lighting cameraman

[Uranium City]

I first ran into this phrase when "Eyes Wide Shut" came out and I've always wondered about it...it seems to have been used in lieu of DP or cinematographer on that film, but I'm wondering...

What is the distinction/professional difference between a Director of Photography, a Cinematographer and a Lighting Cameraman?

 

[knightly]

A lighting camera man is a bit of a blend between a DP (who technically needs to have staff to be a director of... ), and Camera Operator and a Gaffer (who are the minimum two folks needed to be a DP - I think it's just a personal preference though, I've had lively debates about the term elsewhere).

 

[indietalk]

I think here it was because Kubrick was directing the photography, and the cameraman was lighting, not directing. On all of his other films he is DP.

After a google I have found the Kubrick shot a lot of this film himself, that's why. He was basically the DP.

 

[M1chae1]

If I'm not mistaken though, if you are director (in the US), you can not also run the camera--unions don't allow this. Director/DP's like Ridley Scott (from the UK) hate this about American unions...sometimes, he says, he just wants to shoot his own damn shot. But he can't.

 

[CDCosta]

I think you are right Michael.

I know that union sets cant touch other departments equipment.(The Gaffer cant touch the camera, the director cant touch the lights, etc)

There's even a word for it, I think its Gratuity.

I'm not sure if that applys to a person being both positions, and if its possible or not. Altough you can technically be Director of Photography without touching the camera.

 

[SteveMunro]

The Director of photography more often than not will not operate the camera. I'm not saying the DoP (DP) doesn't occasionally operate, but as the HOD they will usually have a crew to focus/operate/assist/grip etc. A cinematographer is anyone with technical proficiency who uses light aesthetically to record a moving image and can generally be applied to the same level of expertise as a DoP but without (necessarily) a department (or crew) to direct. Again, the cinematographer may have crew to direct so it's not an absolute. A lighting cameraman/woman is a term usually given to single person crews who have the technical proficiency to know where to place the light as well as knowing what light to place there (and how). Generally the term is used to distinguish DoP/Cinematographer in Movies to Lighting cameraman/woman on news/current affairs/corporates/video production etc.

 

[ngoforth]

"Lighting Cameraman" is the British version of Director of Photography. In American productions of any size, the DP (or cinematographer, or cameraman) often doesn't operate the camera - the camera operator does, along with the 1st assistant cameraman pulling focus and running the machine. The DP makes the creative decisions and supervises the lighting and the camerawork. Same in Britain, pretty much.

I was asked who lit the set for my short film "Web of Lies". I did, I was the DP. I wasn't the camera operator, but I set the camera, and told him what the shot was.