The director of photography

Why is the director of photography role so important in a film? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The director of photography is important in a film because they are the ones that provide the creative vision to the film. They are in charge of all of the visual aspects, or mise en scene, of the film. Their main role in the production is to assign specific looks to the scene using lighting, framing, camera movement, and other creative elements necessary to achieve the desired look. They must work with the director hand-in-hand to discuss the visual style of the film. In order to obtain this discussed style, specific lenses must be chosen, proper equipment must be prepared, and the framing of the shot must be planned beforehand. However, the work of the DoP does not end in the production phase. During post production, the DoP must supervise the digital grading of the film. They will also play a part in distributing the film, helping to promote the film for its success.