‘Cheating the shot’: cinematography and creativity in virtual production filmmaking

Achieving spatial continuity across shots has long depended on the manipulation of space to sustain cinematic illusion. Within industry practice, this is known as ‘cheating the shot,’ a technique for achieving cinematic illusion. Historically, such decisions are curated by the cinematographer, who is responsible for ensuring spatial relationships read as credible on screen. Yet, authorship has historically privileged the director, often overlooking the cinematographer’s role in shaping spatial illusion. While cinematography scholarship has considered this, little attention has been paid to how such practices are reshaped within Virtual Production (VP) filmmaking. This article examines how established cinematographic practices of spatial manipulation – and, by extension, cheating the shot – are creatively negotiated within VP filmmaking. Conceived as a practice-based study – with the authors operating as cinematographer and director – the article analyses a short VP film to explore how shots are constructed and cheated as acts of decision-making to curate spatial believability within VP workflows. The findings demonstrate that, while ‘cheating the shot’ remains fundamental cinematographic practice, VP reshapes how it is achieved. While the findings are limited to a single practice-based case study, they provide insights into how cinematographers adapt established practices within small-scale VP environments.