As a director, you have to oversee every aspect of production, but you can’t micromanage it all. You need to communicate your goals and listen to your cinematographer to achieve your vision. When do you start developing this relationship? How do you know you’re hiring the right person for this role?

As a cinematographer, you have to take charge while telling a director’s story. How do you lead without taking control? How do you ensure this is an effective dynamic? When do you speak up to ensure the director has everything they need?

When this dynamic duo is at their best, the results can be breathtaking. But if they’re at odds, it will always undermine the success of your film.

Directors, cinematographers, and directors of photography can all gain invaluable information from this Stage 32 exclusive webinar, showing you exactly how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them to ensure a cohesive result built on solid communication and trust between the director and cinematographer.

Taking you through the inner workings of the director-cinematographer relationship is Emmy Award winning director and cinematographer Charlene "Charlie" Fisk who has worked with networks including FX, Netflix, PBS, ESPN, Disney, HGTV, TLC, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, Food Network, and OWN.

In addition to the incredible wealth of information from Charlene, she will also answer questions for you using her years of experience about the roles of director and cinematographer, or your own feature or role in productions.

You’ll walk away with the tools to find the right partnership and cultivate it to create a powerful experience, leading to a fantastic feature film.

Finding A Dynamic Director And Cinematographer Team

• What is the relationship between the director and the cinematographer?
• What to look for when finding your team
• Ways to gauge if the dynamic is effective

Unifying The Vision With Cinematic Choices

• How to work together in development to create visual themes
• How does this partnership work with other departments to convey a cohesive vision?
• How to create a unified vision on set
• How to adjust to an ever-changing creative environment on set

The Cinematographer's Responsibilities And How To Execute Them

• Articulating cinematography goals on the project
• Translating the director's vision from language to picture
• Being flexible on set without sacrificing coverage

The Director's Responsibilities And How To Achieve Them

• Knowing and communicating important coverages
• Communicating lighting and lenses
• Understanding when to listen to the DP

The Toolkit: Actionable Items For Successful Communication

• Color palette generators for tone
• Cinematography style guide examples for directors
• Storyboard options
• Scene blocking apps and software

Q&A with Charlene

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them.

Producers looking to learn how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them.

Actors looking to learn how to find the right people for your production and how to work with them.