5 Essential Things You Should Learn About Working as a Camera Operator

What does it mean to be a camera operator?

Even though the work of a DP and that of a camera operator are different, they usually coalesce on indie films. Since you 1.) don't have the budget to hire a camera operator, or 2.) don't have to hire a camera operator because you're not working on a union film, it's a good idea to learn about what the job entails — because, you know, you'll most likely be doing it.

Three Hollywood camera operators, Mitch Dubin (Saving Private Ryan, Bridge of Spies), Steve Fracol (Sons of Anarchy, Scandal), and Dave Thompson (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) gave some excellent insight into their job while at this year's Banff Centre for Story Summit:

Here are a few takeaways.

What does a camera operator do?

Dubin explains what he does by saying that the beginning of a shot starts at Point A and ends at Point B (or 1 and 2) — that's a shot. However, between those two points, there are thousands of decisions to make. That is essentially the job of a camera operator (or DP), to make all of those decisions.

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from No Film School http://ift.tt/1V2X4k4