Is there a philosophy that you think is important to always keep in mind in order to be a successful camera operator?
Be Precise.
Be Concise.
Be Nice.
Be kind. You are part of a team. You are not better, more important, more critical, to the success of the show than anyone else. Everyone is important and everyone’s job is important. Humility is key and at the same time, know that what you are doing is important. Communicate. Constantly be learning because you don’t know everything.
There is always more to know. You will never be done learning and you can always do better. Improve, improve, improve. Listen to others and ask for ideas from others. Be humble. Know your limits and dont freak out if you second guess yourself.
Breath. No one knows everything and no one expects you to even though you may feel like you should. This is a constantly evolving industry and you will (hopefully) continue learning for the rest of your career. Its very simple to think you’ve arrived but know that that is fleeting and if you aren’t learning and improving you are not doing your job.
Honestly if I had to go with one thing it would be that I always try to remember that everyone has shit to deal with. People have stuff going on at home, at work, in their minds. Everyone can have a bad day, including myself, and when that happens, I try to empathize rather than criticize. Sometimes, especially as I was coming up, I would think this was all sooooo important that I would often lose sight of the people around me making the show alongside me. If something didn’t go well, I’d get angry and frustrated and I think I thought that showed how important I felt all this was but in reality it showed how immature I was. Shows will come and go. People remain. Cut yourself and everyone else around you some slack. This isn’t brain surgery.
I don’t have a philosophy on operating, but there are some things that make it easier to be a working operator.
1 Pay attention. This is perhaps the most crucial consideration. When the set is being lit, it’s okay to make a call or use the restroom, but be present and watch what the grips and electricians are doing - is there a light or diffusion frame being placed in the shot? Is there a reflection of the camera or a light in a window or picture? Is your dolly track long enough in case the actors don’t hit their marks? You don’t want to discover these things on take one – watch what is happening and speak up if something needs to be modified while there is still time to do it without causing a company delay.
2 Listen. Listen to everything going on around you. Sometimes the director will give a note to the actor that affects what you do without thinking to let you know – if you don’t hear it, you’ll be caught off guard. If you are the B camera operator, listen to what the A camera shot is going to be so you can stay out of their way while accomplishing your objective. There are a million things that can influence the success of your shot – being present and listening to what is happening around you on the set will help ensure that the odds are in your favor.
3 Be open. I don’t pretend that I have all the answers. The DP will usually tell me the parameters of my shot and what he/she is looking for, and I fill in the blanks. Many times, I will have a pretty good idea of how to accomplish the shot, but it is always good to consult with your team (dolly grip, 1st AC). Perhaps there is a better way of achieving the shot, or a way of improving it that I hadn’t considered. Your team has usually spent as much or more time doing their jobs as you have, and have worked with a wide variety of operators and DPs…lean into their knowledge, and allow them to make you look good.
4 Read the room. You don’t want to be sitting on the dolly loudly telling jokes while an actor is working themselves up for an emotional scene – that’s obvious. But there are plenty of things over the course of the day to pay attention to that can either make you look like a hero or moron.
5 Be kind and considerate. DPs want to work with talented operators, but if they are going to spend 14 hours a day with someone for months at a time, most prefer to be alongside a person they enjoy being with. I’ve been hired over operators that had more experience than I did, but had a reputation that they were hard to deal with…a good attitude and likeability are things that are highly sought after.
6 Be loyal. Remember where the call came from, and who will hire you for the next job. I am there for the DP. Chances are, I got the call from the DP (or the AC), but I am on set to make the DP look good, and help them achieve their vision. If the DP knows they can trust you and that you are looking out for their best interests, they will not only give you more leeway, but also bring you along with them onto the next gig.
