Journal - Glenn Hanns ACS, Director of Photography

How to Brief a DOP

What makes a useful brief — and what doesn’t. From visual philosophy and references to production realities and what it takes for a creative partnership to actually work.

TV Drama Series Director of Photography

Visual authorship across a season — how a drama DP builds the language, manages the pressure, and keeps the image consistent across a full production run.

Cinematographer vs Camera Operator

Two distinct roles, different responsibilities, different values to the production. Why the distinction matters before the first shooting day.

What Award Winning Cinematographers Bring

Why industry recognition matters on serious productions — and what it signals to directors and producers about a cinematographer’s track record.

The Strategic Value of Director of Photography Services

Why the DOP is more than a camera operator — visual systems, departmental leadership, and tactical judgment under pressure.

What a Television Series Cinematographer Does

Building a repeatable visual system across episodic production — from look development to on-set execution across multiple directors.

What a Short Film Cinematographer Does and Why It Matters

On a short there is very little room for recovery. Why the cinematographer is one of the decisions that defines whether a project arrives with authority.

How to Hire a Cinematographer for Feature Film

What to look for beyond the showreel — creative alignment, collaboration, and why the right hire becomes structural to the film itself.

What Does a Feature Film Cinematographer Do

A clear breakdown of the DOP role across pre-production, principal photography and post — from concept to colour grade.

The Editor in the Director’s Chair — Josh Groom

What changes when your director thinks in cuts. On the long-term collaboration with editor-turned-director Josh Groom.

Working with Directors

On the creative partnerships that define the work — collaborating with Kurt Martin, John Mavety and Josh Groom across features, television and short film.

Moon Rock For Monday — Cinematography Breakdown

Shooting a children’s feature on the salt plains of outback Australia — ARRI Alexa Mini, Cooke S4, stacked NDs at T1.4, and lighting an outback night.

Forbidden Ground — Cinematography Breakdown

19 days, 300kg of live explosives, and a Dubbo farm transformed into the Western Front. The full technical and creative breakdown.