are they called videographers

[Todd Terry]

Well, I am of the opinion (as I have been for years), that “videographer” and “videography” are made up words.

But they seem to have crept their way into both the vernacular and the dictionary, so accepting that:….

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Also known as the Director of Photography. This is the person responsible for getting the image, creating the lighting, etc. He/she may also operate the camera, or may have a camera operator that works under him. In the very strictest sense, a cinematographer works on film productions, although the term is also often applied to digital cinema productions. Feature films, commercials, industrials, whatever… if they are shot on film the guy is the cinematographer.

VIDEOGRAPHER: Again, in the strictest sense, this term describes the position that is equivelant to the Cinematographer, except when shooting video instead of film. However now the term has come to describe most anyone who his holding and shooting with the video camera.

PRODUCER: This is gonna be the guy (or gal) who cordinates everything, gets all the ducks in a row, and makes it happen.

DIRECTOR: This person creates the scene, works with actors, defines blocking for actors, defines camera moves, works with the DP to compose the shots… and is the person most responsible for taking his vision and putting it on the screen.

I list these last two positions because for very small crew or corporate work you may have one person doing more than one or even ALL of these jobs simultaniously. Ergo, if I were a one-man band shooting a corporate gig and doing all of those jobs… I would probably call myself the Producer (or perhaps Director). If, on the other hand, I were shooting a corporate gig but someone else was calling all the shots and they bascially hired me to show up and shoot exactly what they tell me to, then I guess I would call myself a Videographer.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Clyde Villegas]

I think a videographer is more like a cameraman who makes decisions in certain situations, as in the case of an event videographer.

[Clyde Villegas]

I think a videographer is more like a cameraman who makes decisions in certain situations, as in the case of an event videographer.

[Ryan Santos]

Thanks a lot guys!

[Mark Suszko]

I usually refer to myself as that. For one thing, videographer is gender-neutral, which can be handy in this day and age.

It is also classier sounding than “Mister camera-guy”, which I get from civilians a lot and hate. I also have a great respect for people that shoot actual film, and I do not want to be one of those guys that tries to steal the cachet of film work by referring to my videotaping as “filming”. When people refer to “filming” something around me, I say “Film is something on my kitchen counter tops”. I’m trying to be self-deprecating about the topic because I feel too many folks go the other way to claim to be something they are not.

Videographer is a perfectly good term. To me It only means a photographer working with video. News guys usually just call each other “photogs”, but I always felt that was a little imprecise and catch-all unless stills was your thing.

[Clyde Villegas]

Hi Mark. Being called a videographer is fine for me. But people tend to think of videographers as someone who is strictly on using the camera. I conceptualize, do the script, direct, and edit (which includes visual effects by compositing and motion graphics using After Effects). I want a name that will capture all those. Should I be called a videographer too, or is there another name for that? The reason why I’m asking is that I will put it in my business card. I can also probably use it to refer to me in my contracts. Thanks.

[Doug Collins]

“News guys usually just call each other “photogs”, but I always felt that was a little imprecise and catch-all unless stills was your thing.”

I think it works….after all if you are shooting video you are shooting ‘stills’…at a rate of 30 frames a second. 🙂

Doug

[Philip Howells]

Terrible name but it does the job ie conveys what we do.