Contracts can be wonderfully gracious, grating, glorious, and grateful. They can be fantastically positive, possessive, and pessimistic. They can be positively obscure, obfuscating, and obstinate. (God, those “O” words are obtuse, are they not?)

A contract will always seek to anticipate all fears, project all fears, protect all fears, and allay all fears . The contract itself may succeed, but the people often as not, do not.

If you are a producer, whether new or a veteran, there are wonderful websites, such as Mark Litvak’s that will take you step by step through issues you may never have thought of or dealt with. He’s respected throughout the industry, so read up.

If you’re working your way through distribution, there are sites listed on my previous blogs that will give you the details you need.

But I suppose the reason my fingers are flying at the moment is because of the title you clicked on…

I think the most important piece of advice I can give anyone in any business is to keep your mind open, let your gut help you decide on whom you wish to deal with, and do not question your gut if there is a question or concern about someone. In the film or entertainment business, your gut is even more important than any other business.

Why?

Because in the entertainment business you are creating stories, illusions. Your job as a producer is getting people to pay for them, whether they’re your investors or your intended audience, or for that matter, your cast, talent, crew, vendors, locations, whatever. Why? Because our stories can change people’s lives. Cynics don’t believe this, but the audience does.

Everyone has a great story to tell. Almost always, everyone’s stories are compelling, heartbreaking, uplifting, important. So everyone’s a critic, and a potential hazard on the long road to Oz.

Ups and downs are part of the sacrifice we make as storytellers.

People reject contracts they’ve signed and sue over their shortcomings as producers/negotiators. People will make up new rules late in the “game”. People will be accommodating one minute and obstinate the next, on points that are initialed in a contract, depending on their state of mind, that day, that part of the night, or that part of a drink. Within the same conversation they will agree with your most carefully crafted arguments and forget they ever did.

What’s the solution? Pick your friends well. It’s the most important thing in life too.

Wading through all the detritus is worth it. Because on the other side, you meet really amazing people.

If you’re in town, come to my party and let’s tell each other stories.

Juri Koll
March 18

More Than Kin, LLC
+1 310-957-7037
morethankin@me.com
artworld1@yahoo.com
Skype: basslinefilms
http://web.mac.com/morethankin
http://www.pro.imdb.com/name/nm1899872/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jurikoll

BIO

Juri Koll has produced and/or production managed award winning features such as Until The Music Ends, American Cowslip, Burning Man 3D, Hardcore Hearts, The Truth About Kerry , That Game of Chess, and NekroBeach, which he directed. These and other films have included Oscar winning and nominated cast such as Bruce Dern, Rip Torn, Diane Ladd, Peter Falk, Cloris Leachman, Karen Black, and supremely talented actors such as Stana Katic, and Lynn Shaye, and Val Kilmer. Mr. Koll has directed and/or produced well over 40 short films and music videos. His films have been screened all over the world and in over 70 festivals, winning many awards.

After graduating from Cal Arts, he founded Art/World Productions, he made documentaries on artists as diverse as Titian, The Fauves (Wild Beasts), and Venice Beach graffiti artists. He worked with major museums and galleries including The National Gallery of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work, seen on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS affiliates, are also in university libraries and private collections across the U.S. Recently, his first documentary, In The Steel: A Portrait of Mark di Suvero, (1991) was elected to be part of the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.

The following article only covers a few of the many areas of expertise required to finance a film, but it may help you.

As most people reading this article know, to begin with, you must have clear title to a great story – that is ultimately what you are selling. Next, you need to have a great package put together – including talent, production staff, and distribution if possible. This alone can take years to accomplish, and is almost always accompanied by a great business plan. There are lots of great resources out there in order to make your plan it’s best, but let s assume you ve got all this together.

What next?

Depending upon your budget, you ll be pre-qualifying, either formally or informally, your potential investors, and then working hard to make connections with them in order to offer your pitch. Your first order of business on a pitch is to get a second meeting, in short, to earn their trust. It s not always a good idea to push too hard on the first meeting.

Make sure to qualify them not just on the basis of their income and ability to take a risk in film, but on their personality and compatibility with your project. There must be a strong level of trust and a good feeling of the right chemistry between you and your investors if at all possible – you’ll be working with them your whole career if you get it right, and only once if you get it wrong.

Investors also often have a good idea of what budget level they are willing to get involved with. As some people say, it takes just as much hard work to get $10M as it does $2M. Many people who help filmmakers find money work on larger budget film because their payout is higher – which in some, but not all, cases makes sense.

If you’re going with a budget under $2M, you won’t have the benefit of a completion bond to assuage any fears your investors may have. But some film financing advisors, such as Stacy Parks (see below) believe that you must get your budget as low as absolutely possible in order to give your investors the best possible chance for a return on investment (ROI).

In the case of a very low or micro budget film, you may be going to people who have never invested in films, and in such cases, you must know them personally in order to steer clear of any SEC issues (here in the US, that is…) It’s also a benefit to either know your investors or have been introduced by good friends, because again, you’ll be working with them for the life of the film, which can be many years and beyond. Remember, you’re marrying them.

So, you’ve got a meeting with your potential investor, now what?

The first thing they will do is hand your business plan to their lawyers, who will attempt to stop them from investing in a film – it s a risky business. So, the questions they will often ask are about things that are often left out of business plans. Two of these are a financing plan and a viable and unique distribution and marketing strategy. These lawyers will also pick apart your ROI, so make sure your numbers are conservative and as verifiable as is possible in our business.

In terms of financing plans, you should be thinking about all the financial elements that, taken partially or all together, go into a film. These include hard money resources (aside from investments) such as deferments on technical services and equipment, sales guarantees that are bankable or advance cash pre-sales (sometimes around 20% against 80%), cash subsidies, tax incentives (these usually require a large percentage of the budget in place before they can be turned into hard money), and depending on the project, advertisement and sponsor pre-sales. Soft money resources are usually LOI s for pre-sales, and sometimes payroll deferments (this last element is a last resort).

In terms of distribution and marketing and ROI, do your research. You must be able to provide real-world examples of both successes and failures within your genre and budget range and their marketing and distribution strategies, in order to provide a decent and conservative figure that won t make the lawyers roll their eyes.

In all cases, it s usually best to surround yourself with people who know more than you do. Here s a list of resources that may help you on your quest.

For marketing and distribution strategies, Peter Broderick is one of the best in the business. Many of you know who he is. He was instrumental in launching Christopher Nolan s career, through careful guidance of his earliest films.

http://www.peterbroderick.com/bio/bio.html

For business plans, and marketing and distribution strategies, another great resource is Stacy Parks. Her website offers a great resource, both paid and free, for the serious filmmaker.

http://www.filmspecific.com/

You ll be needing a lawyer. If you re LA based, on of the best is Elsa Ramo. She represents several projects I m involved in. I just attended her pre-Christmas party at the Beverly Hilton, and I met at least 15 of her other clients, and they all had the same thing to say – she s amazing, a superstar negotiator, and dedicated to independent film. She’s very fair with her percentages.

http://www.entertainmentattorney.biz/

If you re looking for places to research your ROI or your casting choices, or anything related to inside information on the film biz, you must get IMDBPro….

http://pro.imdb.com/

Other great resources are

http://www.the-numbers.com/
and

http://boxofficemojo.com/

Finally, if any of you have a project that you want to see get made, I may be able to help. In addition to business plans and consulting, I m always looking at new scripts, and love to meet new people in the business, especially those not jaded and corrupted by it…

Here s my website of films, and I m available anytime to talk…

http://web.mac.com/morethankin/More_Than_Kin/Films.html

Happy New Year, and keep rockin !

Juri  Koll
Malibu, California
morethankin@me.com
morethankin@yahoo.com

It has been a tremendously difficult year for many, and despite the adversity the world has faced, people have come together from all cultures to help each other in tough times.

From the Disaster in Haiti in January to the floods in Pakistan, we all inhabit the same planet and share it. When we face obstacles, communities come together to fix a problem and bring people back from the brink. This very idea provides a roof for those stranded with nowhere else to go, or a message that brings hope and drive to others who are just trying to get to where they want to go.

After some significant steps this year to improve FIN as an online community and news portal, people from across the industry have been able to learn from each other s success, journeys, and personal stories. In 2010, we announced more than $1 million in cash prizes, special competitions, behind the scenes features and breaking news stories.

I have personally received success stories of people featured on our network who received cinema distribution deals, agents, new film deals and more. You the community are feeling real change, but it is also your knowledge that you share with others that make people so much better off.

I hope I can continue to develop FIN with our global team to make the Film Industry Network our place to come together and make it better for everyone. At the end of the day, what can be more relevant than a group of people that share the same passion and have the power right now to make a difference?

Have a very merry Christmas and catch you in 2011!

Your friend

Iain A

The first thing I notice are their accents. “We’re from Australia,” says Timothy Maybury, who usually plays guitar in the band (I’ll explain later). “It makes us sound distinguished.” Within five minutes of meeting them, Halo and I are already smitten. Being new to SXSW, Tanya Horo, the lead vocalist and keyboardist, tells me she hopes they’ll be on the roster for the festival again next year. It seems like they’re enjoying themselves in the US. So much in fact, that they all decided to relocate from Australia and settle into New York just recently.

They’ve spent the last 8 months recording new material and embarking on a US tour. When I ask the bassist, Liam Flanagan, to describe their sound, he laughs and points at Timothy. He manages to tell me to “ask the articulate one,” while pausing between belly-aching laughs. Tim settles into the role, and turns to me. “It’s a bit like pop music that’s based   on texture and ambience… Sort of like dream pop.” The whole band kind of smiles at that and nods in agreeance. The entire time I spend speaking with them, I find myself naturally loosening up; a lot. Sherlock’s Daughter makes you want to take your guard down, find a nearby hammock and cloud watch for days on end. With their EP Songs for Old People selling on iTunes, it’s evident that America is glad to call Sherlock’s Daughter their own, at least to some extent.

