The director of photography, also known as the DP or cinematographer, is the person responsible for creating the look of a film. A good DP will elevate a director’s vision, and introduce ideas and concepts the director may not have considered.
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What does a director of photography do?
The director of photography is the top of the chain of command for coordinating the camera and translating the director’s vision into images. A DP’s job is different on every project, but basically they are responsible for the look of a film – a big part of the way it feels. There are two major departments led by the director of photography: camera and lighting.
DPs are rarely thrust in front of the camera. Their focus on the wonky parameters of lens and lighting makes them the perfect candidates for a quiet life behind the scenes. The DP controls everything that affects what the camera is able to capture (i.e. composition, exposure, lighting, filters, and camera movements). The director of photography is the head of the camera and lighting crews on set, and also selects the cameras, lenses, and filters to be used on a shoot.
How to Become a Director of Photography
If you’re interested in becoming a director of photography, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. There are a number of degree programs available at most film schools, although most employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in cinematography or photography.
If you want to become a director of photography but do not want to attend school, you also can learn from experience. You could take various jobs on a film crew and work your way up to DP.
Understanding film lighting is crucial to a shoot, and working as a lighting director will give you the necessary understanding for photography purposes. You can work as a cameraman to understand lenses, film speeds, angles and more about shooting the film. A DP blends these two jobs every day, so knowing them thoroughly will help you get a job.
It’s common for DPs to start in the crews they end up leading. Many will climb the ladder as camera assistants, lighting and grip technicians, and camera operators; before landing these jobs, they might start as production assistants, then transition into the camera department, where they can cut their teeth as camera trainees.
How much money you will earn as a Director of Photography?
The DP salary you want and the pay that you’ll get are two very different things. That isn’t to say you can’t become rich through being a Director of Photography but it’s important that you set your expectations to align with reality. Like most careers, the top earners in the industry account for the majority of the money floating around. It’s the way it is, whether you agree with it or not.
When you’re looking into the typical DP salary you should be doing so purely so that you can plan for the future but if you want a career that is going to be full of riches, you will not succeed unless you focus on the art of cinematography and getting better at that.
Projects can run for months or even years (the rise of binge watching TV has helped here) but as a DP you’ll be paid on a per job basis. Which means that you have to plan and you have to always be looking forward. It could be that for the first half of the year you’re turning away jobs because you’re just too busy and then all of a sudden, nothing. No-one you know is in production and you’re playing a waiting game waiting for the next opportunity.
The average Director Of Photography salary is $73,816 as of May 27, 2021, but the salary range typically falls between $66,822 and $84,598. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
Director of photography vs cinematographer
“Cinematographer”, “DP”, “DoP”, and “Director of Photography” are synonymous. The two are interchangeable and refer to the same thing: A recorder of cinema. However, if you wish, there are a few things that you might argue differentiate the two. A cinematographer is an umbrella occupation; it needs to be someone who can operate and manipulate a camera to achieve the desired look and feel to a movie. In comparison, the Director of Photography is the overall helm figure of the film. A Director of Photography is part technician, part artist, part manager and must be able to work side-by-side with the Director to make the visual effect possible.
How Much Money Does a director of Photography Make?
As of May 16, 2022, the average annual salary for a director of photography in the United States is $43,114 per year.
It only costs about $20.73 per hour, just in case you need a simple salary calculator. This equates to $829 per week or $3,593 per month.
While ZipRecruiter sees annual salaries at $102,000 and less than $14,000, most directors of photography’s salaries are currently between $26,000 to $50,000 with the highest revenue (90th percentile) in the United States. In the United States is $77,000 a year. The average salary range for a director of photography is very different (up to $24,000), which indicates that there may be many opportunities for promotion and salary increase based on skill level, location and years of experience.
According to ZipRecruiter’s recent job posting activities, a director of photographey job market in both Istanbul, TR and across the whole state of is not so active because few companies are presently hiring. An average director of photography in this area earns $45,104 a year, or $1,990 (5%) more than the national average of $43,114 salary a year. Ranked 1 out of 50 states nationwide for directors of Photography salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for a director of photography jobs, ZipRecruiter always scans the database of millions of locally published active jobs across the United States.
Top 10 highest paying cities for the job of directors of photography
We have identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a director of photography is higher than the national average. At the top of the list are San Mateo, California, with Boston, MA and Santa Monica, California in second and third place. Santa Monica, California is $7064 (16.4%) higher than the national average, and San Mateo, California furthers that trend with another $8,543 (19.8%) above the $43,114 average.
With these 10 cities earning higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement seem very fruitful by relocating as a photographer.
