Difference Between Cinematographer and Director

Cinematographer vs Director
 

Cinematographer and Director are two professions associated with the movie industry, and they show differences between them in their roles and responsibilities. A cinematographer is a person who deals with filming in connection with the film or the movie. On the other hand, a director is the person who deals with the direction part of the film. In other words, a director is the one who directs the movie. This is the main difference between the two words, namely, cinematographer and director. As you can see, a cinematographer is just the person who is in charge of a part of the work in a movie while the director is the person who is in charge of all the work in a movie.

Who is a Cinematographer?

A cinematographer is the head of the camera and lighting crew of a movie. A cinematographer directs the photography to be employed in the film or the movie. He directs the other photographers too including the assistant photographer. Hence, he is otherwise called as the director of photography.

When it comes to interacting with the actors, a cinematographer has not much to do with the actors. He shoots the movie, and he is very much concerned about the various locations where the actors perform their work. He is choosy about the background and the backdrop. He selects the various spots for shooting the film and forwards them to the director. A cinematographer has to work in unison with the director to bring about the success of the movie or the film. Cinematography is the backbone of any movie for that matter. It is indeed, true that a director has to approve the locations forwarded to him by the cinematographer. However, only if, a cinematographer is adept and clever, the director can reap the benefits of efficient direction.

Although a cinematographer has to work under the directions given by the director, he is very well paid and sometimes can get paid more than the director himself especially in the case of commercial advertisements.

Who is a Director?

Director is the person in charge of controlling everyone in the film in order to produce the story they are making. The main task of a director is to interpret and explain the script written by the scriptwriter, and transform the script into a movie. A director, thus, makes the actors act. He shows them the various gestures to be used in acting and guides the actors to perform well in their respective roles. The cast can include famous or experienced actors. However, in order for a movie or any motion picture to be successful, the actors listen to the director. That is because no one knows how to make the story come alive better than the director.

A director is the one who allots specific roles for individual actors in a movie. He is considered to be adept in determining the capabilities of each and every actor. He is a champion in allotting the respective roles to the respective actors. He knows who does what kind of role in a movie. He is good at identifying the pluses and minuses of the individual actors.

What is the difference between Cinematographer and Director?

• Main Responsibility:

• Cinematographer is the one in charge of camera and lighting in a film.

• Director is the person in charge of the whole movie making process.

• Choosing Cast and Crew:

• Cinematographer gets to choose his camera and light crew.

• Director gets to choose the cinematographer with the rest of the crew, as well as the cast of the film.

• Meeting and Discussing with Producers:

• Cinematographer does not meet or discuss with producers about the movie.

• Director is the person who meets and discusses with producers.

• Connection:

• A cinematographer works for the director. However, they can discuss and come to decisions about the way pictures should be captured by the camera.

• Income:

• Cinematographers are usually paid less than the director. But, sometimes they can get a better pay than the director; especially, in the case of commercial advertisements.

• Directors are usually paid more than the cinematographer.

As you can see, the cinematographer and director are two important positions in the film industry. Sometimes, in small budget movies or documentaries the director also becomes the cinematographer as the budget is low. In such a situation, he has to make the best of filming the movie too.

 

Images Courtesy:

1. Cinematographer via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
2. Director by Saperaud (CC BY-SA 2.0)