“Videographer” is not the right term for my work
On the last day of Shahr International Film Festival, Mahmoud Kalari spoke in a workshop about the incorrect use of the word “cinematographer” for what is done in his profession.
Charso Press: According to the news headquarters of the 8th Shahr International Film Festival, the training workshop of this old and professional cinematographer of the country was held on the evening of July 30 at the Mellat Cinema Campus, and while explaining that filming is largely related to a person’s understanding of aesthetics, he said: The alphabet of entering the fields of visualization, cinema and theater is a ready mental structure and an aesthetic look, and when a person has such a look, he cannot be satisfied with anything and he will not stop trying for a better image until his aesthetic sense is satisfied.
Clary stated that “cinematographer” is not a very correct term for what he does, and stated: In world cinema, since the cinematograph device is used to record images, the term “cinematographer” is used for the person who records these images. is used, but since in the past we had the term photography in Iran, when the recording of movies and moving images came, the same verb “taking” and the term “filming” were used. However, the closest term that is used in Farsi for a cinematographer is the term “cinematographer”.
Stating that many professions in cinema do not have the role that a cinematographer plays in the final production, he said: When cinema was created, cinematography was also created. In the cinema, the cinematographer has a series of unwritten responsibilities. A cinematographer or cinematographer must shape the structure of the film, shape it into the form of the film and observe the technical issues of the film. Also, a cinematographer should take care of things like line, direction and look.
Clary added: This difficult task comes from a time when digital technology had not yet arrived and only the cameraman could see the images being recorded while working. As a result, even the director had to trust him. Therefore, a cinematographer is someone whose job is filming, but his action goes beyond this. A cinematographer is someone who helps create the atmosphere of a film, and as I mentioned at the beginning of the discussion, this comes from an understanding of beauty.
He reminded: the space and images may not be very beautiful, but a professional cinematographer can create a masterpiece in the same space. Even someone may not have a device other than a mobile phone at hand, but if they have an aesthetic understanding, they can record images in such a way that the look and taste are completely noticeable in the final product.