Cinematography

55.05.03 Cinematography

• Director of Photography in Film Making
• TV Cameraman

• Director of Photography in Film Making
• TV Cameraman

A cinematographer develops the visual solution of a feature or documentary film, or a TV programme, manages the camera crew and shoots audio-visual works. It is the cinematographer who is responsible for the image quality. For this, it is necessary to study the functionality of modern imaging equipment, lighting and optical devices, digital image processing systems. Ideally, the cinematographer combines the artistic flair of a painter, director’s abilities, functions of a playwright and editor. It is often necessary to become an engineer as well to use non-standard techniques for solving graphic tasks when shooting movies.

The specialist, who has received the diploma of a cinematographer, is prepared for creative and productive activities in the field of feature, documentary, scientific cinematography, all types of television studio production (television news, advertising, documentary essays, artistic broadcasting, etc.)

Training in the specializations "Cinematographer" and "TV Cameraman" is much the same, but there are significant differences. In particular, a TV cameraman should be able to conduct reportage photography, organize multi-camera shooting in pavilions and outdoors when shooting television programs and films in television format. At the same time, a cinematographer should consider all further possibilities of image processing when filming a movie.

Training is conducted at the Cinematography Department. Among the teachers are the winner of the State Prize of the USSR, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor Dmitry Dolinin ("The Republic of ShKID", "There is No Ford in the Fire", "The Beginning", etc.); cinematographer, Honoured Artist of Russia, Professor Nikolai Volkov ("Memories of Pavlovsk", "Polarnik", "The Moon at the Zenith"); Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, Professor Sergey Lando ("Giselle's Mania", "The Circus Burned Down, and the Clowns Fled", "Uliana Lopatkina") and many other famous masters.

Students of the Cinematography Department are regularly awarded prizes and diplomas for the best camera work at various international and national festivals and competitions.

Curriculum Disciplines

Basic part: basic professional foreign language; foreign language in the professional field; Russian language and culture of speech; history; philosophy; economics; fundamentals of jurisprudence and copyright in the media industry; basics of the state cultural policy of the Russian Federation; pedagogy; psychology; history of foreign literature; history of Russian literature; the history of foreign cinema; the history of domestic cinema; the history of art; history of cameraman's skill / history of TV cameraman's skill; cameraman's skill / TV cameraman's skill; photocomposition; cinema lighting; film composition; analysis of the visual solution of the film; filming equipment / television- and filming equipment; lighting and exposure metering; cinema lighting equipment; combined filming; special types of filming; video / television equipment; digital technologies in film and television; film process and materials; colour science and colour reproduction; mastery of the film artist; film editing.

Variable part: the history of world photography; digital image processing; technique and technology of video production / technique and technology of television production; film directing; filmmaker's skill; film drama and screenwriting skills.

Electives: producing in the media industry, foreign film business and foreign co-production; qualimetry of the modern film process with digital intermedia, multimedia; makeup; the history of the costume.