Cinematic Careers in and of Shadows: Career-Making among Cinematographers and Film Editors in the Danish Film Industry

This chapter analyzes subjective and objective dimensions of developing a career to a large extent based on one or several strong dyadic relationships to directors who invariably overshadow editors and cinematographers, and the personal and professional advantages (maybe even necessity) and dilemmas encountered in this process. We focus on processes of reputation, but above all, association. With regard to association we examine its two-fold dimensions. On the one hand we look at dynamics inherent in the dyadic relationship (relationship-internal dynamics) as these are central to both subjective experience of one’s career (i.e. meaningfulness, quality of working life, ambitions, and accomplishments), as well as its more objective trajectories.