Cinematographer: Deakin’s work is also referred to as another example in cinema in The International Journal of Film and Digital Production Techniques, but they do not focus exclusively on his cinematography.

Concerning the publications specialized in cinema, it is also worth mentioning Cahiers du cinema España, currently Caimán Cuadernos de Cine, which highlights the cinematographer or dedicates sections to interviews with Deakins. Therefore, we consider that this project contributes to mitigating certain photography direction deficiencies, strengthening its expressive and illustrative possibilities. We believe that the study on Deakin’s work as a director of photography is valuable to understanding its expressive potential in film, thus presenting a new area in social sciences and communication studies.

Throughout the documentation process, texts explicitly dedicated to the profession of director of photography and the visual treatment of cinematographic images have been reviewed, such as those written by Tolan (1941), Llinás (1989), Aronovich (1997), and Crespo (2013).

The postulates from the masters of light are necessary, Almendros (1980), those of Loiseleux (2005), and, more recently, Cortés-Selva’s investigations (2014; 2019; 2020). Likewise, the reflections on the expressiveness of colour made by González-Requena (1989) have been considered, who at the same time alludes to Turner.

On the other hand, to shape the analysis of the expressive elements analysed in Deakin’s work, we have referred to Salt’s (2006) and Brown’s theories (2008). In the frames used in the case study, we address colour based on Heller’s (2008) claims. We have referred to Gutiérrez-San Miguel’s (2006; 2020) contributions regarding the treatment of lighting.

1.4. Objectives and hypothesis

The research is based on a general objective: to examine the composition of the cinematographic image in the director of photography Roger Deakin’s work.

The study also includes specific objectives that stem from the main one:

1. To observe and analyse the frame, light, and colour as expressive elements that construct the cinematographic story created by Roger Deakins in the selected films.

2. To observe similarities between the works.

3. To identify the techniques that predominate and their frequency. This way, we can verify whether this director of photography has his own personal style.

After establishing the objectives, we propose to start from the hypothesis that Roger Deakin’s work is crucial to the meaning of the films in which he works. The “technical-artistic” resources he uses- framing, light, and colour- distinguish his work expressively.

The composition of images in Roger Deakin’s works, characterised by the recurrence of some of these technical and artistic elements (e.g., frequent use of close-ups), leads us to believe that this director of photography has acquired his own style throughout his career.