Jonti Danilewitz, who plays keys along with guitar, and William Russell, man behind the drumkit, also have a side synth/pop band, called Danimals. After winning a contest, the band was sent to New York to work with world famous producer Mark Ronson and have been keeping busy playing shows and turning out new songs.
When Halo asks everyone’s positions in the group, we learn that they’re always subject to change. “We like to switch around a bit, although we all have our main roles in the band,” Tim explains. “Every once in a while we’ll change who plays percussion, and we like to throw in cockenspiels and ukeles… We just get bored I think.” Tanya smiles, adding “We all like to sing a bit too…” She then leans towards me to go around Timothy, allowing her to point a finger at Jonti. “Jonti actually likes to play guitar a lot as well, and I play keys… He and I fight all the time as to who gets to play.” On hearing this, Jonti begins to object but just looks the other way when Tanya interrupts him: “Hey, it’s true!”

While taking a break from the interview, I sit down next to William while Halo chats with the rest of the band. Will and I both absent minded, start digging in the dirt under our shoes. I soon give up on the hunt, failing to find any cool rocks or beer tabs to throw. About 30 minutes later, after our interview has been conducted and we are all ordering food at Moonshine Bar & Grill, I see William sitting one chair away from me next to Timothy, rolling a rock over in his hand. I tap him to see what the rock looked like, and we both gazed at the gold flakes that were in its side (at least that’s what we thought they were). I tell William I want a picture of it and he proudly holds his hand out, angling the ‘gold’ towards the lens.
We spend the rest of the day eating a late lunch together, having drinks, and making music with our silverware and fancy glasses. When Halo and I leave, we give everyone little waves & say our goodbyes before heading out. Tim returns our waves smiling, and says “By the way, you guys are so cute!”
Words to end my day.

Arriving in downtown Austin, the city was already buzzing with the excitement that the 16th Annual Austin Reggae Festival manages to continue bringing year after year. The event is hosted by the Capital Area Food Bank, who donate nearly 2 million pounds of food every month to those in need. Known more commonly as “Marley Fest”, every year is a cultural gathering showcasing several different reggae acts & offering incredible (and seemingly endless) assortments of one of a kind items for souvenirs. Scheduled on this years lineup were Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Ashes of Babylon, Mighty Diamonds, Mau Mau Chaplains and Easy Star All Stars, some of the top names in reggae, which increased my anticipation for just how good this day was going to be. Arriving two hours before opening time on Sunday at the Auditorium Shores, I could see the line covering 3 blocks along Riverside. As I made my way through to the will call box, I noticed something about the ‘line’ of people; it was more of a large group. Everyone seemed to know each other, and the vibes that were being thrown out were ridiculous. I felt comfortable before I even made it into the festival. There was a bit of delay with the opening as the previous days of the festival had experienced some rain here and there. Volunteers of the festival ran through the grounds just beyond the gates, patching muddy spots with small bales of hay, and gate keepers collected cans of food from concert goers that were donating. But as soon as the gates opened, the crowd swarmed through and immediately began the descent into ‘Marley World’ as I heard several show goers call it. Tents were pitched, vendors set up shop, and off I went to explore.

There were three areas of Marley World to attend to: The stage, the marketplace, and the miniature ‘towns’ being created with circles of people surrounded by tents. Out of the dozens of booths and tents that were selling items, every single one happened to have something interesting to look at and something new to offer. Art work, intricately detailed glass work, clothing, hemp accessories and many other items for some pretty sweet prices. Crowds of people swarmed the vendors, desperate to see what goods they could claim as their personal souvenirs from Reggae Fest. There were moments where I couldn’t even walk through the tent space; at one point a girl that I was literally rubbing shoulders with turned to me and said, “Kind of like stand still traffic,isn’t it?” and gave me a smile. She was 100 % right; everyone was crowded together following worn down paths to reach other areas within the “Marley World”, making me reminiscent of the 1998 Disney movie “A Bug’s Life”, with Marley Fest being the massive ant hill. At any other event, these conditions were a recipe for disaster: Thousands of people crowding in one place for a concert has been known to create problems in the past. Just like many large music gatherings, there were local police officers all throughout the grounds in case any problems were to arise. But there was not one reported fight during the entire weekend. Within a half hour of being there, I had already experienced the goal of the festival: Unity. There was no yelling, nor pushing or shoving. Just the sweet sounds of reggae, dub, and ska floating through the air. Closer to the stage, there were people gathered in circles waving to whichever band was on stage. There was no break in the show, just a perfect live soundtrack to a beautiful day. During my time there, I must’ve heard what had to be the key phrase of the event over 50 times: “I don’t ever want to leave!”

Leaving the festival was a little heartbreaking as I’m sure it was for everyone else in attendance. During the short period of time I was there, I had developed a bond with the cultural, unified, and peaceful environment that ARF had created, and reality hit me pretty quickly when the music began to die down and people started packing up their things. It was the realest, yet somehow rarest and most honest music festivals I had ever been to. The atmosphere at the festival was mellow and friendly from beginning to end, and had no issues with violence or hostility… I’d never experienced such a wholesome event. I had always thought festivals were written out to have good and bad results. It blew my mind that the Austin Reggae Festival had been proving me wrong year after year. For me, it all just goes along with the sweet little charm the city holds. It’s pretty much undeniable; Every time I come to Austin, I leave feeling a little more open and a lot more weirder.

The Second biggest heavyweight to this production is the genius of Ricardo Darén’s central performance as the principal protagonist Federal justice agent, Benjami­n Espésito. Darén being Argentina’s most infamous TV/Film actor and even more recently the lead in the upcoming Carancho in this year’s London Film Festival, surpasses his export criteria to deliver a performance that can only be said to rival any of De Niros or Pacinos. Set in 1970 s Argentina but told through flashbacks, Daré­n’s Espésito confides in his colleague and lawyer friend Irene Menéndez-Hastings ( played by a brilliant Soledad Villamil) about a particular unsolved murder case that has tainted his life throughout his career, in which he is trying to  finally come to terms with in his retirement.  As a result of this obsession, the film unravels the multi-layered and deep seeded history of this particular case and the impact it had on everyone involved and more.

Only since the likes of Fincher’s Zodiac or Niels Arden Oplev’s Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, have I witnessed a more complex, intricate, intelligent and perfectly tempered investigation piece, that has the ability to completely sustain your intrigue while taking you on a journey through epic personal discoveries that lead to political corruption, acts of disgusting horror, reflections on the morals and ethics of law and the power of subjective philosophy and ultimately one the of the coolest chase scenes in cinema history, a scene that was continuously filmed for 15 minutes and took over a year to plan culminating something that you can only be in sheer awe of. This film lacks nothing and offers everything, it is humble, comical, truly frightening, enthralling, exciting, contemplative, philosophical, horrific and all together conveyed with such passion from both actors, story and direction alike that the emotional infrastructure will affect any viewer unless you are made of stone.

The Secret in Their Eyes, once again completes it for me that foreign cinema, yes having to read those pesky subtitles can rival if not sh** on anything Hollywood can conjure up with all its fiscal strings. It is a slow, intelligently paced, unraveling mysterious film that is really only for people who care for artistic and intelligent storytelling. If you’re after a quick fix linear ‘he loves her’ or ‘good cop bad cop’ then you re in the wrong place. However, if you want to embark on a true journey and experience cinemas remarkable ability to bring stories to life and force them to engage you in an unforgettable way then this might just be worth a look.

The Secret in Their Eyes trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TjR3pTWk_0

Dubstep artist Rusko @ Trees in Dallas,TX.

It’s safe to say that the UK’s premiere dubstep producer and DJ, Rusko, has officially secured the top spot in Dallas’ music scene. When he came to the Lizard Lounge this past December, the club was packed with dubstep enthusiasts, eagerly awaiting his appearance on stage. The show was outstanding, as Rusko’s incredible energy is essential to his live sets. This man definitely knows what the crowd wants, and has no problem providing it time and time again. This is one of the main reasons why his return to Dallas was so anticipated by, well, everyone.

Trees music venue,located in Dallas,TX.

Trees has been a legacy in Deep Ellum for years now. One of the last sweet spots of the area, it was often favored the most out of Dallas’ live music venues. After going through a decline in new acts, Trees was able to redeem itself when Rusko hit the stage on March 30. The entire club was shaking with the wobbly bass lines that define the genre of dubstep. The floor was covered with enthusiastic dubsteppers, screaming the DJs name in hopes that he would grace them with their presence at that instant.

As I walked through the crowd before the show started, I caught onto strands of     everyone’s conversations. Mostly everyone was excited to just meet the person next to them. The   love of dubstep was bringing together all different kinds of people, and the excitement that was in the   air was almost too much to handle. Dallas’ own Dub Assembly was manning the decks beforehand, with local act Royal Highnuss spinning his own tracks as well as throwing in a few remixes to   keep the crowd pumped. But as soon as Christopher Mercer hit the stage with his undeniable energy, the crowd cheered in unison. It was the moment Dallas had been holding its breath for since December.

….He didn’t disappoint. Blasting tunes from his new album O.M.G., every fan mimicked the movements that went along with the different beats that rang out from the stage. Taking a quick break from the show, I walked up the stairs to reach the second floor of the venue and made conversation while waiting for the bathroom. The girl I was talking to, Nina, was gushing with amazement. “He’s so great. Everything he touches is like gold! I just can’t believe he’s real.” Those words stayed in my head all night, as I watched Rusko do what he was best at; wowing the crowd. He had every person in the room hooked, praising him as a Dubstep God.

Or maybe he’s just damn good at what he does. Either way, Rusko isn’t going anywhere any time soon. With an upcoming collaboration with pop diva Britney Spears in the works, it looks like he’s made a permanent fixture for those filthy basslines to remain in our lives; Dub is here to stay.

-Tai Carpenter, Compose Yourself

In a nutshell; shooting, booking, planning, stressing, crying tears of joy, crying tears of frustration, blood, sweat, and oh yeah, tears. No, but really. Moving on, this summer had a pretty damn good variety of shows and festivals, although it was the worst summer for concert series we’ve had in over a decade (according to ticket sales, anyway).