Ultimately, another factor to take in account is the average salary for these top ten cities difference is so little at 7% between San Mateo, CA and Springfield, MA, which reinforces the limited potential for salary increases. The possibility of reducing the cost of living may be the best factor to consider the location and salary for the role of a director of photography.
The average salary in the UK is £29,926 annually, the highest salary reaches up to £55,000 annually.
Additionally, we found a pretty nice proposal for a director of photography in Indeed: freelance director of photography required on an ongoing basis to work on high-end projects with an interesting and rapidly growing production company in central London. Contract is £500 daily.
Factors which can affect directors of photography salary
As you see, directors of photography’s salary differs from country to another. Below are some other major factors, that have an impact on salary:
Experience Level
Employers generally look for a director of photography with experience in video production, video editing, understanding of lighting techniques, and more.
Education
Usually a bachelor’s degree in communications, television production, photography or related field is needed.
Type of work
(freelance director of photography or employee). The income of freelance director of photography depends on individual contracts and may differ.
Industry
Movie production, TV which you will work as a director of photography
Size & budget of each production
For instance, director of photography who work in movie production with large budgets can earn a lot.
The 3 greatest directors of photography
It is commonly believed that the only job of a director of photography is to take accurate pictures of everything that happens in front of the camera.
This is an unfair assumption. One of the main figures in the production – and not just for technical knowledge – the director photography often works with the director to turn all the non-verbal components of a narrative into visual elements.
So, we will introduce 3 greatest directors of photography
The 3 greatest directors of photography
1. John Alcott (1931 – 1986)
John Alcott’s collaboration with Stanley Kubrick was probably one of the best gifts film lovers have ever received. Having studied lighting and its natural features, he first caught the director’s attention during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey and then became a lighting cameraman. They would later be responsible for developing creative techniques that revolutionized filmmaking.
Alcatel’s feature film as a director of photography was A Clockwork Orange (1971). After four years, he worked again with Kubrick in the audacious Barry Lyndon (1975), which might have been, the highest point in his career. During its 300 days of filming, there was almost no use of electric light, which was more difficult at the time due to technical constraints – and so a special lens (F / 0.7) was designed and manufactured exclusively by NASA for the film.
After five years, John Alcott’s use of the Steadicam in The Shining (1980) led to the invention of camera movement, and his well-deserved recognition as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
2. Nestor Almendros (1930 – 1992)
Nestor Almendros was born in Spain and moved to Cuba at the age of eighteen to live with his exiled anti-Franco father. In Havana, he was the co-founders of the initial film club in the country and wrote film reviews. He was still working as a filmmaker in Cuba. However, he was frustrated with the Cuban Revolution and went to Paris, where he would become an essential figure of the Nouvelle Vogue.
During the 1960s, he had a thriving collaboration with Eric Rohmer that started with his initial feature film as a director of photography, The Collector (1967). After that, they collaborated in some of the most important films from the time, including My Night with Maud (1969), Claire’s Knee (1970), and Chloe in the Afternoon (1972). In addition, he worked with other well-known directors from the French movement, such as François Truffaut (The Man Who Loved Women (1978), Love on the Run (1979)
In the late 1970s, Almendros had previously photographed extraordinary films. But that was when he started his career in Hollywood, and he proved to be one of the best directors of photography in the world. Almendros worked constantly until his death in 1992, and among the films he shot in Hollywood are Mallick’s Days of Heaven (1978) – for which he won an Oscar – Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), and Stunning Sophie’s Choice (1982).
Almendros was heavily influenced by the noir film and thus a master of lighting. Although his technical skills are undeniable, he believed that the two crucial characteristics in a director of photography are sensitivity and the ability to work “as a repository or transmitter of progress or discovery”.
3. Robert Burks (1909)
The Californian Robert Burks was Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite director of photography. They have cooperated in over a dozen films, such as the Successes Strangers on a Train (1951), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1968), and The Birds (1963).
Because of his flexibility and ability to adapt based on the film and the director, he is often referred to as a chameleon. Hitchcock was one of the few directors to survive the rise of color film, and probably one of the major reasons for this having Burks, who made the transition in the mid-1950s (vertigo was his initial colored film).
Later, this photography director did some very daring coloring experiments – likely so influenced by Hitchcock – which sealed the fame of his wide range of styles. The highest point was in the feverish contrasts in the palette of Marnie (1964).
Burks received the photography Academy Awards for Best directory of photography in 1955 for his work on ‘To Catch a Thief’. Though he worked in other major productions like The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), and The Musician Man (1962), his enduring reputation rests on the extraordinary work he did with Alfred Hitchcock.
Resources:
American Society of Cinematographers