The head of the camera and lighting departments. The DP translates the director’s visual vision into actual images, choosing cameras, lenses, lighting setups, and shot composition.
The DP is often the director’s closest creative collaborator on set. The chemistry between directorThe creative lead of the music video. They develop the conce... and DP is a huge factor in how a video looks and feels. A strong DP can elevate a modest concept significantly.
Director of Photography (DP) in the real world
Lance Acord shot the majority of Spike Jonze’s landmark music videos in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Fatboy Slim’s Praise You and Weapon of Choice. The visual consistency across those videos came from Jonze and Acord’s shared instinct for naturalistic lighting and wide lenses. Acord later became a sought-after feature film DP, shooting films including Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.
Related terms
DirectorThe creative lead of the music video. They develop the conce..., GafferThe chief lighting technician on set. The gaffer designs and..., BlockingPlanning the precise movement of the artist, actors, and cam..., ColoristA specialist who handles the colour grading of the video in ..., SteadicamA camera mounted on a stabilising harness worn by the operat..., Depth of fieldThe range of distance in front of the camera that appears in...