cinematography

American  

[sin-uh-muh-tog-ruh-fee] / ˌsɪn ə məˈtɒg rə fi /

noun

1. the art or technique of video photography, traditionally used in movies, but also in the production of TV shows and other video content.

   The agency is hiring award-winning film directors to elevate these television commercials with classic cinematography and state-of-the-art special effects.

2. the artistic vision, tone, look, and feel of a video production.

   The film’s warm cinematography and romantic musical score immerse the audience immediately in a sweet and nostalgic world.

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cinematography British  

/ ˌsɪnɪməˈtɒɡrəfɪ, ˌsɪnɪməˈtɒɡrəfə /

noun

1. the art or science of film (motion-picture) photography

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Other Word Forms

• cinematographer
  noun
• cinematographic
  adjective
• cinematographically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of cinematography

First recorded in 1895–1900; see origin at cinematograph, -graphy

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Explanation

The art of filming a movie is cinematography. The cinematography in your first documentary might not be amazing — next time, get a real movie camera instead of filming on your smartphone. Every year, one film wins an Academy Award for cinematography — this usually goes to a movie with gorgeous, sweeping camera shots. There's a lot that goes into cinematography, beyond simply filming the action with a camera: cinematographers carefully plan out shots, including how they're lit, the camera angles, focus, and depth of field. Cinematography comes from the now-obsolete cinematograph, "device for projecting a series of photographs in rapid succession so as to produce the illusion of movement."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cinematography

Schoenbrun’s talent for image-making, however, ends up shouldering much of that weight, letting intricate ideas about identity and personal relationships to digital media sit gracefully atop beautifully rendered cinematography.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026

And her team also won best cinematography and choreography both for Confessions II, the film.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

At the beginning of my career in the ’80s, he was changing not only Spanish cinematography but Spanish society.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

It wasn’t only the breathtaking cinematography or the immediate fantasy of booking a flight to Modena and a table at Osteria Francescana.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Or it might have been my father’s cinematography.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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