Saturday, January 29, 2011

Job of the TV show camera operator

By Nelson Campbell


A cameraman has a lot of work to do on set. Directing the Gaffer as to where to put the lights and creating that perfect lighting is just one task and being able to think up new angles and camera movements freely is the most fun part of the job. Getting to see your final work on the big screen can be a whole new magical experience, totally separate from those on set.

Seeing your audience reacting how you wanted them can also be somewhat over-powering. When the audience reciprocates how you intended after watching your work, a feeling of achievement comes alive inside. All the hard work dedicated to bringing a production alive is well worth it when it is mastered.

A cameraman has the duty of painting the picture in the frame-and a lot of people can't paint with light-which is indeed what the cameraman does. It takes skill, talent and a lot of focus and good vision to be able to paint with light and make the final picture look both unique and beautiful at the same time. Camera movement is also very important and also takes skill and a steady hand to create believable movement. Being able to move the camera flawlessly is very important and can help to tell the story better.

Showing up to work early and staying late are a standard procedure in a cameraman's job because it takes so long to prep a camera. Sometimes, a cameraman ends up taking longer than anyone else in the crew because of prep-time. Bigger cameras are more delicate than smaller ones and come with a lot smaller pieces. Every piece of the camera has its own case-which means more to watch over.

Depending on what type of camera you're shooting with, some camera preps take up to a week to test out all the parts and make sure they work properly. A cameraman must be in good shape and be able to lift heavy equipment, as industry-standard tripods and high-end cameras tend to be on the heavier side and you have to be able to move it all around quickly and proficiently.

Getting your "foot in the door" as a cameraman (or any crew member for that matter) is incredibly hard and requires a lot of time, persistence and ambition. Being able to operate and put together numerous cameras is an important skill to acquire in your camera career as well so you can be quick and efficient getting ready to shoot every day of the production. Lagging is bad in production work because there is never any time to waste. The quicker and more efficient you are at putting cameras together and operating them, the more jobs you'll attain.

Creativity and perseverance are key in this industry. The more creative, outspoken and efficient you are, the more people are going to want to work with you. Knowledge of the cameras you work with is also key, as you should know at least a little bit about all cameras currently in the industry.

The majority of getting your foot in the door has to do with networking, meeting and keeping in contact with other camera people from previous shoots or random contacts you just happen to meet. Even if you're still a student, there are a lot of people who have contacts and networking is a big deal and a big part of getting work in the film industry.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...