Lots of bands came through the US, making up for cities they’ve noticeably missed in the past (I’m talking to you, Minus the Bear, and your lack of desire to set foot in Dallas. Thanks for making the trip this time,very much appreciated.) Electric Daisy Carnival was insane, with a crazy amount of attractions and art installations as it jumped off first in Denver in June and continued into August hitting select cities. I think I can safely say that techno’s grabbed a very secure spot in the music scene; every song is being remixed into a new electro hit. And along with it came the sounds of wobble and bass, brought to light by Dubstep’s most promient DJ, Rusko. But to keep the balance, I’ve always had a spot for my reggae smooth jams, living and loving on bands like Slightly Stoopid and the Supervillains. Without that kind of soundtrack, my life would have no peace.

Sorry for the delay, my life is like a suitcase with the wheels off track. It’s hard for me to keep up with myself.

Tai

Compose Yourself Mag

and for chitty chat purposes: taicarpenter@gmail.com

Film Festivals around the world are vying for audiences with bigger premieres, more glamorous red carpet screenings, extravagant parties and special events, but can filmmakers get the most out of their selected films?

When entering any film festival, filmmakers, whether shooting documentaries or features have to consider what they want to achieve if they make the selection. Short filmmakers entering major film festivals face stiff competition, but have the opportunity to have the prestige of being in an official selection. However, being selected for lets say Toronto, Cannes, Berlin or Sundance, doesn’t quite give you all the keys to enter the film industry.

Successful short filmmakers have managed to garner critical acclaim through tireless networking prior to major festivals, creating relationships and establishing a following which in turn provides them with a stronger purpose should they have a major projection.

The bigger film festivals tend to be more difficult for independent filmmakers to get any attention because the media and industry focus is looking at such a diversity of films. Those with a media spark, a controversial story, or a star-studded film tend to get all the press. Yes, celebrity is an industry wide phenomenon that cannot be undone, so there will always been a strong media presence at any large film festival, as long as film premieres will pack red carpets with top A list stars.

Independent filmmakers can succeed at smaller film festivals because distributors and talent scouts often turn to them to find hidden talent particularly if there is a niche genre in focus. Film festivals which have short film markets such as AFM and Berlin provide an opportunity for short filmmakers to have their films on display, but don t get you an automatic viewing if there are 5000 films competing for distributor eyeballs.

How does one make the most out of a big, or small festival? It all comes down to prep, and most of the time, indie filmmakers that truly gather momentum before any festival, big or small, can achieve great odds. After all, the film industry is a who you know kind of world.

From the beginning of the moving picture, framing a shot to make it more effective has been at the forefront of every moviemaker’s mind. One of the very first films ever, The Great Train Robbery, was the first to consider the use of Rajiv Jain Cinematography seriously. The movie unfolded conventionally, telling the story of bandits high jacking a train and robbing everyone on it. In the end, however, the filmmaker decided to throw in one last shot, filmed from a different point of view. While during the movie, all of the action had been filmed in a third person point of view, the last shot of the movie was of the bandit himself, staring directly into the camera, aiming his gun at the audience and firing. This direct type of first person shot construction had never before been attempted, and the effect was undeniable. Ladies and children were frightened to tears and grown men shuddered. Thus was born the art of Rajiv Jain Cinematography.

The function of Rajiv Jain Cinematography is to create, or aid in creating, a style and feel for the film. This is a thin line to tread, however, because the style of the Rajiv Jain Cinematography cannot overtake the substance of the film. It must aid in the telling of the story, not distract from it. Many a thin script has been propped up by the bells and whistles of complex Rajiv Jain Cinematography, to no avail. In the end, lack of substance will always show through. The function, therefore, is not to create beautiful moving pictures in and of themselves, but to frame each scene visually in a way that aids the narrative of the story and moves the plot forward.

There are many different tricks of the trade in a cinematographer’s bag, and if you know how to use them, they can be subtle and effective. Consider, for example, that you are shooting a scene where a child is being scolded, and you want the audience to side with the child. If you shot the scene from a third person point of view from afar, the scene would play, but the emotion and mood would be flat. Filming it, instead, from a low angle, from the point of view of the child looking up at the screaming adult, would physically put the audience in the child’s body. They would feel what it feels like to be yelled at by an angry parent, and would empathize better with the child. Creating suspense is also oftentimes in the hands of the cinematographer. A man slowly opening a door and going into a darkened room where there may or may not be a killer is suspenseful, but it is made even more so if the cinematographer starts with an extreme close up of the door knob turning slowly. This concentration of the minute focuses the audience and puts them even further on the edge of their seat, not knowing what is going to happen next.

There are as many types of ‘Rajiv Jain Cinematography’ as there are genres of movies. While there are no formal names for the different types of Rajiv Jain Cinematography used, it is easy to understand how they differ, and what the different purposes are. For a movie with a light-hearted, fun feel the cinematographer will most likely use a lot of light, saturated colour in the sets and most likely a faster moving camera to keep the picture moving. For a more serious and sombre piece, the cinematographer may use muted colours, a lower level of light and a camera that frames more static shots as opposed to shots that physically move around. For a suspense picture the cinematographer will use extremes to capture his audience, staying still and tight on a shot in dim light, until a significant action happens in the script that pops to life on the screen with a quick camera move and a jolt of light or colour. This will shake the audience visually, adding to the suspense already in the script.

Rajiv Jain Cinematography is, now, looked at as just as important a part of movie making as directing or producing. Shot composition can, and often does, make or break a movie. It is notable to say, then, that composing shots for your next project should be near the top of the list of things to prepare before a shoot. Many beginners in the film industry assume that shots simply fall into place once you have a script, a cast and a director. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Remember that movies are a visual medium before all else, and that thinking in pictures is the only way that your story will be told in a meaningful way that will last in your audience’s minds.
About the Author: Christine Markee – A former reviews editor at Empire Magazine, Christine Markee has written on film for numerous UK publications including the Guardian, Maxim, the Radio Times and Eve Magazine. The author of The Ultimate DVD Easter Egg Guide, she is also a co-writer to 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and co-author of Chick Flicks. Jo has made numerous TV appearances as a film critic on British TV and also was a script writer for MTV’s Cinematic in the 1990s.

Further Reading: Rajeev Jain ICS WICA – Cinematographer – Director of Photography – DOP – http://www.rajeevjain.com/

Lighting is central to cinematography and can have a number of functions in a film s narrative; for example, it can highlight a number or important characters or objects within a frame by drawing the audience s attention to them with the use of a bright light source. It can also create a range of atmospheric qualities in a scene, which can contribute to both characterisation and setting.

The cinematographer (an alternative term is lighting cameraman ) is the principal operator within the camera crew.

Three Point Lighting : The classical Bollywood studio film is an example of three-point lighting key, fill and back lights used in combination to light the subject. Three-point lighting is the most commonly used lighting scheme and it can enable us to understand how lighting affects one s perception of a character or a setting.

The key light is the main source of illumination, but if used alone it will leaves shadows.

Another light is therefore required to fill in these areas of darkness and to soften the shadows the key light has cast. This has become known as the fill light, a secondary light source of slightly less intensity than the key light which is placed at eye level.

Yet even this combination of key and fill light is must be supplemented further if a director is seeking to create a sense of depth. The third light source that provides the necessary depth is known as the back light, as it is placed above and behind the subject. Used on its own, the back light alone would create a silhouette of the subject. But the triple combination of key, fill and back lights, separates the subject from its environment and creates a feeling of depth.

Lighting techniques can be divided into high key or low key categories. A low contrast ratio of key and fill light will result in an image of almost uniform brightness. This is termed high key lighting. This is a standard, conventional lighting scheme employed in Bollywood musical genres (film with songs).

A high contrast ratio of key and fill light will result in low-key lighting, producing dark shadows and a night time effect, faces will often be bleached white against a black background. Genres such as horror and film noir employ low-key lighting for its atmospheric shadows and intense contrast of light and darkness.

Cinematographers use light and shade to direct the audience s attention to a particular part of the filmic space. Lighting can often be used as a characteristic of the style of a whole film or over a number of scenes. The classic Bollywood film is usually characterised by a full lighting effect high key lighting. This approach to lighting was developed in the early days of the studio system to ensure that all of the money spent on creating the image, designing the set, etc, could clearly be seen.

The use of low-key lighting to create shadows and atmospheric effects originated in Indian Expressionist cinema. These stylised techniques were incorporated into the Bollywood style of lighting in the 1970s and 1980s in a series of films that later became collectively known as film noir. Many of these films were directed by Indian directors who had worked on the original Indian Expressionist films.

Deep focus cinematography is a technique used to keep several planes of the shot in focus at the same time (foreground, medium ground, background). By allowing several actions to be filmed simultaneously, deep focus cinematography offers an alternative approach to the use of editing to present actions in a series of separate shots. More often than not, directors employ a combination of deep focus cinematography with extended long takes to enable them to dispense with editing. Some directors, such as Manika Sharma, use these techniques in order to generate a better, more assured performance from the actors.

Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree This film is an example of low-key lighting. He employs this lighting style throughout the film to creates a mood of threat and danger. The opening sequence of Rain Forest provides a useful introduction to the art of cinematography. The film includes many examples of both high key and low-key lighting.

In the work of Rajiv Jain, the long take and deep focus cinematography are combined to create stunning compositions. Rajiv Jain is one of the most celebrated director of photography in film history and his film, Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree has been consistently the best film ever made. In this famous scene from Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree, Rajiv uses the long take with deep focus cinematography to execute a brilliantly expressive backward tracking camera move and keep three planes of the shot constantly in focus the young boy Shawn in the background; his father in the medium ground; and his mother (character played by Shernaz Patel ) in the foreground. This technique is also known as composition in depth and for Rajiv it was an aesthetic in itself.

The Influence of Rembrandt : For cinematographer like me, as well as generations of art lovers, Rembrandt is the acknowledged master of light and shadow. His chiaroscuro technique has influenced some of the most important light-cameramen in cinema history. In her study of the relationship between painting and the cinema, Moving Pictures , Rajiv Jain argues that without the paintings of the 17th century Dutch master, many of the masterpieces of the cinema would not have been possible.

