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Career Details :: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture
Description
Operate television, video, or motion picture camera to photograph images or scenes for various purposes, such as TV broadcasts, advertising, video production, or motion pictures.
Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Tasks
- Sets up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
- Selects cameras, accessories, equipment, and film stock to use during filming, using knowledge of filming techniques, requirements, and computations.
- Observes set or location for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- Reads work order to determine specifications and location of subject material.
- Confers with director and electrician regarding interpretation of scene, desired effects, filming, and lighting requirements.
- Exposes frames of film in sequential order and regulates exposures and aperture to obtain special effects.
- Instructs camera operators regarding camera setup, angles, distances, movement, and other variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
- Reads charts and computes ratios to determine variables, such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distance.
- Analyzes specifications to determine work procedures, sequence of operations, and machine setup.
- Views film to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
- Adjusts position and controls of camera, printer, and related equipment to produce desired effects, using precision measuring instruments.
Related Careers
- Costume Attendants
- Engravers/Carvers
- Film and Video Editors
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
- Pewter Casters and Finishers
- Photographers, Scientific
- Professional Photographers
- Set Designers
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Communicating With Other Workers
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Handling and Moving Objects
Important Skills
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Selection
- Reading Comprehension
- Technology Design
- Product Inspection
Frequent Work Context
- Job-Required Social Interaction
- Objective or Subjective Information
- Frustrating Circumstances
- Importance of Being Aware of New Events
- Coordinate or Lead Others
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Advertising Photography |  [ add ] |
| Art/Photography | [ add ] |
| Art/Video | [ add ] |
| Cinema/Photography | [ add ] |
| Cinematography | [ add ] |
| Creative Photography | [ add ] |
| Film | [ add ] |
| Film Production | [ add ] |
| Film/Photography | [ add ] |
| Film/Photography/Visual Arts | [ add ] |
| Film/Television | [ add ] |
| Film/Video | [ add ] |
| Film/Video Making/Cinematography/Production | [ add ] |
| Film/Video Production | [ add ] |
| Film/Video/Computer Animation | [ add ] |
| Film/Video/Performance | [ add ] |
| Fine Arts Photography | [ add ] |
| Graphic Design/Photography | [ add ] |
| Imaging Science | [ add ] |
| Imaging Systems Management | [ add ] |
| Imaging/Photographic Technology | [ add ] |
| Motion Picture Producing | [ add ] |
| Photography | [ add ] |
| Photography/Graphic Arts | [ add ] |
| Photography/Related Media | [ add ] |
| Photojournalism | [ add ] |
| Professional Career Photography | [ add ] |
| Professional Photographic Illustration | [ add ] |
| Radio/Television/Film | [ add ] |
| Radio/Video/Photo | [ add ] |
| Television/Film | [ add ] |
| Television/Film Production | [ add ] |
| Television/Film/New Media Production | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.