Importance of art direction

Set dressing and costume helps to create the mood in the film. For   a cinematographer also  set dressing and costume is very important.  What we see through the eye of lens is the performance of the actor and there surrounding/environment which can either bring the audience in or out of the movie.

The colour what we place in the set and the choose of colour for the costume can help to set the tone and the feeling to the particular scene. 

re think before pressing record and dont press stop.

Before recording its always good to recheck things.
Frame and whats in the frame.
Weather the things will surve the story or not.
What is the mood of the actor.

let the actor play after the scene also ...
dont say cut between the performance.
some times that post performance can be more useful.

Choosing possible camera angle.

Putting a camera and deciding an angle is one of the most important decision for a DOP.  Either it will help to convey the story or put the viewer out of the story. Every time I am shooting I try to thing weather this shot is cinematic or not if i am shooting for a film. who's scene it is. What genre of film it is.  Whats happening in the scene. What the director what to show in this scene. Whats the message. 

And example from lee's shoot.

This scene is about the andrews character. So having him in the foreground helps the audiences  eye to focus on him.  Second it brings depths on the scene. Plus the lights from windows make it more cinematic.

if i choose this angle then it will look like a cooking show. If i was shooting a cooking show then I will show this angle but for film its too flat.

location scooting for lee's film

I always prefer to in location with the director before the shoot dates. As it gives me more idea for the possible camera angle and lighting and then I discuss them with the director in the location and it makes the shooting time fast. As I already know where to put the camera and light.