In the middle of a take the actor steps half a metre further than in rehearsal. The camera operator follows without a jerk, keeps the head in frame and lets the boom microphone stay just out of shot. Nobody says a word. The camera operator is the person whose hands and eye are on the camera while it rolls.
What a camera operator does
The camera operator works for the director of photography, who decides the look and the lighting. The operator turns each planned shot into a precise frame and movement. They often join a few days before the shoot to prepare the camera with the camera team, and then work every shooting day.
During rehearsals the operator watches the actors, agrees marks with the first assistant camera and timing with the dolly grip. During the take they control the pan and tilt (turning the camera left and right, up and down) by hand, with wheels or with a remote head on a crane. After each take they tell the director honestly whether the shot worked, because they are the only person who saw the frame through the eyepiece in real time.
Responsibilities
- Frame and move the camera during rehearsals and takes
- Agree movement, timing and marks with focus puller and dolly grip
- Keep unwanted things out of frame, such as microphones, lights and crew
- Report problems with a take (a bump, a missed frame, a reflection) straight away
- Suggest framing options to the director of photography and the director
- Operate special rigs, such as a handheld rig, a camera stabiliser or a remote head
- Keep the camera position safe for cast and crew
How the role touches the budget
No budget responsibility, and little influence on cost. The operator is paid a day or weekly rate and may ask for specific kit, such as a stabiliser rig or a particular fluid head, which appears as a rental line in the camera budget. Overtime of the camera crew is recorded on timesheets and checked by the production office.
How people get into the role
The usual route goes through the camera department, from trainee to second assistant camera and focus puller, then to operator. Some operators specialise in one technique, such as handheld or a camera stabiliser, and are hired for that skill. Many DoPs operate on smaller productions and keep doing so on larger ones.
In TV and commercials
On many smaller productions and in documentary there is no separate operator. The DoP or a single camera person frames the shots. In multi-camera TV studios, camera operators follow instructions from the studio director through headsets, and the director cuts between cameras live.