Overview
Cinematographer Jobs in San Francisco, USA at Nen Creative
About the Opportunity
We’re looking for a strong, technically sharp cinematographer to join our team in the Bay Area. This role is for someone who deeply cares about the craft of cinematography, not just making an image “look good,” but understanding why it works. You should be comfortable owning camera, lighting, and grip setups across a wide range of productions, from scrappy founder interviews to polished commercials and brand films.
You’ll work closely with our directors, producers, and creative team to shape the visual approach for each project, execute on set, and help manage footage through post‑production, including DaVinci Resolve project setup, color grading, and final exports when needed. This is a hands‑on role in a fast‑moving agency environment, requiring strong capability on set, adaptability, attention to detail, and a willingness to push the image as far as possible within real‑world constraints.
What
you’ll do
- Collaborate with directors and producers to develop the visual approach for each project and execute it on set
- Own camera, lighting, and grip setup across a range of productions: commercials, brand films, talking heads, interviews, and more
- Work within real‑world budget constraints, get creative with what’s available, know where to spend and where to save, and deliver results that punch above their weight
- Offload footage, build DaVinci Resolve projects with correct settings, and keep projects organized from shoot through post
- Color grade projects and handle final exports from raw footage as needed
- Adapt to our workflow and pipeline, while helping improve it over time
- Wear different hats from project to project, depending on the needs of the production
What we’re looking for
- Based in the Bay Area, ideally close to San Francisco. You should expect to be on set in the SF area 3–4 days per week
- Strong technical foundation in camera systems, lighting, and grip. You understand the tools deeply, not just how to use them
- Genuine passion for the craft of cinematography, caring about exposure, dynamic range, lens bokeh, coatings, and glass falloff
- Relentless attention to detail, always improving a setup when time and room allow
- A make‑work mentality to innovate, problem‑solve, and deliver premium results without relying on unlimited budgets
- Equal care for a talking head and a commercial, bringing the same level of taste, attention, and standard to every shoot
- Willingness to adopt and adapt to our creative taste, quality standard, and production workflow
- Color grading and editing experience in DaVinci Resolve
- Prior cinematography experience required; strong technical baseline and quick learning
- Comfortable working in an agency environment where timelines can shift and after‑hours responsiveness may be required
- Must have a car
Why join us
- Part of a small, fast‑growing creative studio trusted by world‑class startups and investors
- Work directly with partners and creative leadership on high‑impact, visible projects
- Help define and scale the post‑production quality bar at Nen
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k), PTO, and company holidays
- Salary range: $70,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, skills, and qualifications
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Title: Cinematographer
Company: Nen Creative
Location: San Francisco, USA
Category: