Camera Operator - Career Pathways
Independent
Your practical and technical skills, as well as your specific industry knowledge, are extremely important for this particular career pathway as you would be working independently, meaning that there may not be people to assist you if you get stuck. In terms of practical skills you would need to be fully capable of using a camera of your choice, as you are essentially working for yourself you would be using your own equipment so you only need to be comfortable using that equipment, unlike a full-time employment role where you would need to be capable of using a wide range of camera equipment. In terms of technical skills, you need to have a wide knowledge of camera terminology (e.g. angles, photographic techniques etc.) and know how to use various equipment (e.g. lenses, filters, remote shutter switches etc.) Creativity is also important for this career pathway, again because you are working independently you wouldn't be able to brainstorm ideas with other people; you have to be creative enough to come up with all your own ideas. Problem-solving skills would also be crucial for this career pathway for the same reason. Communication skills wouldn't be as important for this specific pathway as it would for a further education role for example, again because you would be working primarily on your own for this career pathway, there will be little communication taking place.
Voluntary
As a volunteer, you would likely to be working for a smaller company (as they cannot afford to pay you) which could mean that they are less experienced in the audio-visual industry. Because of this, you would need a good amount of specific industry knowledge, such as the types of lenses and shots to use for a specific project, as the people running the project may not have the knowledge to successfully complete the project. Although you are only a camera operator you
must know about health and safety legislation
and procedures. On a modern film/TV set, there are countless risks that people need to be aware of as the consequences could be costly. Communication skills (e.g. working well as a team, being able to express your point of view) are important for this career pathway as in a voluntary role you will be working alongside other people and you may need to get your point across if you are to have any creative input. Leading on from this, creativity is also important in this career pathway as it is a voluntary role, the people you are working with who have been tasked with the creative aspects of production may not be of the highest quality so you may need to have a considerable input in a creative sense.
Employment
In full-time employment, you would likely take on a more junior role if you are working for a large company. As this is a professional role you're relevant skills and industry knowledge (e.g. how to follow set instructions, how to correctly operate a professional studio camera etc.) will need to be up to scratch as this pathway doesn't really feature any type of mentor role like higher education for example; although there would be an element of learning on the job. Because you will be somewhat independent when in full-time employment, creativity is arguably the most valuable skill to have. One of the main aspects of the camera operators job is to work
with the Director of the film and Director of Photography to achieve the visual style of the production. This is where they can suggest their own ideas to help improve the look of the final product so creativity is more important than you think for this career pathway. Communication skills (e.g. working well as a team, being able to express your point of view) are also crucial in this career pathway. In a full-time employment role as a camera operator there is little room for error and as you will be working with a large group of professionals you must be able to communicate well with them in order to create a successful product.
Work Based Training
In a work based training career pathway, the practical and technical skills you already have may not be crucial as this is the type of career pathway where you will learn a lot of skills on your way. The same goes for your specific industry knowledge as this is what you will be gaining as part of this career pathway. Good communication skills (e.g. working well as a team, being able to express your point of view) are essential as you will need to ask questions to help gain the previously mentioned specific industry knowledge. Like all the other career pathways, creativity is a must for this role as a camera operator can still have creative input as they communicate with directors and other members of the production team.
Further Education
As part of a further education pathway, you will be learning the majority of skills needed for a career as a camera operator as part of the course you take; so the practical and technical skills you have prior to taking the course aren't that important. The same applies to specific industry knowledge. Good communication skills (e.g. working well as a team, being able to express your point of view) would be helpful as you will need to communicate with your fellow students as lots of projects you create at this level would require you to work in a group. Being organised is also important as you are likely to be working on multiple projects at once. Like all the other career pathways, creativity is a must for this role as a camera operator can still have creative input as they communicate with others, in this case, other students.
Higher Education
As part of a higher education pathway, you will be learning the majority of skills needed for a career as a camera operator as part of the course you take; although you should carry some skills across from any further education qualifications if they are relevant to the course you are taking at higher education. The same applies to specific industry knowledge. Being organised is crucial as the majority of the work you do in higher education will be independent so you need to keep on track of your time. Like all the other career pathways, creativity is a must for this role as a camera operator can still have creative input as they communicate with others, in this case, other students. Communication skills (e.g. working well as a team, being able to express your point of view) are important as you will need to communicate with your lecturers and other students during your seminars and when you are working on projects together. As a camera operator, you are likely to be working with film students from other courses so communication skills could arguably be one of the more important attributes.
