If I were starting out in the field today, I’d be a little confused myself. There are just too many technicalities and industry-speak that come with the job.

What’s exactly is it that you do as a videographer? Are you a cinematographer? Don’t you work with film crews all the time? Doesn’t that make you a filmmaker?

We’ve looked at the statistics, video is in high demand. But there are too many questions. Too much industry-speak. And if I’m honest, it may be the snobbery and ostentatiousness that go around in the higher end of the video production industry that had caused this needless confusion surrounding job titles.

So today, we’re going to help you avoid an identity crisis should you decide on entering the video production business this coming 2022.

What is a Videographer?

Ever seen a photographer at work? Videographers live on the other side of the coin in that, nine times out of ten, they can also be found working on almost the same set of projects as photographers.

Videographers do what photographers do, only they deliver the final product in a video format, as surprising as that may sound. A videographer (the job title) used to be confined to what the public and industry snobs perceived to be “documentary grunt work” way back when the first home video recorders hit the market. Think shaky birthday party footage and old wedding tapes that you’ll find in your attic.

And while a videographer does indeed cover weddings, conferences, corporate training and most types of live events, a videographer worth his salt will produce a visually impressive piece of media that couldn’t be further from dry and boring.

You’ll find videographers doing real estate work, fashion videos, wedding films, video portraits and all sorts of highly creative stuff that are a far cry from static tripod footages the condescending creatives of the world make their body of work out to be. Case in point, Eric Floberg’s majestic Hawaii wedding film:

Usually, it’s in the project scale where the videographer clearly differs from cinematographers and filmmakers. A lot of times, a videographer can get the job done as a one-man production team.

Videographers are responsible for the entire production pipeline, from pre-production planning to shooting and editing. They occasionally enlist hired hands on set depending on the project, but they rarely require the need of a full-on production crew.

Another up side to being a videographer is that they don’t have anyone to answer to artistic direction-wise, except maybe the client. Beyond that, most videographers enjoy close to full creative freedom on the projects they take on.

If you want to transition into a career in videography, our guide to starting a video production studio and videography 101 are great places to start.

What is a Cinematographer?

Now a cinematographer is the one who you’ll hire if you want a large-scale project — like a high-end commercial, music videos to feature length films — to look pretty. That pretty much sums up their job description, and it’s exactly why being a cinematographer is a lot easier to define than being a videographer.

It’s the cinematographer’s job to ensure that everything the audience sees in the frame supports the director’s vision. The DP achieves this by manipulating almost every visual element on the set: the lighting, camera movement, the lens choice, the angle, up to the camera settings: all to achieve an impactful image that benefits the scene.

There are of course additional responsibilities that come with an impressive job title. The director of photography helms several film crew departments: the camera department which is self-explanatory, and the grip and electrical departments, who are responsible for setting up and dismantling every lighting equipment, generator, cranes, dolly rails, and every piece of gear on set.

You could argue that the videographer does most of what the DP does, and you’d be right. But the difference once again is the scale of the project, and the prep-time required to set up every scene on the shot list.

The cinematographer will have to collaborate on every little detail that makes the production run months ahead of time, whereas the videographer will put everything together on the fly most of the time.

Another main difference between being a videographer and a cinematographer is that a DP will only be a part of a much larger crew, meaning they’ll have the director and a crowd of producers to answer to the entire production. Videographers on the other hand take charge of the entire project from start to finish without too much creative arm-twisting going on behind the scenes.

What is a Filmmaker?

Being a filmmaker is as broad of a job description as you can go. It’s a catch-all term for a lot of people that can make production for a movie happen. Though usually, people use “director” and “filmmaker” interchangeably as directors often serve as the face of the entire production team. I think screenwriters also fall in this job description.

Producers are known to call themselves filmmakers as well, even if their responsibilities couldn’t be further from a director’s. A lot of times a filmmaker is both the producer and director.

Filmmakers are often in charge of putting together the entire production team and leading them up to the project’s completion. A filmmaker goes beyond the director’s job description in that he or she oversees the entire production process, and won’t be constrained only to the creative side of things. This includes managing the production’s budget, tweaking the script, logistics, and pretty much all the nitty-gritty stuff that keeps a production going.

If you haven’t caught on already, all of that sounded like everything a solo videographer would do. The difference again being the scale.

Another thing that differentiates a filmmaker from a director, videographer or a cinematographer is that they sometimes pride themselves as being the “big picture” people. They’re supposed to be the creative powerhouses that big brands and Warner Brothers approach to make a story come to life on the big or small screen.

What does it matter what I call myself?

It pays to be more strategic as to how you market your work and position yourself as a video production professional.

That is to say, if you want to be in front of your target audience, you better be identifying yourself to be exactly the creative they’re looking for.

For instance, if you started out as a solo videographer taking on every gig you can get your hands on, but now want to get into the large-scale, narrative-focused projects, you’re going to want to start calling yourself a cinematographer.

That and maybe try rebuilding a portfolio that’ll showcase more of your cinematic prowess. This alone could get you on any production team’s radar looking for a specialist to recruit into their roster.

At any point in your career as a video production professional, feel free to call yourself a filmmaker. Chances are, you already have the skillset to cut it for the role, especially if you’ve been thinking of moving on to more narrative projects, even if you’re planning on continuing your videography/cinematography gigs on the side.

Wrapping Up

I’d say don’t get too hung up on these terms and never, ever feel like you’ll be boxed in onto just one role for the rest of your career. Creatives like yourself are known to wear many different hats, and can switch roles depending on your goals and what the project needs.

While you’re here, you might be interested in some of the resources we have on everything video production. For gear advice, have a look at our top picks for the best filmmaking camera under $1000 as well as our roundup of the best mics at any budget. If YouTube’s more up your alley, check out the best cameras for YouTube and our quick start guide to creating a YouTube channel.

For those just getting started in video, I recommend the Micro Four Thirds platform, it’s led by the $2500 GH6, but there are plenty of entry level options we’ve covered in the guides above. If you plan to shoot a lot of photo as well, you could choose a full frame camera (see Micro 4/3 vs Full Frame), but the lenses will cost more. I personally own both platforms, and it really is a personal decision, if you have any questions just let me know in the comments below, or ask on Instagram @jaysoriano.