In Advisor Studio sessions, film and television industry professionals share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing and producing for TV and film.
Join Sundance Collab for an inspiring Advisor Studio with award-winning cinematographer and educator Tal Lazar, as he dives into key insights from his book, Cinematography Beyond Technique.
With over 20 years behind the camera and 15 years mentoring filmmakers at top institutions like AFI, Columbia, and Sundance Collab, Lazar brings a powerful, story-driven approach to visual storytelling. In this session, he’ll share how to build a truly collaborative relationship with your cinematographer—one that enhances your creative vision and brings your story to life.
In this interactive 60-minute session, Lazar will share practical methods directors can use to lead creative collaborations with their cinematographers, regardless of their technical expertise. You’ll learn to find subtext in a scene, link it to effective visual methods, and gain authority through your understanding of the story. A Q&A session will offer you the opportunity to ask questions and gain insights tailored to your own filmmaking journey.
Topics will include:
- Observing images like a cinematographer
- A story-first, technique-last approach to image making
- Finding your scene’s subtext and bringing it to the surface
- Placing a camera as a fundamental visual choice
- Deliberate lens choice to tell your story
Filmmakers at all levels are encouraged to join. Whether you're a director, cinematographer, or just passionate about the visual language of film, don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the field’s most thoughtful and experienced voices.
Live attendees will receive a 20% coupon off all books at the Routledge store and a future discount for Lazar’s forthcoming book, Cinematography Beyond Technique.
About the book:
Cinematography Beyond Technique demystifies the idea that cinematography is an inherently technical skill, even though it can involve complex tools. After all, focusing only on cameras and lamps is like assuming expertise in paper manufacturing is enough for writing a novel. Just as a conductor doesn’t need to play every instrument to lead an orchestra, a film director can guide a creative team without deep technical expertise in the tools they use. Cinematography Beyond Technique aims to give directors the knowledge they need to lead a creative collaboration with cinematographers. The book treats images as an actual language, answering questions such as: What do images convey to an audience? What dictates creative choices like the position of a camera on a movie set, and what are the objectives of lighting? From the moment we enter this world, we observe images and become fluent in “reading” visual language. Cinematography Beyond Technique empowers its readers to “speak” it.
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; however, requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
Live event registration for Sundance Collab Advisor Studios is free of charge. A recording of this event will be posted to our Video Library the next business day following the event. All registered attendees can watch the recording for two business days after it is posted. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $10.
