I started off by looking on the creative skillset to see what they think is needed to be a successful Studio camera operator.
- have good colour vision, and excellent hand-to-eye co-ordination
- have a strong affinity with technology, knowledge of the relevant electronics and an in-depth knowledge of the principles of camera work
- have good communication skills and show diplomacy and sensitivity when working with artists, production staff and crew
- be able to take direction and work as part of a team, particularly on multi-camera shoots
- be able to carry out instructions with great accuracy and attention to detail
- be able to frame and compose shots and perform camera moves with precision and speed
- have good IT skills
- possess physical stamina for working long hours and moving heavy equipment
- understand the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures
The main things I took from this, is even though you are operating a camera, the main thing is to be able to communicate well and work as a good team. I am happy that we have a good team and so far in this project we have worked really well together in the preparation stage.
The same website also stated what a studio camera operator does
"Camera Operators ensure that cameras and associated equipment are rigged and ready for the required set-up. They must be able to multi-task, and to watch, listen and think on their feet while carrying out complex technical tasks. They supervise Assistants in moving the camera and carry out simple camera fault diagnosis. They may work closely with performers, giving them constructive advice in order to achieve the required composition." (Creative Skillset, 2018)
Although I have not had a test run of the shoot yet, I am sure one of the most challenging things for me personally will be the constant radio chatter in my ear. I enjoy the challenge of multi tasking but sometimes I struggle when there is too much going on at once. I need to personally make sure that I learn as much as possible in how to deal with the radio chatter while filming. Like most things, after some practice and some successful run through, I feel like I will be comfortable in my role and it should be fine. I just know that as I write this, that is one of my biggest worries.
I have previously used the cameras that we will be using in this studio production, so that was not too much of a worry for me. However, a worry was making sure that all the equipment is properly set up for the live shoot day. I know we will have a lot of time to rig the cameras and the set before the shoot day to make sure it is all in place; but I am going to go a step further to make sure it is all in place by creating a checklist so that I know everything is at it should be come filming day.
I watched this video about camera operations in another university and it seemed that they followed a simiar system to ours. I remember being told that our cameras would not be on wheels and would be heavy, this means that we will have to create a checklist to have an efficent system of rigging and un-rigging. The video also highlights the point of not leaving the camera alone, ehich I think was a really interesting point. We will all have our cameras set up but making sure that they are not interfered with will be incredibly important on the practice runs as well as the actual show. This means that as myself and Jason will be sharing a camera, we have equal responsibility in making sure the camera is safe and not changed by any other member of the crew.
I wanted to look at the professional side of working with cameras in Live TV and wondered how they keep calm under pressure. I looked at an interview with an ITV Camerman who talked about what it is like as camera operator in a high pressure scenario. He says that "they normally cover 40 pages of dialogue in a day" meaning the pressure is on to make sure the first takes are good and all the pre-planning is effective. Hearing this just backs up my plans of writing as much information down before shooting as well as setting up checklists for the camera operations. I personally want to make sure I have done all of the pre-planning need to make sure when the actual shoot comes, I will not be worried about all of the technical work and can focus on filming.
From my research I have learned that working In a team and clear communication will make this a much less stressful experience. I will do as much pre-planning for my camera operations role as possible so that I ease the pressure on myself come shoot day. I also have noted to myself to write down and take in as much information as physically possible on the practice days so that once again the pressure will be eased from myself. I struggled to find any interviews with Live TV industry professionals for this research, but did the best I could with the resources obtained. It seems there are not many people in Live TV talking abut their job and how they keep cool under the pressure. I hope that is not a bad thing!
Bibliography
Creative skillset, 2018
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/291_camera_operator_studio_and_ob
Accessed on 24th Feb 2018
Studio camera Instructional #2, 2009
Accessed on 24th Feb 2018
Career advice from a ITV Camera operator, 2014
Accessed on 24th Feb 2018
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