Work of the movie camera operator

By Chad Banks


To be a cameraman is a very rewarding experience. Setting up the lights, painting a picture in the frame and moving the camera to different angles is challenging yet creative. The outcome of your work once edited and put together-if done right, can have an amazing impact on the audience.

To see your audience has been affected the way you wanted them is a treat as a cameraman. When the audience feels how you want them to after watching your movie, a sense of accomplishment arises within. The blood, sweat and tears that are poured into creating a movie are well worth it when the movie is said and done.

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.

The cameraman takes longer than everyone else in the crew because they have to prep the camera. Even though there are camera assistants, cameras consist of many small, delicate pieces and must be handled with extreme care. Working on set as a cameraman means you go to work early and stay late because of the camera and how long it takes to prep.

Normally, cameras are rented for productions, and each camera comes with many little pieces, each with their own case. For this reason, the cameraman and all the various camera assistants must show up to work early and stay late. Every little piece must be accounted for and nothing can be lost or damaged otherwise it's considered the production's fault.

Getting into the industry as a cameraman is very difficult and takes a lot of time, patience and work. Knowing everything about most cameras and staying on top of the new ones that come out is important so that you can have a wider base of "camera intelligence" and pick up more jobs. The more creative you are, the more people will want to work with you.

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.

In my opinion, freelance camerawork is the most difficult kind of camerawork because it's like living on the edge. As with any freelance job, you live from job to job, acquiring a sum of money that you'll have to budget for some time. However, no job is a promise and sometimes you can lose one merely days before you were supposed to start. Getting jobs in the film industry has most to do with meeting other camera people and networking. Making friends is key!




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