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Haskell Wexler, the cinematographer responsible for Hollywood classics like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” declares in this video from the Global Cinematography Institute, that controlling the image is still the name of the game for a cinematographer. The tricky part about maintaining this role in today’s world, is that there are numerous other positions that also have key insight on the look of a scene, thanks to new technology.
Wexler explains that, back in the ’60s and ’70s, a cinematographer would have to rely on their own perception and ultimately intuition if they wanted to get their film shot with a specific tone in mind. Nowadays, everyone can have an opinion on whether or not a shot is aesthetically in line with the story or mood because of monitor feeds, in addition to the tweaks that can be made in post-production in terms of density and light.
One thing remains the same in Wexler’s opinion: anyone can have a camera, but not everybody can have the talent to capture a “good image” on film.
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