A wonderful cinematographer who helped guide many a first-time director through their earliest work, Brian Tufano parlayed that inspiration into his later role as head of cinematography at the National Film and Television School.
He was already more than six years into his reign at the NFTS when I asked him to explain his teaching method. “As I am a self-taught cinematographer, I have found that the best way to teach the craft is to let the students go out and shoot, then discuss the results with them,” he said.
“Film-making is a creative process and I believe that as a tutor, you should not be prescriptive. There is no one way of doing things; all of us commit our personal vision to whatever recording medium we are using.
“Giving students the opportunity to watch a number of practising cinematographers at work, lighting sets in their own style, helps to give the students confidence in themselves and to realise that they too have a personal vision.”