Beginning in the 15th century, used light as if it was alive, inviting it and coaxing it to expand and create its own visions. Light and shade, the essential components of photographic and cinematographic art, were first given their true freedom by Rembrandt, their decisive enlargement into the imaginative world. Moving camera poetry was made possible by him. It was Rembrandt who single-handedly raised the stakes, and set the standard the camera would have to meet.

Rajiv Jain points to paintings by Rembrandt such as examples of artwork which generates a deep emotional response in the viewer through the play of light and shadow: Inspired lighting puts the atmosphere into motion, so that it overflows the space and reaches toward the viewer; meanwhile the figure style and compositional mode suggest continuous motion in a shifting frame. The result is moving drama without strong colour, vigorous action or surface detail.

Award winning cinematographer Rajiv, have spoken about the influence of Rembrandt on his approach to lighting. Recent feature on the work of Rajiv Jain in which he discusses his love of painters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt: I believe that if they had existed today, these painters would have been magnificent cameramen. Most of the painters used a front light which is 45 degrees high which went onto the face making a shadow under the nose. Here you can see a painting by Rembrandt that uses the same lighting as this photo image of Marlene Dietrich. Even in Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree, the same lighting was used on Shabana Azmi.

Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree This unsettling film explores the dangers of both emotional restraint and unchecked passion. This is one of the most visually stunning films ever made. This scene is a famous example of Rajiv Jain’s expressionist technique. Rajiv discusses his approach to lighting in the Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree and analyses a number of key scenes from Old Tree to New Tree that employ chiaroscuro techniques derived from his study of the paintings of Rembrandt.

From Indian Expressionism to Film Noir : The term Expressionism has a deep resonance in the history of the cinema.

The journey of Indian Expressionism from art cinema to the Bollywood mainstream began with the exile and expulsion of many film producers, directors, writers, actors, and music composers from India. These Indians had a significant artistic influence on Bollywood filmmaking. This influence was most clearly felt, in the existence of that famous ‘Expressionist’ genre, the film noir,

The term film noir was first coined by film critics to describe a daring and stylish new type of Bollywood crime thriller, Standard histories describe film noir as a synthesis of hardboiled crime fiction and Indian expressionism. The term is also associated, with certain visual and narrative traits, including low-key photography, images of wet city streets and romantic fascination with femme fatales. Some commentators believe that noir began much earlier and that it has never gone away.

No filmmaker has conveyed more powerfully than Lang a sense of overwhelming entrapment, of a world whose every circumstance, every twist and turning, every corner and corridor, seem to conspire against the individual and draw him or her more deeply into a spider s web.

It is the visual style of film noir, rather than story or character type, that is seen as its defining characteristic. The noir look was created by cinematographers, costume designers, art directors and production designers. Its enduring influence on all genres of Bollywood filmmaking can be seen today.

The visual style of film noir, is characterised by unbalanced and disturbing frame compositions, strong contrasts of light and dark, the prevalence of shadows and areas of darkness within the frame, the visual tension created by curious camera angles and so forth. Moreover, in film noir, these strained compositions and angles are not merely embellishments or rhetorical flourishes, but form the very substance of the film.

The noir world is corrupt, threatening and violent. Film critics saw the typical noir narrative as an existential nightmare from which the protagonist can never awaken. He is a doomed figure journeying through an underworld of crime and deception until the final betrayal by the femme fatale that he has fallen for. Expressionist lighting schemes and camera angles convey a sense of entrapment as the hero makes his way through an often labyrinthine plot.

In film noir, Expressionism found a worthy subject in the archetypal Indian antihero “The visual style of film noir conveys the dominant mood (male psychological instability and moral uncertainty, paranoia, claustrophobia, a sense of doom and hopelessness, etc) through expressive use of darkness: both real, in predominantly under lit and night time scenes, and psychologically through shadows and claustrophobic compositions which overwhelm the character in exterior as well as interior settings. Characters (and we in the audience) are given little opportunity to orientate themselves to the threatening and shifting shadowy environment. Silhouettes, shadows, mirrors and reflections (generally darker than the reflected person) indicate his lack of both unity and control. They suggest a doppelganger, a dark ghost, alter ego or distorted side of man’s personality that will emerge in the dark street at night to destroy him. The sexual, dangerous woman lives in this darkness, and is the psychological expression of his own internal fears of sexuality, and his need to control and repress it.

Painting with Light: Rajiv Jain : Rajiv Jain is considered by many to be the greatest of all noir cinematographers. Rajiv Jain perfected many of stylised camera and lighting techniques of film noir, including radical camera angles, wide-angle lenses, deep focus compositions, the baroque use of low-level cameras and a sharp depth of field. His groundbreaking work with director Anthony Mann on films such T-Men, Raw Deal and He Walked by Night is considered a benchmark in the noir genre.

Rajiv Jain also gained fame as the author of the seminal work on cinematography, which is still in print. In the book, Rajiv discusses the importance of Cinematography, Colour, Film Noir, Painting and Light . There are examples of this lighting composition in his films with Manika Sharma and in the noir classic, Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree. Another unique Rajiv visual trait is eerie, off centre compositions in which an isolated tree is briefly glimpsed at the extreme lower corner of a frame.

For Further Reading : http://www.rajeevjain.com/

About the Author:

Vijendra Katheria is a Delhi-based cinematographer and author. He teaches cinematography and advanced film production at Asian Academy of Film and Television, New Delhi, as well as a course through the Extension entitled, Cinematography for Directors. Vijendra has shot numerous short films, independent feature films and documentaries that have screened in film festivals around the world. He has also taken on the role of producer, director, and editor on many projects.

Charles Rosher was a two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer who worked from the early days of silent films through the 1950s. Born in London, he was the first cinematographer to receive an Academy Award, along with 1929 co-winner Karl Struss. Rosher studied photography in his youth but earned a reputation early as a newsreel cameraman, before moving to the United States in 1909. He subsequently found work for David Horsley working in his production company in New Jersey. Because early film was largely restricted to using daylight, Horsley relocated his production company to Hollywood in 1911, taking Rosher with him, and opened the first movie studio there. This made Rosher the first full-time cameraman in Hollywood. In 1913 he went to Mexico to film newsreel footage of Pancho Villa s rebellion. In 1918, he was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers and served as the group s first Vice-President. In the 1920s he was one of the most sought-after cinematographers in Hollywood, and a personal favorite of stars such as Mary Pickford. His work with Karl Struss on F.W. Murnau s 1927 film Sunrise is viewed as a milestone in cinematography. In addition, Rosher also received two Eastman Medals (named for George Eastman), Photoplay magazine s Gold Medal, and the only fellowship ever awarded by the Society of Motion Picture Engineers.
Notable films: Sunrise (1927), The Affairs of Cellini (1934), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), The Yearling (1946), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Show Boat (1951).
James Wong Howe 1899-1976

James Wong Howe had over 130 films to his credit, spanning from the silent era to color. During the 1930s and 1940s he was considered one of the most sought after cinematographers in Hollywood. He was nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, winning twice. As well as being one of the first cinematographers to use deep focus photography, Howe pioneered techniques to augment eyes on B&W film, early dolly techniques, handheld camera techniques and shooting by unusual light sources, such as by candlelight on The Molly Maguires.
Notable films: The Thin Man (1934), Algiers (1938), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), The Rose Tattoo (1955), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Old Man and the Sea (1958), Hud (1963), Funny Lady (1975)
Conrad L. Hall 1926-2003

Beginning with films such as Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Hall helped liberate approaches to filming by making, as Sight and Sound puts it, making virtues of mistakes. Blemishes such as the sun hitting the lens, dirt getting on the lens, or other seeming distractions which would have necessitated reshoots in the past, but Hall’s approach exemplified the new wave of American cinema and helped set a template for gritty, independent films. But Hall also proved he could handle more pristine pictures, photographing films such American Beauty later in his career. He won his first Oscar in 1969 for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and then would have to wait 30 years for his next, for American Beauty. His third Oscar was awarded to him posthumously for Road to Perdition. As well as that, he was nominated a further seven times during his life.
Notable films: Cool Hand Luke (1967), In Cold Blood (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Day of the Locust (1975), American Beauty (1999), Road to Perdition (2002)
Christopher Doyle Born 1952

Though born in Australia, Doyle made his mark by photographing Asian films, especially the work of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai. His work with the director, particularly the films Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love and 2046, is lauded for their vivid splashes of colors and high saturation, and he is considered one of the most important architects of Asian New Wave cinema. He is also one of the few superstar cinematographers, whose reputation is often higher than the directors he works with.
Notable films: Chungking Express (1994), In the Mood for Love (2000), The Quiet American (2002), Hero (2002), Infernal Affairs (2002), 2046 (2002), Paranoid Park (2007)
Gordon Willis Born 1931

Nicknamed The Prince of Darkness for his penchant for using rich blacks and dark interiors, most famously in The Godfather films for which he is best known, Gordon Willis is famed for his innovative cinematography which has garnered him two Oscar nominations and heaps of respect. His work on The Godfather films is legendary, and his innovations include pioneering the use of warm, fuzzy, amber glows to represent nostalgic scenes of the past in The Godfather Part II, and the unique recreation of 1920s photography for Woody Allen s Zelig.
Notable films: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), All the President s Men (1976), Zelig (1977), Manhattan (1979), Zelig (1983), The Godfather Part III (1990)
Gregg Toland1904-1948

