Cinematography Vs Videography: What's the Difference? 

This is the first time I've learned the difference between Cinematography and Videography. Thank you @Crimson Engine for this very clear and informative video, I highly appreciated your effort!

My videography is how I afford my cinematography😅 30k in film gear last year thanks to corporate AV and events. This year I've used that gear to shoot 3 shorts and 1 feature.

I feel like my career has landed me RIGHT in the middle where I bounce back and fourth between the two extremes. Small production work flows really blur these lines.

About to go to school and learn about this thing but don't know what is best .... Videography and cinematography

Then, in Apocalypse Now when they shot the indigenous people slaughtering the cow, that was videography. (They had no control over the ritual and had nothing to do with setting it up). Vittorio Storaro is one hell of a videographer! By the way, great video!

Cool video as always. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next one! 🎉

Rubidium, I can sit and listen to your wisdom all day long… thank you sir!

Thank you for this perspective.

Thanks for this video!!!

7:38 reminds me Avnish Paker ❤

love this take! completely agree

About the wedding you actually have the opportunity to do it both. When you are creating a highlight is when you can become a cinematographer but when you are there to shoot full wedding you have to be a videographer and adapt to what is happening, while in the highlights you take parcial or full control of what will happen. That’s my cc

Well said! When you mentioned weddings, it did make me think about how even in videography, there is some room for creative vision. Your wedding video editing style vs someone else.

Well Explained!!!!

Nice video and explanation.... Thanks

I do agree …good explanation Id say

Great video. I have learned a lot from your Canon Masterclass.

Excellent explanation however I would say that they both can tell stories. Movies can be fictional or real stories that are presented as if unfolding in real-time. Documentaries are stories or subject matter that are not presented as if unfolding in real-time. Like you said to me the major difference is the control and manipulation of what is in front of the camera. Some documentaries contain re-enactments so there can be some crossover. One is more about entertainment while the other is about presenting information or an event. What is the true definition of a story? The news is often referred to as a story.

So: what category would "Amazing Grace" - a documentary film of a musical performance made for the original purpose of showing on television - fall into? Also "The Last Waltz" (You can tell what genre I enjoy). These films do have back stories - although not controlled by the filmmakers. Then there are the IMAX films that document trips on the International Space Station and to the summit of Everest. They're all definitely created on film, not video.

Very interesting take. The question is ever so present in my life. Where's the line between video and film? I love your take about documentaries: the moment you actively shape what's in front of your lens you are crossing the line onto Cinematography. I still have to give it some thoughts where your definition might fall short but it's interesting for sure.

very interesting! I really like how you are defining it!

I am having a hard time not thinking cinematography is superior

I like the term, "filmmaker." That avoids being pigeon-holed.

Your videos have inproved over the years!

Defintely make this into an IG post/reel or whatnot, would love to share this great explanation with others!

Very interesting! Can you do video "cinematography vs director" pls

The bass on this video makes is almost uncomfortable to hear. ....

I feel there are elements of cinematography within videography and vise versa. Where in my videography I may capture my subject doing what they usually would, but sometimes I'll change their location to a better room with larger windows, or I'll ask them to do their action again to get a close up, I'll setup a background to look it's best, only using what's already available on location and will use lights where ever possible. The talent and I end up re-enacting the truth a few times, perhaps in the prettiest way possible but the sentiment of the information or story is still true. I'm trying to present the 'best' version of the world that I can, so if sometimes beautiful daylight may spill through a window but today it's not, then if I have time, I will absolutely setup a light to make that happen. I say 'best' in the sense that I want to keep the production quality high, get the information to the audience in a pleasing or impactful manner depending on the videos intent but, I'm often restricted by available resources, be it time or budget. My videography always has a goal or call to action. That may be to buy something, use a service, deliver information or work at an organisation, but to the best of my ability I either use an emotional connection where possible or look to provide concise effective communication if the video is very short. So my work isn't necessarily to portray the absolute truth, and I would argue that documentary work isn't there to portray absolute truth either but a perspective of it. In my case it's a perspective that achieves the goal of the video.

Im not sure that this is a helpful distinction. I think it feels like what is being delineated is observational filmmaker/cinematographer and a narrative cinematographers working to a script. Most documentaries are lit or use every bit of a cinematographers toolkit. Many cinematographers have learned their craft and techniques working in documentary. Nomadland might as well be shot like a doc in an observational way but if course its a hybrid in that it has a script. Famously Cassavetes and the new wave cinema used non actors and worked through narratives without a script and used improvisation and effectively filmed in an observational way. I really dont think creating content for social media and filmmaking should be confused and likewise arbitrary distinctions like this are extremely unhelpful and meaningless. Robert Altmans A Wedding intercuts observational cinematography with a loose script and improvisation. Lots of long lens work to create the feeling of observational verite. Not sure making a distinction as arbitrary as cinematographer and videographer is meaningful at all.

Cinematographers are true artists who take the creative process seriously. Videographers are just teenagers who think they're CiNnAmOnToGrApHeRs

Interesting. Short form social media is closer to cinematography as it is almost always "enhanced" visión of lame reality. It is a story