Term: Cinematography

Derived from the French word cinématographe coined by the Lumière brothers, cinematography literally means “writing in movement” and is generally understood as the art and process of capturing visual images with a camera for cinema. Closely related to photography, cinematography has as much to do with lighting as it does with film. Cinematography includes technical elements, such as camera, lens, film stock, and lighting, and more aesthetic concerns, such as camera angle, framing, duration of shot, distance, and movement. The member of a film crew who is responsible for cinematography is known as the cinematographer, or director of photography.