LO:2 Task 4

LO2 TASK4

Professional etiquette

Professional etiquette is important when being a camera operator because you will need to work with lots of different people so it is important to remain professional and polite to ensure you work well together for example the camera operator will be instructed by the director of photography and will need to follow his or her instructions accurately.

My role in the hierarchy is very important as I am responsible for filming and capturing footage that will be used in the production and will possibly be editing the footage as well as I discovered when researching this job role. I would need to liaise with the head of photography to know what was needed of me and I would also need to work with the grip to get what equipment I would need. I would also have a number of people who would be working beneath me to help me achieve my goal.

In my job role I would work alongside the Gaffer, Best Boy and lighting directors aka ‘Sparks’ and would tell them what jobs needed doing to in accordance with what I am doing this is to ensure that the lighting is appropriate fo  

r what I am filming. What I do will greatly affect what the lighting department do as lighting will affect the camera greatly and will affect the Mise en scene of what I am filming.

LO:2 Task 3

LO2 TASK 3

Job roles-Camera operator

·        Practical skills

A camera operator must be able to move and operate in a smooth and controlled so they can create a steady and quality video meaning they will need to be physical strong enough to support the weight of a camera for what may be prorogued periods of time roughly 12-14 hrs.

·        Technical skills

They must be well practiced in the use of professional camera equipment and know how to set it up in the best possible way, to do this they must have a good understanding of lighting and shot types so they know what is the best type of lenses to use and how to set the camera up.

·        Communication skills

Camera operators must have a good oral communication skills as they work very closely with the director of photography when setting up to film at a location. Camera Operators work closely with the Grip  (person in charge of equipment that supports the cameras ) and other Heads of Department, and keep them informed about the position and movement of the camera.

·        Organisation

Camera operators must keep their equipment organised and keep track of where it is. This is so the equipment doesn’t get lost or broken or it would slow down production and have a knock on effect with the rest of the production and end up costing the production company money.

·        Creativity

You must have the creative ability to use the correct shot type and composition for shot that your filming and have the ability to think in a creative manner to make the right decisions when filming to create the right meaning that you are aiming for.      

·        Problem solving

As a camera operator you must be able to solve problems quickly as they arise to not waste time or money waiting for problems to be fixed when they should be filming.

·        Working as part of a team

A camera operator must be able to work as a part of a team as they work very closely with the heads of department when on set and be open to others ideas to the overall project.

LO 2 :Task 2

Independent

Independent camera work is a very casual field of work and you are able to go from job to job as and when you please, but when on set you still have the same responsibilities as a usual camera man. Sites like Freelancer and People per hour allow independent workers to find work in their chosen field, for example on People per hour there was a job being offered for a camera operator with his own equipment to film with an event in Paris for several days, a perfect opportunity 

Voluntary

Voluntary work allows young camera operators to gain valuable experience in their field and gives a good opportunity to learn their trade. The voluntary job are often aimed at freelancers. These jobs are usually advertised by companies with very little money i.e. I found a voluntary job advertised by the First Baptist Church of Atlanta as they won’t have a great deal of revenue they will rely on volunteers to advertise their church as do other starting up business

Employment

Most media companies will offer full time employment to camera operators and other major members of the team, this means they you receive a fixed rate of pay over a length of time, this job that I found on indeed for a camera operator/editor earning £20,000-£24,000 per year, this is a more stable route of work compared to freelance work as when doing freelance work you don’t know when your next job is going to be. For these types of jobs you would need to have formal qualifications and would work for a boss, you would also have to work with a team meaning you would need good teamwork skills.

Work based learning

Work based learning allows people to learn whilst doing their jobs and earning a wage like an apprentice would and apply the academic side of things to the real world. For this type of work you would need to good listening skills and be able to pick up new skills pretty fast as you will be expected to do your job as you will be expected to function efficiently when on set

Further education

Furthure education would be things like being an apprentice or going to college or 6 form to learn the skills for the trade i.e. a level 3 in media or a photography course, by going on these course you learn the fundamentals of the media industry and have an will help you with your career.

Higher education

In higher education you can specialise your skills in different ways i.e. by doing a photography degree at Sheffield Hallam or you can do a more niche coarse like a wild life camera operators course with a company like UK wild life film school. A another good opportunity would be the degree apprentices that the BBC offer.