Television camera operators can be roughly divided into two categories: Studio & OB Operators Field Operators

Television camera operators can be divided into two categories:

Studio & OB Operators▪ Part of a team who produce a program in real

time. ▪ Usually involves multiple cameras and

operators. ▪ Each operator will contribute a portion of the

show through their shots.

To work well in a Studio/OB environment You need to:▪ Understand how the program is put together ▪ How your camera shot fits into the program.

▪ Take instructions well, respond quickly and accurately.

▪ Be a good team player. ▪ From setting up the equipment to choosing your shots, is

all part of a team effort.

To work well in a Studio/OB (outside broadcast) environment you will need to: Know left from right

▪ If the director says pan left & you pan right you will be unpopular.

Be confident and decisive. ▪ You will usually take directions for shots ▪ However, you will need to make some shot decisions on the

fly.

▪ When shots are live to air there’s no time to stop & think about what you're doing▪ It has to be second nature.

Live camera operators must be able to hear instructions from the director. ▪ Camera operators usually wear a headset

with an open line from the director.

▪ So they hear everything the director says to all cameras.

Camera operators can talk to the director as well. In most cases the communication is

mostly one-way (director to operator)

▪ Depending on the situation▪ Camera operator may provide some info back the

other way. ▪ As a rule

Communication from operators should be sparse and brief.

During the program operators have certain shot requirements. ▪ Each camera will be in position to get "their"

shot & that shot will be their main focus.

▪ For example, ▪ A football OB will have at least

two cameras in the grandstand at the halfway mark

OB Camera Shots▪ One keeps a wide shot, the other gets the tight

shots. ▪ Other cameras concentrate on the goals, sidelines,

etc. ▪ There may be specialized cameras such as an

overhead blimp, or a static camera in the dressing/locker room.

In addition, the director might ask camera operators for extra shots such as crowd shots

Field Operators These operators take their camera to various

locations and usually record footage for later editing. ▪ Sometimes the footage is used for live transmission ▪ (e.g. news items).

▪ The field operator may work alone or with a field presenter, sound operator, producer, etc.

In production environments camera operators are expected to have the following skills:

▪ Knowledge of basic video terminology.

▪ The ability to use all camera functions manually, including iris, focus, shutter, etc.

▪ Knowledge of the common shot types and the ability to frame them quickly and accurately.

Skills cont.▪ The ability to use zoom, pan and tilt to adjust

framing smoothly and with appropriate timing.

▪ A basic understanding of how editing works, at least as far as it affects the shots required.

▪ A basic understanding of looking after camera equipment, including safe set up and breakdown.