Over the years, it has become very clear to me that simply explaining the nuts and bolts of a shot to someone - a dolly grip or a 1st AC - is nowhere near as valuable as also explaining the concept behind what we are trying to achieve. By telling my dolly grip where A and B are, the camera will be in the right positions when I need them to be. However, by explaining the reason for the move, they will not only understand how the camera needs to move, but WHY it needs to move, and it will result in better storytelling.

Commercials are different. Sure, there are some skills that transfer over for your narrative (storytelling to a degree, landing frames, some framing ideas) but the weird thing about commercials is you generally have to be much more of a robot than you are in a dramatic piece.

I was hired on the television show ER in 1996 when I was 25, at the beginning of their 3rd season. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, it was, by numbers, the most popular show in the history of television. To give you an idea, at that time, a good rating for a show was somewhere near an 8 or 9 share, which means that 8 or 9 million people are watching at any given moment. ER maintained above a 40 share from the moment the pilot aired until about the fifth season or so when it dipped down into the high 39s. When I say most popular show in the history of television, I mean most popular show in the history of television.

Any good well thought out shot that is being done in order to advance the story should have a beginning, middle, and end. Sometimes these are clear. The dolly starts to move as the individual enters the frame, it continues to move as the individual stops, and it ends as the second person enters the room and walks past the camera. Sometimes, they are not so clear and you need to manufacture them.

Everybody starts somewhere and the reality is, when you look at some veteran and are completely overwhelmed by what you don't know at the stage of the game you are in, they were right where you are at some point.

You're the A Camera op on a show. Clearly, yours is the most important job on-set; everything should revolve around your needs and desires, and every other job on-set, from the Director and Executive Producer on down to the newest PA, should be done in order to serve your needs as the incredible center of this universe we call a film set. Everything should be run by you and everyone should recognize that you are the engine that moves the bus.

One of the great things about working in the film industry is working alongside like-minded people who don't fit the 9-to-5 office mold that so many end up making their lives. These are members of society who generally march to the beat of a different drummer as they have chosen an odd lifestyle that clearly fulfills them. Like carnies, the folks who build up and take down the circus day after day, filmmakers are some of the most interesting people you’ll meet, and not just because of their film experience.

You will work in the shit. It's going to happen. Pouring rain (sometimes real, sometimes fake), freezing cold, blazing hot, hurricane winds, long winter nights in the desert, you name it, you’re going to have to spend 12 hours in it. Trust me when I tell you that when you say to yourself We aren’t going to actually work in this are we? you are. And not only are you going to have to work 12 hours, but you are going to have to do exceptionally hard, technically demanding, and often very exhausting work in all kinds of weather. So be prepared.

When I started this project, I decided that I would be honest throughout the whole process. So, here I am being honest. Yes, I’ve been fired. And more than once, might I add. There’s a saying in the film industry that if you haven’t been fired, just wait.

You landed the job, you did the job, and now the job is over. Seems pretty simple. Jobs can vary in length. Some can be a few days (commercials), some a few weeks (short or short feature), some a few months (average feature, limited series) and some can be a few years (several years of a tv show or a mega million dollar heavy effects laden feature).

There are going to be those jobs where someone, the director, the DP, another operator who is higher on the line then you are, is going to talk you into the frame that you don't like. Sometimes you can talk someone into something else and sometimes you can’t. Maybe you have been suggesting things all day and you are realizing it’s time to be quiet. In those times, a handy tip can be to simply park the camera on the frame you like and leave it there.

I’ve been doing this for 30-plus years, at this point. I have done a lot of big shows, people know me, blah, blah, blah, and I still hear about operators doing other shows and wonder “Why didn’t I get that call?” . When I’m not working, I hear of folks doing shows that I have zero connection to and wonder why they got it instead of me. Because, of course, I should be EVERYBODY’S first call, right?

The two characters in this frame have had a fight, and the gentleman outside the door is apologizing. The door not only acts as a natural split screen and barrier, but also creates a different lighting effect, underscoring how the two of them exist in different worlds at this moment. It also serves to allow the character inside to be in control of the situation while the character outside is at his mercy.

OK, you landed the gig and it starts in a few weeks. What’s next?

First off, it’s worth noting that we are talking about a long-term job of a month or more, not a day-playing gig. While some of these ideas definitely happen with a day-playing gig they dont all apply. If it’s local, you don't have to worry about leaving town and taking care of everything before you do. If it’s a location show, you’ll have to add in packing and shipping equipment (if you have it), making sure things are taken care of at home, and all sorts of other things that come up. I’ll deal with that in another section, but, for now, let’s discuss what you can do to prepare for the work you will be doing.

A two-camera show will have an A Cam and a B Cam (and on some days a C, D, and E cam). The A Cam team is the main team who generally does every shot, including the master. The B cam team will often come in on coverage, if shooting two cameras, to do an off angle.

First off, this is how life works, not just the film industry. If you are like me, you take it hard when you screw up. The key is to realize it happens to everyone, it will happen to you, and that you can’t control that. The idea is to screw up as little as possible, but when you do, accept it (that’s important, take responsibility at all times), see what you can learn from it to make yourself better next time, and move on.

Once the cast has rehearsed, the crew has watched rehearsal and marked the actors, the shot has been set with second team, and the shot has been set up, it’s time to start identifying problems that either need to be dealt with or may arise under certain conditions. One of the first and most obvious (usually) are reflections.

You're the A Camera op on a show. Clearly, yours is the most important job on-set; everything should revolve around your needs and desires, and every other job on-set, from the Director and Executive Producer on down to the newest PA, should be done in order to serve your needs as the incredible center of this universe we call a film set. Everything should be run by you and everyone should recognize that you are the engine that moves the bus.

I recently worked on a show where our dolly grip had to leave, suddenly, due to a family emergency. Life happens, from time to time, and, when it does, I always try to do anything I can to make it easier for someone to leave, as many people in this industry (myself included) have a weird sense of responsibility when it comes to taking days off and upsetting the apple cart.

When you have a big dolly run, where your dolly grip is really working to get you through the shot, consider jumping off the dolly and walking back to one rather than riding. Most dolly grips will tell you that you don't need to do this, and if you need to ride to look at something on the way back, of course, that’s a different story.