Cinematographer
What the work is
Plans, directs and coordinates lighting, camera angles, movement and composition for films and videos.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans and organises the visual aspects of film or video productions
- Determines the lighting, camera angles and composition for each scene
- Collaborates with the director and other members of the production team to achieve the desired visual style
- Selects and operates cameras, lenses, filters and other equipment to capture high-quality footage
- Supervises the work of camera operators and other members of the camera crew
- Reviews and approves the final footage, including colour grading, to ensure that it meets the artistic and technical requirements
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a short film shoot at a series of locations around a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene comes together after a long day and everyone on set feels it
- A tricky location problem gets solved and the shoot stays on schedule
- You watch the finished film with the whole crew and see your own small decisions on the screen
Hard days
- Rain on the day you had planned for sunshine, with a crew waiting for you to decide
- A creative disagreement between two people you both respect
- A long day that ends with tomorrow's call sheet still not written
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231433, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.