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Film, commercial & documentary
Cinematographer
You climb this ladder one department position at a time.
Typical pay
$40k-$150k, highly variable
How you get in
Camera department experience; film school optional
Outlook
Competitive; commercial and branded content are steadier than film
Cinematographers design and execute the visual look of film and video. The path runs through the camera department — loader, second AC, first AC, operator — and skipping steps is rare outside of low-budget work.
A day in the life
- 6:00aCrew call, unload the truck and build the camera
- 7:30aBlocking rehearsal and lighting the first setup
- 10:00aShoot coverage, adjusting light between setups
- 1:00pLunch, exactly on the hour by union rules
- 2:00pCompany move and relight
- 8:00pWrap, download media, back it up twice
How to get in
Up through the camera department
Duration
5-10 years
Cost
$0-$10,000 for basic gear
Credential
None — credits and relationships
- Start as a production assistant or camera trainee
- Move to second AC, then first AC, learning focus and camera systems
- Operate on smaller projects while assisting on larger ones
- Shoot your own low-budget work continuously to build a reel
Film school
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$30,000-$200,000
Credential
BFA or MFA in film production
- Complete a program with substantial hands-on shooting
- Build a crew network — these are the people who hire you later
- Shoot constantly, beyond assignments
- Still expect to start in the camera department after graduating
Commercial and corporate video
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$10,000-$80,000 for a camera package
Credential
Reel plus owned gear
- Own a camera package and shoot corporate, branded and event work
- Far steadier income than narrative film
- Build toward commercials, which pay the best day rates
- Many DPs sustain their film work on commercial income
What people love
- · Genuinely artistic work with technical depth
- · Union rates and benefits at higher levels
- · Commercial work pays extremely well per day
- · Every project is a different problem
What wears people down
- · 12-14 hour days are standard
- · Freelance with no guaranteed continuity
- · Physically demanding gear handling
- · Advancement depends heavily on relationships