How to Be Indispensable in the Camera Department.
You maybe a camera trainee, loader or focus puller. To be great in the camera department you need to have nailed these fundamentals.
Here are six key points, some you may know of already but it’s always good to learn and share.
Know Your Kit.
You need to know your kit inside out, Cameras and accessories. This is a major factor that links with your problem solving, you can’t solve problems effectively if you don’t know the kit.
You need to be up to speed on many cameras, the most obvious being Arri Alexa and RED Camera Systems.
You can see some of our favourite apps to help you here . This list will be updated continuously, so keep checking.
The easiest way of learning kit is coming from a rental house background. However, it’s important to put in your own study time. So trawl the Internet for technical information and read the books.
Try and get as hands on with as many cameras and bits of equipment as you can. Keep a technical notebook to jot down the things you learn.
Stay Cool.
Film sets can get stressful very quickly, it’s important that you can keep your head when everyone else around you is loosing theirs.
A film set has been described like being at war. Periods of mindless boredom, which can suddenly turn into absolute terror.
Everyone is different, so it’s up to you to be aware of what helps you keep your cool when things start to get tough.
By using these tips and developing a good system will help you prepare for any eventuality, reducing the amount of stress on you.
Thinking Ahead.
Another major factor to shine in the camera department is to be able to think ahead, you need to know what shots are coming up next and prepare for them. This is the key to being an efficent assistant.
This will help with moving any monitoring gear, though ideally you want to be so far ahead that you know where you can put video village without it being in shot for the whole scene.
The same goes for cameras. You maybe responsible for more than one camera. Being able to pre-empt any changes to your camera kit based on what is happening around you is a valueable skill and will help you stay ahead of the game.
Listening.
In order to think ahead you need to be able to listen. Listen to what the HOD’s are discussing and what the 1st AD is telling everyone.
Learn to develop the best listening skills you can, you need to be able to hear your name mentioned from the other side of a busy studio.
A good skill to learn is tasteful eavesdropping, or earwigging. Try and listen into conversations between HOD’s about the schedule when you can, though don’t make it obvious. Knowledge is power while you manage the camera floor.
Problem Solving.
You need to be an excellent problem solver, this goes hand in hand with knowing the kit. If you don’t know how a piece of equipment works then it’s going to make it more difficult when it stops working mid scene and everyone is waiting on you fix it.
It takes a lot of practice to be a good problem solver, especially under pressure. Breaking the situation down into sections and testing each outcome until it’s fixed is a good start, to do this effectively you need a great system.
A Great System.
To make the most out of these tips, you need to have a great system.
Your system is the little ways you manage the kit to help keep it running smoothly and problem free. For example, keeping all the cables colour coded and keeping key bits of kit in easy to find places that are clearly labled.
You want to make your system foolproof. Your aim is for a new assistant coming in on a daily, to look through your kit and understand exactly where things are and how your camera is set-up and running.
Incorporating all of these factors into your overall system will help you excel as a camera assistant or trainee. However, no matter how serious or stressful film sets can get it is important to remember to have fun. You are working in a very rewarding industry, make it nice for yourself and Try your best to make it nice for others around you.
