This could have taken you 10-15 years as you ‘paid your dues’, and may never have come to fruition. And there is no one way to become a cinematographer. But when someone hands you a business card and you have nothing to hand back, it sends a message and can feel weird. Go to Squarespace, Wix, Cargocollective, or even Tumblr and make a site for yourself. For more advice, including how to build a strong portfolio, scroll down! It’s to get exposure and learn how a real professional set operates. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. All these elements that are crucial to getting a great photo also apply to getting a great shot. Be a Storyteller. When you’re out and about during your day, take moments to look at a nearby landscape or city street. And in the film industry, you will go through cycles where you may be in high demand for a few months. While there will be a lot happening, it will also give you the opportunity to see the magic happen. How do I practice to be a cinematographer while in college? Read forums, books, and articles on the subject. The reason you should pay to have your customized domain and other premium features is so that others can see you’re serious. Film school provides an opportunity to study the technical side of a cinematography career, immerse yourself in film studies, and provide a network of future coworkers or employers. Only work with people you work well with. Cinematographers are in charge of which cameras and lenses to use, how to light a shot, and how the camera behaves. You will not only get to learn from professionals, but you will get to be graded on your work. It’s true that the movie, Transformers doesn’t necessarily require the same creativity and camera work as … Take what you’ve learned from school and apply it to your outside work. For anyone wanting to learn everything you need to know about cinematography to be become a cinematographer, you’d struggle to find a better course. Nikon and Canon cameras can be good. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. % of people told us that this article helped them. Email working professionals to grab coffee. Imagine you are filming this location for a movie. But you should remember that you are an individual, and a storyteller. And learn how J.J. Abrams and his cinematographer were able to do so many live actions in the latest Star Wars movie. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Even if you’ve directed or edited, this reel is for cinematography. For more advice, including how to build a strong portfolio, scroll down! It becomes easy for the Photographers to thrust their journey towards becoming Cinematographer, as they already have a base to start with. Get your friends to help you. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Whether it’s simply taking photos for practice, working on a set, or acting as the director of photography on a film. No one is going to pull you out of the blue and hand you a camera. When and why the camera moves. And since you are a cinematographer, photography is one of your best friends. You can be learning by watching other cinematographers and making a good living at the same time. It will be eye opening. (Link to Amazon) It’s the best book for beginners to understand the fundamentals of Motion Picture and the psychology behind it. • Your smartphone isn’t the worst camera option you have anymore. In this video interview by 20 Questions Film Sean McDaniel describes his path to becoming a cinematographer. How to become a Cinematographer . Snap a couple of photos or film a few seconds. There are a number of degree programs available … It goes without saying, that to become a good cinematographer you … Or when someone who has had success will remember how great you were to work with and call you. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/Become-a-Cinematographer-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Become-a-Cinematographer-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/Become-a-Cinematographer-Step-1.jpg\/aid1841641-v4-728px-Become-a-Cinematographer-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"