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

Etymology

Origin of cinematography

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

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

Using very little musical scoring, sticking to naturalistic dialogue featuring awkward silences, and eschewing flashy cinematography and editing, he allows each scene to breathe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

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

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Shot on location, Eon Mora’s cinematography swoons every time it takes in ice-blue lakes as the soundtrack cues a stream of cutesy pop songs, most of which are pretty good.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 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