipa de câmara, equipa de electricidade e a equipa da maquinaria. Os Maquilhadores e Figurinistas trabalham em colaboração estreita com ele.
São os responsáveis pela imagem. Trabalham a luz que dá a atmosfera ao filme, em colaboração directa com o realizador.
Participam nas réperages, dirigem a instalação dos projectores, determinam - com o 1º Assistente de Realização - as horas do dia mais favoráveis para rodar e seleccionam o equipamento de câmara e iluminação. Dão instruções ao laboratório sobre o processamento da película e orientam a étalonnage do filme na pós-produção.
Em colaboração com o realizador decidem o estilo fotográfico do filme e a forma como os operadores irão usar as câmaras. Tarefa que, em conjunto com a iluminação, contribui para contar a história e não simplesmente para gravar o filme.