1 The Director of Photography – an overview

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The camera crew
An overview
Before a camera crew is formed for any production, the DP will probably
have had an interview with the director and the producer.
Particularly in television, it is quite normal for them to interview perhaps
three DPs before making their choice, even if there was a clear
favourite right at the beginning. It is a fortunate DP who is well known
enough to the director and producer to be asked to shoot their film
without having to be interviewed.
Once the DP is confirmed they will start to look for their operator.
Most DPs have a preferred operator with a second choice in mind
in case the first is already booked on another production. It is quite
acceptable for the director to have a significant input into the choice
of operator as, in the UK at least, the director will often work very
closely with the operator to choose and set up the shots. In America
it is equally common for the operator to work solely with the DP. The
DP will, if this is the director’s preferred way of working, most probably
have had several meetings with the director and design department
to set the overall look of the film, and as the director and DP
often travel together on an away job there is plenty of time for them
to discuss finer points before they reach the set. If they are not travelling
together it is usual to have a discussion about the next day at the
end of the day’s shooting or, if the director doesn’t want to commit
themselves, first thing in the morning, perhaps at breakfast.
Once the operator has been chosen they will be asked to nominate
a focus puller and clapper loader. These appointments will always
require the approval of the DP, the producer and probably the director.
The camera crew works in a very supportive way – that is, each
grade is only as good as the support they receive from the colleague
around them. The individual crew responsibilities from the trainee
through to the DP are therefore as follows.
The trainee
Many years ago it was common to have a trainee on the crew.
Restrictions to budget and the collapse of both the studio system