Cinematography Instructor

Location:

Nashville, TN (On-Campus) – Please Do Not Apply if you do not live in the Nashville area

Qualification:

Please Do Not Apply if you do not have substantial Cinematography, Director of Photography (DP), or Camera Department experience.

Bachelor or Associate Degree Required

Department:
Academic / Instructional

Status:
Part-Time or Adjunct

The Nashville Film Institute is seeking a passionate and experienced Cinematography Instructor to join our innovative faculty. This role is ideal for a working Director of Photography or camera professional who wants to share real-world production expertise with the next generation of filmmakers in a collaborative and hands-on learning environment.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong professional background in cinematography for music videos, television, commercials, or film, with significant on-set experience as a Director of Photography, Camera Operator, or 1st Assistant Camera. This instructor will guide students through the creative and technical aspects of visual storytelling, focusing on lighting design, camera movement, lens selection, exposure, composition, and collaboration with directors and production designers.

You will join a team of our current working DP s at the school.

• Teach and develop curriculum for Cinematography courses across multiple media formats
• Guide students through the full visual storytelling process from script analysis to shot execution
• Instruct on lighting techniques, camera systems, lens theory, and exposure control
• Demonstrate practical set workflow including camera reports, camera logs, and media management collaboration
• Share industry insights on working with Directors, Gaffers, Key Grips, and the Camera Department
• Encourage creative problem-solving and strong visual storytelling technique
• Provide constructive feedback and mentorship on student projects
• Maintain a safe, professional, and inclusive learning environment
• Must put “I want to Mentor” in the subject headline
• Collaborate with other faculty (Directing, Production Design, Post Production, etc.) on cross-functional productions

• Extensive industry experience as a Director of Photography, Camera Operator, or 1st AC on professional productions (music video, television, commercial, or feature film) REQUIRED
• Strong understanding of lighting theory, camera systems, lens packages, and on-set workflow
• Professional experience with digital cinema cameras (ARRI, RED, Blackmagic, Sony, etc.)
• Knowledge of color workflows and collaboration with post-production
• Prior teaching or mentorship experience preferred, but not required
• Proficiency in shot listing, camera reports, lighting diagrams, and pre-production planning
• Canvas LMS knowledge and prior instructional experience highly preferred
• Associate s or Bachelor s degree required
• Union affiliation (e.g., IATSE Local 600) or notable DP credits
• Experience shooting across multiple genres and formats
• Experience teaching in post-secondary education or film training programs preferred
• Experience supervising student crews in hands-on production environments

Please submit the following to oad.program.coordinator

• Reel or portfolio demonstrating cinematography work