 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.