I recently got contracted to be the Director of Photography on a feature film that’s trying to get published and pushed to film festivals, and in this video I break down what I learned actually fulfilling that role. First, I explain what a DP really does: I’m in charge of the entire camera department, and it’s my job to communicate the director’s vision to the crew. In my case, the director was hands-off with cameras and straight up told me he was relying on my knowledge, so the pressure is real—especially when you’re working with your 1st AC and focus puller and everybody needs clear direction. The biggest lesson was time. On narrative sets, time is the most important thing you have, and every mess up costs you. There were moments where I wanted to tweak the angle or adjust exposure just a little more, but the director had to shut it down because we had to keep moving. I also learned the hard way about knowing my role: as the DP, I’m not the director, and it’s not my job to rewrite scenes just because I don’t think something makes sense. And lastly, you’ve got to be confident, be a problem solver, and lead—calm under stress, good communication, integrity, and energy—because if you’re not steady, the whole set feels it.