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Overview
Directors of photography shape the visual look of film or television by interpreting the script through framing, lighting, colour, lenses, filters, style and locations.
In job descriptions, look for cinematography, camera crews, lighting design, script analysis, visual quality, equipment selection, production schedules, budgets and collaboration with the director.
Explore this occupation
Search jobsWhat the work can involve
Director of photography work turns the script and director’s intention into a visual plan. It covers framing, light, colour, camera movement, lenses, filters, locations and supervision of camera and lighting teams.
Skills and specializations
Useful depth includes cinematography, lighting techniques, audiovisual equipment, script analysis, set visual quality, camera crew supervision, budgets and production schedules.
Salary context
Pay context depends on production scale, creative responsibility, crew size, equipment choices, location complexity, schedule pressure and whether the role owns both planning and on-set visual decisions.
Career paths
Career paths can move through camera operation, lighting, senior cinematography, commercials, television drama, feature film work, visual direction or production leadership.
Good to know
Check whether adverts name the format, production type, camera package, lighting responsibility, crew supervision, budget control, location work, rehearsal attendance and relationship with the director.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
Where might this occupation occur?
This occupation may occur in several kinds of economic activity. Here are some examples and other occupations that may be found in the same areas.
Motion picture, video and television programme production activities
This is one example. Other occupations in this activity include video and motion picture director, performance lighting director and production designer.
Explore this activityThese examples offer an overview but do not show every economic activity where the occupation may occur.
About this information
The selection is based on how occupations are connected to economic activities in ESCO and NACE. Only a few examples are shown to make the information easier to use. The occupations were selected because they are close in occupation area and important skills. The examples are not a ranking. They do not show where most people work, where demand is highest, or which occupation is best suited to a particular person.
Map overview
Click the map to search for director of photography jobs.
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 1
Film and Video Editors
27-4032.00
O*NET occupation is broader
The O*NET occupation covers a broader field of work than this ESCO occupation.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
NACE Rev. 2.1
Economic activities linked to this occupation.
59.11Motion picture, video and television programme production activities
Alternative labels
Occupation group
art director (2654.1)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/6ba25e0f-7fb8-4879-a1f9-d4f8945966be |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 2654.1.3 |
| ISCO group | 2654 |
| Concept type | Occupation |