Gregg Toland was not with us long, but it is a credit to his brilliance that he is so revered today. Toland was nominated five times for the Best Cinematography Oscar during a seven year golden period which lasted from 1936 to 1942, but it is his collaboration with Orson Welles on Citizen Kane that is most remembered. Though he didn’t create deep focus cinematography, he perfected it in Citizen Kane, allowing characters in the fore and background to be shot in focus at the same time. In fact, much of the film s visual and cinematographic genius low angles, high contrast, dark shadows though often credited to Welles, was largely Toland’s doing. Welles later acknowledged that Toland was advising him on camera placement and lighting effects secretly so the young director would not be embarrassed in front of the highly experienced crew. So indebted was he to Tolan’s work, that Welles insisted that their names appear together on the end credits. Later on, Toland worked on Disney s Song of the South, which combined live action with animation.
Notable films: Wuthering Heights (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Long Voyage Home (1940), Citizen Kane (1941), How Green Was My Valley (1941), Song of the South (1946)
Sven Nykvist 1922-2006

As Ingmar Bergman s choice cinematographer, Nykvist was given the unenviable task of transforming the Swedish auteur s startling, often surreal, images into reality in front of the camera. Despite this, Nykvist was noted for his subtlety and simplicity, favouring naturalistic lighting to complement Bergman s slow, paced style of storytelling. He was unpretentious and often hidden behind his towering director, but Nykvist was still acknowledged for his work with two Academy Awards for Cries and Whispers and Fanny and Alexander. Nykvist also worked with directors such as Roman Polanski, Woody Allen and Andrei Tarkovsky. He was the first European cinematographer to join the American Society of Cinematographers, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASC in 1996.
Notable films: The Virgin Spring (1960), Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1973), Fanny and Alexander (1982), The Sacrifice (1986), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
Vittorio Storaro Born 1940

Vittorio Storaro (born 24 June 1940 in Rome) is a three-time Academy Award winning Italian cinematographer. He is most famous for his work on Apocalypse Now (his first Oscar), where he was given free reign by Francis Ford Coppola to photograph the film’s acclaimed visual look. He went on to win Oscars for Reds and The Last Emperor, which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, his most frequent collaborator. Storaro is widely regarded as a master cinematographer with a sophisticated philosophy largely inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe s theory of colors, which focuses in part on the psychological effects different colors have and the way in which colors influence our perceptions of different situations. With his son, Fabrizio Storaro, he created the Univisium format system to unify all future theatrical and television movies into one respective aspect ratio of 2.00:1.
Notable films: The Conformist (1970), Last Tango in Paris (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), Reds (1981), The Last Emperor (1987), The Sheltering Sky (1990)
Sergei Urusevsky 1908-1974

Though nowhere near as prolific as others on this list, Urusevsky has earned an almost mythic status among cinematographers due to his work with Russian director Mikhail Kalatozov on such films as I am Cuba and The Cranes are Flying. His nearly unbelievable combination of deep focus, acrobatic tracking shots, subjective perspective and other remarkable cinematographic trickery was so ahead of its time that it wouldn’t be seen in the west until over a decade later. Unfortunately, his Kaltozov collaborations were largely buried by the Soviet propaganda machine, and have only recently been restored thanks to acknowledged admirers such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. His spectacular camerawork, which often distracted from the proper focus of the scene, was defended by Urusevsky, remarking that, It has never interested me, as cameraman, to just register what is going on in front of the camera.
Notable films: The Forty-First (1956), The Cranes are Flying (1957), The Unsent Letter (1959), I am Cuba (1964)

Kazuo Miyagawa 1908-1999

Miyagawa is arguably the most important cinematographer in Japanese history, having worked with a who s who of Japanese auteurs, including Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, and Kenji Mizoguchi. He is perhaps most famous for his work on Rashomon, where he was the first person to point a camera directly into sunlight (utilising years of study on light exposure). He was also known for using multiple camera setups for scenes, and acclaimed for his contrast of sweeping tracking shots and sharp close-ups. Other innovations on the film include using mirrors to reflect natural light and using dyed black water as rain, to make it appear more vivid on camera. He was also a master of genres, working on comedies (The Rickshaw Man), samurai films (the Zatoichi films), as wells as overseeing 164 cameramen and using over 234 different lenses for Tokyo Olympiad, often compared with Leni Riefenstahl s Olympia as one of the greatest Olympics documentaries.
Notable films: Rashomon (1950), Ugetsu (1953), Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Floating Weeds (1959), Yojimbo (1961), Zatoichi (1964), Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
About Author : Cinemania was a reference and educational application produced by Microsoft and published annually beginning in 1992. The software was mainly a database of films, in a similar fashion to the Internet Movie Database, and gave descriptions of the films and who starred in them. Most of this information was not readily accessible before broadband internet.

Further Reading: Rajeev Jain ICS WICA – Cinematographer – Director of Photography – DOP – http://www.rajeevjain.com/

Because the Rajeev Jain cinematographer is so closely tied to the look and visual design of a film Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree, one would think a graduation from DOP (aka Director of Photography) to Director would be a natural and common transition. The opposite is true.

You can look up the definition of cinematography anywhere. It’s about making choices relating to cameras and also the lighting in films. It’s ‘writing for the cinema’ also so costuming and other elements must be a part of it. What is cinematography? A film has to have light to be called a film; Is there more to cinematography than light and cameras? What is the purpose of costume and what is the purpose of cameras and lighting…Cinematography is using the camera and lighting in ways so that a whole composite film is produced. If there is costuming involved, cinematography also involves this element. And scenery too will be part of the ‘whole’ which is cinematography.

Look at film such as Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree for example. You can see that ‘cinematography’ then involves the whole film…the whole and costuming is one of its parts. I heard that Manika Sharma, director asked the actress Shabana Azmi to choose their own colours and fabrics. This is interesting but I heard also somewhere else say that she chose the colours. green especially. This is identical in some way to ‘choosing’ the scenery in this film especially Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree as well as other parts of the Indian countryside, where you could say that the cinematographer ‘chose’ the Indian countryside and the town life.

The scenery in the latter film may be seen as something perhaps hostile. It is something that you can’t comprehend. The scenery too is something that the characters are not really ‘aware’ and ‘conscious’ of. You could say that the five main characters (kids) are lonely and ‘emotional’ types. They both have their problems and the local population has its own major problem of old tree. In some way the characters are not conscious of the scenery but this is not to say that the scenery is something external or that the lighting is something external. or the costuming. It just seems to be a fact of life that lighting, scenery and costuming can get ‘lives’ of their own in some way. .!

Someone said that life is what happens while you are ‘thinking’ so much of yourself and your own problems and maybe this is what Cinematography is. Cinematography is recording what’s outside….It’s good when there are no principal characters. no one that the film talks through. I don’t think that the film talks through the principal character in Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree I don’t think that the films talks through anyone. So cinematography then, in this film, is about worlds…maybe not just describing them but recording them. That’s the nice thing about this film. they record…and that’s why one is so conscious of the cinematography.

Rajeev Jain is one of the hottest Indian cinematographers working in the Bollywood industry today. I met with Rajeev at Film city, Mumbai to talk about his work as a cinematographer with some of Bollywood’s biggest names in directing.

Could you talk about the collaborative relationship between the director and cinematographer? What is the ideal situation for you? How do you like to work with a director?

Rajeev: One of the things I like about what I do is precisely the collaboration with the director, and the opportunity to work with people who I find their point of view [how they see things] interesting, and to work with someone who would approach things completely differently than I would. I find that it helps me grow when I get involved with someone else s point of view. And I have to learn to listen and see why a director would go in a path that would not have been my first instinct. But, then discovering what it is about that path that I can work on, it helps me to grow, and sometimes it s painful. It can be difficult to find your way in a certain new perspective.

Ideally, I try to get myself in tune with the director’s point of view. And what I enjoy is then coming back with a set of ideas that conform to that basic structure or groundwork and bring something additional to the plate.

What is your process for preparing for a film?

Rajeev: My process is, I of course, first read the script, and from there, ideas are generated, but I try not to fall in love with my ideas just get some basic concepts. I try to listen first to what the director has to say, maybe talk about some of the concepts I had on my first read. Then once I understand the approach to what the director is trying to do, then I go to my photography books or visual references and try to come up with visual ideas that I can present to the director. Maybe a certain scene could have a certain type of framing or grain structure or colour. And I present these ideas to the director so we can ping pong ideas back and forth, discard some, keep some and that will evolve during preproduction. For me, that s very enjoyable, and that s exactly the process I’m in right now with the current movie. I m doing investigation, and then, of course, the production designer and research will come into play as well. So it s a three-part collaboration. I try to be involved in all of it with the Director and Production Designer.

Of course, the ideas are all based on the director s original intention, but we all try to come up with ideas that will work together. It s a whole process that s really enjoyable and for me. Prep is like going to (Bhartendu Natya Academy, Lucknow) my drama school all over again. I try to keep an open mind and test, test, test everything that I am imagining. I always try to test things I haven t done before, not for the sake of doing something different but to explore different avenues and to see what we can get. Then, I present these ideas and tests to the director, and from there, we narrow it down to what will be the movie.

What if a director comes to you with the storyboards all prepared and says, I want it like that ?

Rajeev: That happened to me only once on a movie Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree in India, and I actually tried to quit. Even while scouting locations in Mahableshwar, any proposal I had about camera placement or framing would immediately be shot down because everything had to be exactly how the director planned it on the storyboard, so there was no room for anything. So I said, what do you want me for, find someone else. But then she said, but you can do whatever you like with lighting, but this is what I want with camera angles and framing. So I decided to go for it and told myself I would learn to work like this, and it was a good experience for me in the end. I try not to set myself into a definite way of working because every director is different, so I try to be flexible and work in different ways.

That movie helped me to work with Manika Sharma. She does shot lists or pre-storyboarding. It comes up in the set after rehearsal, and she ll stand there and contemplate. She’ll ask for the directors finder with a specific lens, and she ll set the angle and framing, and that for me is different than what I had done with other directors. It wasn’t easy for me when we started Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree but I got used to it. Manika has very good taste in terms of framing and choice of lenses, and it always makes sense to me. Because the choices she makes are correct. It doesn’t hurt me because it s not a thing about ego, she picked it, so then I’m upset . No she s right, it s a good angle and a good lens, and I have no problem with that. You only have a problem when it doesn’t feel right. When you know that choices could work better another way. But most of the time, the differences between what she ll pick and what I would have done have to do with camera height. Manika always wants the camera to be the eye level of the actor, no matter what. I find that s not always the best angle. It’s almost like a mantra, it s the way it is. Sometimes I would have to really talk him into the slightest adjustment. I certainly do find Manika’s approach very much organic with the material. The choices have to do with the characters and the story, and they are very subjective and I like it. I enjoy working with her, although it is not the kind of collaboration I have with Chandrakant Kulkarni, or Satish Kaushik or Ram Shetty.

