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, ˌsɪnɪˌmætəˈɡræfɪk, 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

But the movie’s slow pace and lack of excitement leave only Yoshio Miyajima’s gorgeous cinematography as a lure.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Colm Hogan’s cinematography has handsome, rich shadows. but what’s best about it — and the pace of Brian Philip Davis’ editing — is they reward close attention without slumping into those interminable, inevitable jump scares.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

"The surprise of Michael is how well it plays, and what an engrossing middle-of-the-road biopic it is," he said, praising its performances and cinematography.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Even so, Soderbergh likes to make movies as resourcefully as he can, doing his own editing and cinematography and, above all, prioritizing the act of invention.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Or it might have been my father’s cinematography.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides