CAMERA OPERATOR, TELEVISION, VIDEO, AND MOTION PICTURE

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Operate television, video, or motion picture camera to photograph images or scenes for various purposes, such as TV broadcasts, advertising, video production, or motion pictures.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment in order to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
• 2) Gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast, using electronic news-gathering or film-production equipment.
• 3) Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
• 4) Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
  5) Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
• 6) Select and assemble cameras, accessories, equipment, and film stock to be used during filming, using knowledge of filming techniques, requirements, and computations.
• 7) Label and record contents of exposed film, and note details on report forms.
• 8) Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances.
• 9) Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
• 10) View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
• 11) Reload camera magazines with fresh raw film stock.
• 12) Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
• 13) Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
• 14) Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings in order to achieve the effects sought by directors.
• 15) Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
• 16) Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
• 17) Test, clean, and maintain equipment to ensure proper working condition.
• 18) Receive raw film stock, and maintain film inventories.
• 19) Prepare slates that describe the scenes being filmed.
• 20) Download exposed film for shipment to processing labs.

Activities:

• 1) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 2) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 3) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 4) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 5) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 6) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests
• 7) Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• 8) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 9) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 10) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 11) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 12) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 13) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 14) Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment — Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• 15) ontrolling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 16) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 17) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 18) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 19) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 20) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 21) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 22) Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment — Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• 23) Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 4) Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• 5) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 6) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 8) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 11) Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
• 6) Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• 13) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• 14) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 15) Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• 16) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 17) Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
• 18) Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• 19) Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions
• 20) Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• 21) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 22) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• 23) Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
• 24) Depth Perception — The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.

Knowledge

• Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.