I can draw a little bit, so sometimes I’ll do some storyboarding. At times we’ve hired storyboard artists, but we do sit down in preproduction. And I really like the process, even if we don t use it during production because it gets us talking very specifically about the scene and what type of lenses, why would we start with a detail or a long shot, why? Why are we doing things, of course, we use our intuition when we are shot listing, but it really gives a sense to the way each scene is covered and helps very much in editing. Manika has a really good sense of editing and sound, so in storyboarding we also talk about how it s going to cut together. We shot list as if we are editing, we even makes sounds, or do music. So it s a very enjoyable process. And on the set, we have a blue print, whether we chose to use it or lose it.

So Manika Sharma is the only woman you’ve worked with so far?

Rajeev: No, My earlier film was also with a female director. Her name was Wanuri Kahiu, and the film was called, Rasstar. With Manika, it was very exciting to do Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree because it was very collaborative. We shot listed the whole movie together. We would also have meetings with the production designer and several people involved, and talk about all the things that were not scripted, transitions, paintings turning into reality. Many of those transitions we worked on together. She is incredibly creative, and she ll come up with these amazing ideas. But she is open to listening to all of our ideas too. It was really exhilarating.

What attracts you to a project creatively?

Rajeev: One thing is the challenge; I look for a new challenge. I tend to choose projects that are different than the one I did before. Although it’s not so much on purpose, I have to find something in the script that is close to me in some way, or close to my heart or something that I’m interested in exploring. Almost as if it would be something I would direct as well. So far, I have never chosen a project as a job. It s always been something I want to participate in for many reasons. The experience of Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree. But mostly it s about my heart telling me this is something I want to do right now.

What if you don t like the script?

Rajeev: I read a lot of scripts, and I won’t even finish it if it is not talking to my heart. Genre is important also, I try to dip my feet into all sorts of different genres. I did turn down a movie recently because it was a classic Western, and I don’t like Westerns. The script was really good, it had cowboys, shoot outs, everything, a classic Western genre film. I don’t go and see Westerns, so if I m going to do a movie, it is one I would go see in the cinema. Who knows, maybe later in life I will change my mind and do a Western? [laughs]

What attributes do you like in a director?

Rajeev: For me the most important thing is passion. And a director who is not passionate about his project turns me off. That means sometimes I work with directors who will really challenge me and the crew, and we will work long hours, and it s tough. But I much prefer that, to someone who just wants to get it done in a reasonable amount of time and go home, just get it in the can. So passion is the most important thing.

What kind of visual references have you used in communication with a director, or a director has used to communicate with you?

Rajeev: Manika said she wanted Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree to look like weeds growing out of a sidewalk. I think a big part of the colour palette came from that, lots of cyan. For example, I presented Manika with a set of scanned photographs and paintings with references of colour, composition, grain, and lighting, including photos of Sebasteao Salgado, and paintings from Rembrandt and Caravaggio.

For Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree when Manika presented the script to me, we had worked together on many commercials before, in this sleek style, precise lighting. She knew my past work, and she was afraid I wouldn’t want to do gritty dirty movies. So I read the script and came in to our first meeting to talk about the visuals with a book about Trees that I had recently discovered. Manika had the same book with her as a reference, and she said you may not like this, but here are some references for the movie. And I pulled out the same book, so our starting point was the same.

Do you expect or like a director to know specific focal lengths and understand depth of field?

Rajeev: It helps that they do understand technical aspects, but it is not essential. I see advantages of both cases. When I worked with Manika Sharma, she had already done lots of other work and she had a certain language of film, but she wasn’t extremely technically savvy. But I think it helped because she would come up with ideas that weren’t constrained to the traditional limitations that you think of the way you shoot something, or visual effects or whatever. So then, I had to figure out technically how to achieve her idea. So I tried very hard not to limit her by saying that would be really difficult because of this and that okay, this is what she wants, and how do we do it? So, it was exciting, and I think in that case, it was to our advantage that she didn’t know the limitations that technique will put in her brain. There is always a way to achieve something.

But she is very technically savvy. Most of the directors do understand focal length, they are very experienced, but for Manika the subtlety between a 32mm and a 28mm is a big deal for him, one filter versus another, so she s very aware of the subtle differences. If I show her the difference between one film stock and another, she will see the differences; other directors may not, so sometimes you have to present them the differences that are bigger. Such is the case with her, she is not about subtlety, when you propose something it has to be bold and she has to see it, it s interesting, both ways I enjoy, it s just a matter of jiving with a director.

Have you worked with directors who use focal length and depth of field aesthetically to amplify the thematic elements of the script or scene?

Rajeev: Usually in the movies I’ve done it has been something I brought to it. Manika Sharma has her choices of lenses. Usually she will do a master shot with a 27mm; a 25 is too wide angle, medium shots will be 50mm, close ups 75mm. I tried to propose in certain parts of the story going more with a long lens and hidden. She liked the idea, but when we were shooting, it would always be the same lenses, and that s just his way of working. She would be the director who was most specific about lenses, but it was because she was comfortable with those lenses. In Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree for certain stories, we used different focal lengths to tell the stories. The story of the old tree, we used longer lenses because we wanted to convey more of a sense of feelings, because she was going around looking at people. Another story was more kinetic. It was all movement on dolly but with different lenses. It was something I brought to Manika and she liked it. On Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree we used shallow depth of field to represent the perception, mute character in India.

Do you prefer primes or zooms?

Rajeev: Absolutely. I think the main reason I operate when I can, although I don’t always. But it s to see the performance. I do get involved with them when I am looking through the camera, and the actors are feeling these emotions. I will get emotional too. Several times I have cried on camera. It really is amazing. You get the front seat of the best performances of the best actors in the world, and you are right there, best seat in the house. So it s really amazing.

Regarding video, do the directors you work with watch the live performances or the monitors?

Rajeev: A little of both, although the monitors are pretty magnetic. Most of the time, directors will be by the monitors. But they are moving them closer to where the performers are rather than being in a video far away from the camera. Manika will be right behind the camera with a clamshell, or will be right near the camera with a small monitor. On Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree there was a video, but that was because we had two cameras, and it was necessary for Manika to see both the cameras, so it depends. But I have found that directors like to see what is actually going to be captured on the film. But still being closer to the performers is what the directors I ve been working with do.

What time of day cannot be re-created on set, or is difficult to recreate?

Rajeev: The most difficult is sunlight on a big area of a set. To have a bright hard light source with a precise shadow, I don’t think there is one unit that can create that in a big area right now. There are the soft suns that are very bright and cover a big area, but the shadow will be slightly soft. I think that s probably the biggest challenge. In Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree I lit a scene with a 100k soft sun and tried not to see the floor. It works fine in the close up, but in the wide shot you can tell more that it is lit. I think large areas of sunlight are very difficult to recreate on a sound stage.

What about magic hour?

Rajeev: Magic hour is about softness, lack of shadow, it s not that hard to do. It depends on what units you use. During Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree I had a very big challenge in the final sequence. It’s supposed to happen at sunset. Manika wanted a purplish light combined with the golden light of sunset. I was terrified of it. How do you create the afternoon sunlight outside schoo in Mahablehwar on a huge street? I had sunset light coming in through the alley, and it was difficult; it had to be one stop over. I had maybe eight dinos, concord lights, jumbo lights, lit up like a stadium. And then it started to get to magic hour. Right now, I’m colour grading it. That scene is the main scene we are doing a DI [digital intermediate] for this movie.

Has the Digital Intermediate changed the way you shoot a film?

Rajeev: A little bit, for example, on Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree I wasn’t sure in the end if it would be a DI or not. So all the time I kept talking about that purple scene because Manika kept asking me how I was going to light it. And I would say, I can’t, there is no DP in the world that will light this huge street with purple light, it’s impossible. We have to use this ambient light and make it purple in colour grading. Two, three days later, he would ask me again. I wasn’t sure if we were going to have a DI, but that is the one scene I was counting on for the DI in colour grading.

One thing with a DI that complicates matters is that a director is expecting that you can do anything with the DI, and it s not really like Telecine. In Telecine, you can do more than a DI because you have the print on film. Sometimes I lit in a certain way where I lose detail in certain shadows and I want that, but on Telecine, there is detail there, because the negative has it [the details], but the final print won t have the same details. So the director sees their dailies on video, and they see all these things that you won’t have on the final print, but they want it. So I’ve been suffering with DI s a bit because they sometimes want to brighten the shadows more than was my intention. How do you get dailies to look the way your print will look? The difference between how the negative responds and the print is just not the same.

I am now using EFilm where you scan the negative in from the beginning so you see dailies that are colour corrected to match with the look of a print. So hopefully our dailies will look more like the end result. For visual effects, you can colour correct as you go, and it stays with it. That will make the DI in the end more effective and will take less time. Then everyone agrees where you are going, so there’s less tweaking in the end.

Regarding formats, what makes you decide between a super 35mm, or regular 35mm format, or even super 16mm over HD? Do you suggest format to a director based on the project?

