Cinematography is an art and a craft. The cinematographer or DP—director of photography—is responsible for the visual elements of a motion picture. As guardian of the image, he or she makes every creative choice related to composition, lighting and camera movement—everything that the audience sees in every shot. The cinematographer is one of the director’s key collaborators, translating the screenplay into a visual language, bringing to life the look of the story.

• You study the works of the masters like Vittorio Storaro, Gordon Willis, Conrad Hall and SVA alum Harris Savides.
• You study lighting not just by shooting but also by exploring great painters such as Caravaggio and Edward Hopper, and photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Weegee.
• You have access to our significant inventory of cameras and equipment. Your instructors are often people asked by manufacturers to evaluate new products and make sure you know the current technology of digital film production.

Not only are you prepared in the classroom, you also have opportunities to work on professional sets during your studies. By the time SVA cinematographers are ready to graduate, many are already hired.