How To Become a Camera Trainee

What is a Photographic camera Trainee?

Gaining work within a camera department can frequently be difficult because that just experienced and established technicians are entrusted with the craft. Even so, junior roles with the camera department such as a Camera Trainee can provide an opportunity to gain experience whilst you lot're learning the ropes. One of the positives nearly working as a Camera Trainee is that competent and able trainees are always in demand and because it's a fundamental office of developing your skills, making a solitary mistake shouldn't cost you your task in the early stages of working inside the department.

What is the Job?
Camera trainees can work beyond the full spectrum of the photographic camera department but their main duty is to assist the 2nd Assistant Camera. As an entry level position, typically the range of responsibilities varies from Runner duties such as making tea and java to treatment lenses and completing camera reports. However, after progressing in the role and developing the skills required, Camera Trainees can assist in loading and downloading film magazines and on larger scale features working as role of the second unit camera.

Key Skills

  • Developed cognition of photography and lighting
  • Ability to take management
  • Enthusiasm
  • Good communication skills
  • Willingness to larn

How to get work as a Photographic camera Trainee
Enquiry and develop your knowledge of the duties carried out by Camera Assistants. Although having a basic knowledge of photographic camera and lighting can enable you lot to piece of work as a Photographic camera Trainee, having a developed knowledge of what the role involves will stand up you in far amend stead when you are working in the section.

Working on educatee productions can be a platform to larn the arts and crafts in a less intense shooting environment. Information technology is likewise a good opportunity to network with other developing students who could comport you in listen for future piece of work.

Working as a runner for a larger rental house such as ARRI or Panavision can provide a solid grounding in the practise and allow yous to experience the workings of a camera section hands on, plus gain invaluable noesis of the equipment available to a camera section.

Network. Information technology is essential, having secured piece of work on a set every bit part of the photographic camera department, to build relationships with those around you. This will non only help with the development of your craft but also potentially bring y'all future work.

Training
Short courses are a valuable method of learning a craft amid like-minded people and it provides a solid platform to both network and work under the guidance of established industry personnel. Since the FT2 qualification ceased, undertaking a largely practical curt course to develop the theoretical knowledge and applied experience that has been established throughout a degree has become a popular avenue to explore. Depending on budgetary constraints, there are a wealth of courses on offer across the Great britain that can allow a candidate to work equally a camera banana/trainee within the motion-picture show and television industries.

The National Film and Television School offer a range of courses relevant to roles within the camera section including courses working across 16mm and 35mm film. As with most commodities, the best comes at a cost and short courses at the NFTS in focus pulling, photographic camera operating and camera familiarisation may well burn down a modest hole in the pocket, but as an additional qualification on a CV they hold strong merit.

Alternatively, The Gild of British Photographic camera Technicians (GBCT) offering a range of courses available working through the fundamentals of picture and 35mm motion-picture show, to Steadicam operation workshops, which should comprehend the primary duties of a Camera Assistant. Courses range from day workshops to more than technical classes lasting as long every bit 15 sessions.

Information technology Doesn't Always Take to be This Mode
Victoria Harris, an undergraduate at the University of Westminster has progressed through a more unorthodox route. Initially working as a Production Assistant and key Floor Runner on productions such every bit Gary McKendry's Killer Elite and television series Beingness Man, Victoria throughout the terminal year has worked as a Camera Assistant on a number of productions including the recent BBC commissioned Legacy, which is currently in post-production.

Become a Camera Trainee today

If you are ready for the side by side footstep in your career, why not take a look at the latest Camera Trainee vacancies on our jobs board? You can view our latest vacancies here.