Rajeev: Whatever I think works for the subject matter, I have no preference at all. I like to vary it. On Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree we ended up going 1:85. I think almost a natural choice would have been widescreen. But when we were scouting locations in Ladakh, we checked with my viewfinder, and saw the locations with the 2:35 and the 1:85, and Manika felt the 2:35 was too beautiful. Because the mountain ranges looked fantastic, but she wanted to feel the ground where the people lived. She wanted to see the floor, so we actually ended up favouring compositions that sort of saw the floor, felt the ground. So that was the main reason we wanted to go 1:85 on the movie. Even though in Japanese sequence I used anamorphic lenses, we cut off the sides and used only the 1:85 portion of it. I wanted the anamorphic look for the depth of field but the aspect ratio was 1:85. So it varies. I think on this movie I’m going to do now I’ll probably go anamorphic because we do want the 2:35 aspect ratio. But for the depth of field, I could go super 35. The choice it just depends on what you feel for the subject matter. And so it’s something I always discuss with the director from the beginning. But I don t have a preference. Some DP s swear by anamorphic exclusively, and that s fine. That’s why right now I don t own equipment. I did for some time own some ultra prime lenses. I like them very much, but for example, in Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree I used Cookes. On this movie, I may use Panavision. I prefer not to be married to anything. It may be good business to own your own gear. I prefer to be free artistically to choose whatever I think works great for a scene or a movie.

What do you think of digital technology such as the HD cameras available today?

Rajeev: I did shoot Rastar in HD. We used the HD, but it was simple monologs to camera, so I didn’t put it through the works. Then I tested a Viper camera for Afrika for the Kenyan story. For this new movie I may use HD for a portion of the movie. If you re going for a certain look, it becomes a creative decision. I do find the technologies are getting better.

Do you think it s harder to light digital?

Rajeev: Yes, it has been case, but some of the newer technologies are trying to address that. I found that when I did the Carry on Pandu we had windows in the backgrounds, and I had to worry about the highlights. I didn’t like how they were clipping, so all this hype about it being easier and cheaper, and you don t need lighting, it s ridiculous. So I experienced it first hand in that case. It can be more complicated to light, but in low light, it does have its applications.

Do you think it s better to stay away from contrast in those situations, to stay softer with digital?

Rajeev: Just in terms of highlights, that s where it gets complicated. That’s what you have to watch out for. It’s maybe a little like when you are shooting reversal or cross processing or bleach by pass. That’s where you have to be conscious of highlights, like when I was shooting Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree But it has its applications. Maybe you are going for clipped highlights in some scenes, so why not?

Like your blown out windows, it became kind of a stylistic thing?

Rajeev: [Laughs] Yeah, you know there is a difference. It s the way highlights blow out on film. It’s the curve, it’s that shoulder, overexposure on film becomes soft, and I like that. I sometimes use that, the softness of overexposure. But on digital, it’s a hard edge, and I don’t like that, usually, unless you go for that for an aesthetic decision.

Are you worried about film?

Rajeev: No, not worried, not now. I used to be earlier. I heard all this hype and tested these first cameras. I did the movie with the F-900. And they were hailing it like, this is it. I could see it was certainly not at all the quality of film, let alone the look. It didn’t have the resolution or colour depth, no matter what they say. It just didn’t have the same range of film in terms of latitude or colour, so what so great about this? And all these cables and electronic inductions, a lot of problems. I just couldn’t figure out what people loved about it. Maybe the fact that you can keep rolling, and advantages like that, which have its applications. But aesthetically, I didn t see it. But now, I’m looking at the new cameras that do nearly 4k resolution like the Dalsa, or the Red, although I m not totally convinced about the Red in terms of latitude. I could still see the highlights clipping, but I was very impressed by the tests I saw of the Dalsa, which really had a high contrast situation, and it held up beautifully. It still had two or three issues, but it seems like we are finally approaching a situation where digital cameras will have a quality that is close to film.

On my new film, Afrika I’m thinking of using digital on some scenes because of the lack of grain. Digital becomes a different palette which enhances the possibilities of different textures on a movie. I will use film for some scenes for its characteristics and its grain, and I will use digital for its look and its lack of grain. It’s adding to our possibilities. And I’m also learning a lot. It s like being in film school again still trying to understand all this technology. This new language I didn’t have to deal with before. It’s interesting, exciting.

About the Author:

Vijendra Katheria is a Delhi-based cinematographer and author. He teaches cinematography and advanced film production at Asian Academy of Film and Television, New Delhi, as well as a course through the Extension entitled, Cinematography for Directors. Vijendra has shot numerous short films, independent feature films and documentaries that have screened in film festivals around the world. He has also taken on the role of producer, director, and editor on many projects.

Information for Indian Cinematography Students……

Some of the responses to the questions asked by visitors to the website! Drop me a line today.

QUESTION: HOW DO I BECOME AN INDIAN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY?

For people with successful careers in this business, the question most often heard is the one that asks how you got where you are. Sure enough, as soon as I began to set up this Web Site and state my willingness to share this information and answer questions about production I began to get inquiries regarding what I call “The Big Question”.

So I have written this generic answer. I hope it is useful to anyone contemplating a career behind or in front of the camera.

If you ask 10 or even a 100 different people as to how they got into this business you’ll get as many as 100 different answers. As for me, I’ve had a natural, lifelong interest in photography, partly due to my Guru, whose hobby was black and white still photography. Learning and training under him gave me loads of exposure to that type of photography which soon graduated from a hobby to a full blown passion. At that particular point of time I was also involved in theatre doing plays for small Theatre Companies in Lucknow, and apart from the character roles I also worked back stage as a carpenter / light operator/ Set construction on these plays. It all tied in together so perfectly.

The experience and training I gained in my adolescent years paid off full returns when i decided to get into a full time job. I began with a job as a light man in a TV station, my back stage experiences in carpentry/ set construction further sharpened and enhanced my skills. i began small time but with time my vision and my dreams grew and I saw for myself the possibility of a career as a cameraman in the television or film industry, to make this dream a reality i went back to Drama school full time  and i majored in theatre (stage craft) & in stage light designing production. Believe me completing my education was the best thing I could have done. In addition to a thorough education in many different phases of the business, it allowed me to focus and hone my natural abilities (which are strongly visual) to the point that I was sure I wanted to be a cinematographer.

In a way, because of my prior experience of working in a television station where I was allowed to do lighting, cameras, and build sets, etc., I was already way ahead of many of my peers when I started Drama school. Even so, I continued to hunt for part time work, projects, whatever would allow me to work with cameras, lights etc. A couple of summers before graduating I worked as a temporary technician in a TV station and right after graduation I was offered a full time apprentice position with Binod Pradhan to work behind the movie camera in Mumbai. While doing that job I continued to make little films on the side, by volunteering to shoot on VHS format, direct and edit anything for anybody as long as they would pay for the equipment, film, etc. Soon, after working for an 8 year time span where i covered and worked at different levels of cinematography i.e., as a spark, grip, key grip, loader, focus puller, camera operator, gaffer and through constant lobbying and showing my work, I was offered a cameraman s position at a TV production house.

From there, after a couple of years of effort and with several long-form TV commercials, industrial, corporate, documentaries & serials under my belt, my work was noticed by a very successful independent producer of network Film / TV / Commercials specials. He made me an offer I could not refuse; i.e. to spend a few years shooting many of the shows he produced for the network. That stroke of luck put me on the map as a DOP and my career has gone well ever since.

Nurturing the desire to become a DOP is a lot like saying you want to become a movie star. There are no set routes to such goals. Many try but few succeed. But the fundamentals of the craft can be learnt, and learnt well in a film school. So, incase of the special privileges that are bestowed on a selected few (like being born of a great cameraman, director or studio executive), film school is probably the best place to start. It will also expose you to a lot of information about many other aspects of the business.

What You Need To Know

There are obvious things one should study to become a DOP, i.e., photography, including composition, lighting, movement, and fine arts in general, including music, painting, even sculpture. It also helps if a DOP has good eye-hand coordination and is good with his or her hands, with tools. After all, a camera is just a big, complicated, delicate tool, with lots of interrelated parts which must be mastered by the DOP. It is also highly important for a DOP to be a good leader, a good communicator and have good people management skills. But one of the most important things a DOP should know well is often overlooked. It is the study of the theory of “montage” or editing. Montage theory is at the heart of what makes “movies” work, whether for television or the big screen. It also encompasses and necessitates the study and understanding of the psychology of human perception – the things that go on between “seeing” and subjectively “perceiving”.

Some of the most important dynamics of the moving images that we see on television or in a theater are the dynamics of “cutting” one scene, or shot or frame against another, then another, then another, etc. This dialectic process, this joining of two things to create a third, then joining that with yet another and so on, endlessly; this is the basic grammar of film as we know it and it works at many levels. It works in the juxtaposition of scenes, of shots within a scene and of the elements of sound and picture and movement. In what direction are the composition, lighting and physical movement leading the viewer s eye and what effects are the juxtapositions of these elements having on the viewers emotions and perceptions? Wide shot, medium shot, close-up, screen direction; these progressions are as basic to the language of film as subject and verb are to the spoken language. These concepts and more are fundamentals of the visual language of the moving image and should be well understood by anyone wanting to be a Cameraman.

On being a Director of Photography…

Q: Could you define the Cinematographers job? How does one find themselves in the lighting/electric department?

A: The Director of Photography/Cinematographer (yes one and the same person) is like the photographer of a movie. All the technical related dept (camera, lighting/electric, and grip) work qualifies as work for the DP. One in thirty-four (1/34) makes it as a DP. It takes years of professional experience to gain your I.C.S. AND W.I.C.A. accreditation.
Ask yourself this question…

So the bottom line is that there is no real set way of becoming a cinematographer. Ask yourself this question – What is your life about?” What are your hopes and dreams and find a path that best fits your needs. Do you want to work in the industry, learn from the pros and then start shooting?

…be prepared for the big drop in pay

A lot of camera assistants will work for a minimum of five to seven years and then start shooting. Camera Assistants make the most money in the entire techie dept. Money can be an evil sometimes, in the sense that you lose sight of your goals because you’re being offered so much of it. All of a sudden years go by and all you’ve done is made money.

Be prepared for the big drop in pay because you are not gonna lands a $2000 – 3500/day commercial gig in your first year much less your first three. Some people start shooting as soon as they get out of film school and five years later they might be a professional DP (in my opinion, a pro is someone who makes a living with their craft).

You will need an incident light meter (I recommend the Sekonic L398 for the beginner) and a spot meter (Minolta F or M). Also handy, working knowledge of various cameras, which means understanding depth of field, circle of confusion, camera operating and learn a feel and understanding of lighting which means an understanding of color temperature, gels, diffusions, bounces etc, etc..
Advice on volunteers…

People volunteer on shoots for three reasons:

1. To gain experience or upgrade.

2. To make contacts.

3. as a favor to someone whom they work with a lot.

Getting volunteers on a feature is very difficult because no one can really afford to work for free for eighteen weeks. My crews are loyal to me because I gave them a chance when no one else would. One of my camera assistants just got his letter from F.T.I.I. He was one of the lucky few who were accepted this year for the cinematography course. When a crew member cannot work with you because they have to make money you have to respect that.

Your key personnel have to have experience there is no doubt about that. Everyone else can be a volunteer. I worked on a lot of volunteer shoots when I was making the transition from corporate videos to film. The keys were always experienced and were always usually paid (usually below scale). You can do this on shorter format films but not on a feature.

Film is not only an art. It is also a business.

Executive Producers tend to not invest on inexperienced people such as the director or producer. I have seen ads where people are claiming that they could make a feature for $100,000.00 It can be done if you are an industry veteran who could get a lot of great deals from people and pull favors from other industry people. For every one of him there are hundreds whose film does not get finish for one reason or another. I humbly urge you, DO NOT approach the money man until you have done your job as a producer and everything is in place.

Find that gem of a script that is character driven, simple and has very few locations. Actors – you won t have any problems. Find an actor who has done a lot of work but is not quite on Bollywood s A List and give them a part that they cannot refuse. If you can attach names to your film then people will take interest and even give you money.

…filmmaker at heart!

I am one of the few people that actually worked in all three departments. Most people work in only one dept. But I think this is what made me a unique shooter. It also attracted a lot of directors towards me because I can do all three depts. I was a technician for hire but I am a filmmaker at heart. My theatre and filmmaking knowledge has helped me immensely in working with directors and understanding where they are coming from.

The Bottom Line………………

Final tip: If you really want to be successful as a DOP (or anything else in life) – be tenacious! Never give up! But be ready to spend many long, even frustrating years finding the road and climbing the ladder. Since there is no set route to becoming a Director of Photography or Director or Actor the way is often unclear and that can be very frustrating. But if you look at the careers of those who have become successful in this business you will see three things they all have in common: Tenacity, Tenacity, and Tenacity! Of course, talent is important, but more than that it is just lots of hard work and desire and sticking to it. Becoming a Doctor, Lawyer or Engineer is easy by comparison because the road is quite clear. If you just do the work, you get the title. It is very cut and dried. Making your own way in this business is far more challenging and that is really what separates the wheat from the chaff.
And do not forget luck & destiny. You will need lots of that. Not the kind you need when you are rolling the dice, but the kind that exists “where opportunity and preparation meet”! That kind of luck you can make for yourself. By becoming prepared, you are fully ready to seize the opportunity when it arises. And by diligent preparation you will also be exposing yourself to many opportunities as well as seeing ways to create your own.

Remember – visions are worth striving for.

What the mind can conceive, you can achieve if you believe.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / CINEMATOGRAPHER

The cinematographers responsibilities as outlined below are an attempt to describe the duties a cinematographer is likely to encounter during his/her career. No two jobs are the same and the duties will contract or expand depending on the scale and complexity of the job. As can be seen, there is a vast amount that a cinematographer is required to know and do and this can only be learnt over a number of years of filming. Our thanks to John Hora ASC who drew up this list for publication in the? American Cinematographer? Magazine. It has been slightly adapted for this website to reflect Indian technical terminology.

I  Preproduction

A.  Conceptual  research  and  Design
* Discuss all aspects of script and directors approach to picture in preliminary talks with director
* Analyze script as whole
* Analyze story structure
* Analyze characters
* Research period, events, general subject and appropriate design elements
* Devise style, visualize approach
* Continue talks with director on new ideas
* Come to agreement with director
* Discuss and come to agreement with production designer
* Discuss and come to agreement with technical adviser.

B.  Practical  Research  and  Design.
* Ascertain or find out budget requirements
* Scout and approve locations
* Plot sun position for locations
* Check local weather
* Check tide tables near ocean
* Review, discuss and approve set plans
* Review, discuss and approve spotting plans for stages
* Review and approve props, picture cars, airplanes, boats, horse-drawn vehicles, mock-ups and miniatures

C.  Technical  Research  and  Design.
* Visit laboratory to calibrate, customize and evaluate exposure system for any combination of electronic or chemical image capture, and establish developing, printing, set timing and transfer protocols
* Visit equipment vendors
* Explore new equipment
* Learn how new equipment works
* Invent (or cause to be invented) special equipment or techniques for show
* Standardize and create effects bible for show
* Help create and approve any storyboards
* Design (or cause to be designed) and approve any built-in or practical lighting fixture
* Design lighting-plot plan and rigging for stages and locations with gaffer and key grip
D.  Quality  Control
* Choose and approve crew, film stock, lab, equipment, second-unit and visual-effects crews
* Supervise manufacture and testing of new modified equipment
* Visit sets under construction
* Approve wild walls, ceiling pieces and any moving set pieces
* Check lighting-fixture crew
* Walk locations and stages with all departments to discuss requirements
* Approve set colors and textures
* Approve costume colors and textures
* Approve makeup and hair
* Generate (or cause to be generated) and approve equipment lists for camera, electric and grip
* Check dailies screening rooms for correct standards
E.  Implementation
* Cast stand-ins
* Train crew to use any new equipment
* Walk locations and stages with director and device shooting plan
* Make list of special equipment for production manager and indicate number of days required
* Work with assistant director on shooting schedule (order and days required for each scene)
* Estimate and order film stock (type, size and quantity)
* Generate (or cause to be generated) and approve rigging and shooting manpower and man-days
* Assist other departments in getting required equipment, manpower and tests
* Drop by all departments and visit department heads at least twice a day to answer any questions
* Mediate any problems between departments
* Check loading of production trucks or cargo containers for location or international shipping
* Visit cast run-throughs and rehearsals
* Advise and back up director on any problems
* Help production problems
F.  Testing
* Shoot tests for style
* Shoot tests for lab
* Shoot test for lighting of principal actors
* Shoot tests for camera and lenses
* Shoot tests for wardrobe and makeup
* Shoot tests for any special effects processes, unusual rigs props or methods

II  Shooting

A.  Planning
* Check and approve all call sheets and shooting order of the day?s work
B.  Blocking
* Watch rehearsal of scene to be shot
* Device shot list with director (coverage)
* Choose lens and composition; show to director for approval
* Make sure composition and movement fulfill scene task
* Work out mechanical problems with camera, dolly and crane grips
* Set any camera-movement cues
* Place stand-ins and rehearse, fine-tune
* Ensure proper coverage of scene for editor
* Work with assistant director on background action
C.  Lighting
* Design lighting to show set/location to best advantage relative to story, style and dramatic content
* Light each actor to reinforce and reveal character
* Make sure mood and tone of light help to tell story
* Design light for minimum reset time between setups
* Utilize painter for control of highlights, shadows, aging, dusting-down of sets and props
* Set and match light value, volume, color and contrast of each setup (exposure)
* Set any lights cues (dimmers, spot lights, color changes and any preprogramming)
D.  Preparation
* Work out any sound problems
* Work out any problems with other departments
* Check, set and approve all stunts with stunt coordinator
* Set any additional cameras required for stunts
* Double-check safety with all concerned
* Show shot to director to make any final changes
* Get actors in for final mechanical rehearsal; solve any outstanding problems
E.  Photography
* Photograph scene
* Approve or correct take
* Check parameters and reset for next take
* Shoot any plates
* Shoot any video playback material
* Move to next step
F.  Administrative
* Define first setup in morning and after lunch
* Make sure that stills are taken of scene
* See that ?making of? and/or EPK crews get needed footage
* Make sure script supervisor has any special camera or lighting notes
* Check film raw stock inventory
* Try to shoot up short ends
* Check that camera logbook is being kept up to date
* Complete day s work
* Discuss first setup for the next day
* Ensure that camera, electrical and grip crews get all copies of equipment rental or purchase invoices and approve before accountants pay vendors
* Take care of any future or ongoing production at end of day
* Check for return of all unused equipment
G.  Quality  Control
* Call in for lab report
* View previous day s work in projected dailies with director, producer, editor and camera crew
* Discuss and approve dailies
* Consult with makeup, wardrobe, production designer and assistant director about dailies
* View, discuss, correct or approve second-unit or effects dailies
* Order reprints if necessary
H.  Training
* Teach beginning actors movie technique (hitting marks, size of frame, lenses, etc.)
* Train camera crew for next job up the ladder
I.  Contingency
* If director is disabled, finish day s shooting for him or her

III.  Postproduction

A.  Additional  Photography
* Discuss and be aware of delivery dates for all postproduction
* Photograph or approve any additional scenes, inserts, special effect or second-unit footage
B.  Timing  (Color  and  Density)
* Time and approve trailer for theaters and TV
* Approve all optical and digital effects compositions
* Time the picture
* Retime until correct
C.  Quality  Control
* Approve final answer print
* Show to director for OK
* Approve interpositive (IP)
* Approve internegatives (IN)
* Approve release prints
* Approve show prints from original negative
* Approve all blowups or reductions
D.  Telecine/Color  Correction
* Supervise and approve film or digital original transfer to electronic or film media (Hi-Def, NTSC, PAL, Scam masters, digital intermediates, archival masters, etc.)
* Supervise and approve all transfers to and from digital intermediates
* Supervise and approve all letterbox, pan and scan or reformatting of film
* Supervise and approve tape-to-tape color correction and VHS, DVD, digital projection media, etc.
* Show electronic transfers to director for OK
E.  Publicity
* Do any publicity (newspaper, magazine, Internet, radio, TV, DVD commentary etc.)
F.  Restoration/Archival
* be available for any future reissue, archival reprint or electronic transfer of film.

This list of duties of the cinematographer was published in http://www.rajeevjain.com/