stefancolson
Well-known member
If a production is looking for a DP through online ads then they're most likely not going to have a budget for a dedicated operator. Unless you're booking big jobs (not $200/day craigslist gigs) you're going to be either operating yourself, or putting your work and reputation in the hands of a random guy the producers found on the internet. I think operating is something that is just a part of reality in the low-budget world, and while it's common for many union and well-established DPs to use an operator we little guys are to remain firmly seated atop an apple box behind the camera until we rise through the ranks.
Fret not despite the dreary forecast mon frere, for we too shall one day have our place in the sun, shouting orders at our faithful pages and squires from behind a delicately frothed latte at the craft services table. For now, revel in the opportunity to become a great operator. There's nothing like immediate control of your frame, the ability to adjust at will and react to what happens on screen. Don't underestimate what you can bring to the table as an operator, and the value of all this experience when you do someday have to direct someone else who's sitting behind the camera.
Besides, there are few greater joys on a film set than operating. You're putting the whole production on your shoulders, grabbing the final product by the balls, and playing God all at the same time (I had no idea I was such a megalomaniac...). You get to bring the audience on a journey through your point of view, and few other elements of filmmaking can provide the same direct link between your hands and the viewer's eyeballs. If filmmaking is baking a loaf of bread, then the operator is the one who gets to knead it and feel it between their fingers. You'll develop more personal relationships with lenses and focal lengths. You get to see your lighting in a whole new way. Your powers of visualization will get much better. You get to put your hands on the frame and steer the ship in between action and cut. If making a film is like making a record, then camera operating is improvisation. Even if operating is no longer a regular part of your job as a DP, I think the skills gained through years of operating are essential to all aspects of the gig. You'll be a better DP for having to operate, even if it's uncomfortable at first.
I know that I'm some crazy fringe minority here, but I actually enjoy pulling my own focus while operating. There are obviously times where it's not possible (steadicam, jib, heavy handheld rigs, etc.), but whenever I can I like to pull my own focus, both as an excercise to better myself, to retain total control of the frame and more creative freedom while operating, and to retain flexibility on sets without marks or adequate rehearsals. Let's not forget the importance of focus in conjunction with a moving image to direct the viewer's eye, sometimes in very subtle ways. It's scary sometimes, and I had to put in (literally) hundreds of hours of practice before I could reliably work this way with other people's time and money at stake, but it can be a great thing for your own development. Last week I repeatedly nailed a 20' walk up that ended in a CU (with a very low key and without marks) at T1.9 on an 85 while operating (a large Red One rig) and felt like Superman. I figure that if one has to endure years of hardship (both financially and in terms of working conditions) on the way into this industry, we might as well do everything we can to develop a "shock and awe" skill-set while we're here. It's also nice to not have to ask others in your department to do things that you yourself aren't capable of.
Besides, none of us really need to make an already difficult job market even smaller by not taking small-crew gigs.
Fret not despite the dreary forecast mon frere, for we too shall one day have our place in the sun, shouting orders at our faithful pages and squires from behind a delicately frothed latte at the craft services table. For now, revel in the opportunity to become a great operator. There's nothing like immediate control of your frame, the ability to adjust at will and react to what happens on screen. Don't underestimate what you can bring to the table as an operator, and the value of all this experience when you do someday have to direct someone else who's sitting behind the camera.
Besides, there are few greater joys on a film set than operating. You're putting the whole production on your shoulders, grabbing the final product by the balls, and playing God all at the same time (I had no idea I was such a megalomaniac...). You get to bring the audience on a journey through your point of view, and few other elements of filmmaking can provide the same direct link between your hands and the viewer's eyeballs. If filmmaking is baking a loaf of bread, then the operator is the one who gets to knead it and feel it between their fingers. You'll develop more personal relationships with lenses and focal lengths. You get to see your lighting in a whole new way. Your powers of visualization will get much better. You get to put your hands on the frame and steer the ship in between action and cut. If making a film is like making a record, then camera operating is improvisation. Even if operating is no longer a regular part of your job as a DP, I think the skills gained through years of operating are essential to all aspects of the gig. You'll be a better DP for having to operate, even if it's uncomfortable at first.
I know that I'm some crazy fringe minority here, but I actually enjoy pulling my own focus while operating. There are obviously times where it's not possible (steadicam, jib, heavy handheld rigs, etc.), but whenever I can I like to pull my own focus, both as an excercise to better myself, to retain total control of the frame and more creative freedom while operating, and to retain flexibility on sets without marks or adequate rehearsals. Let's not forget the importance of focus in conjunction with a moving image to direct the viewer's eye, sometimes in very subtle ways. It's scary sometimes, and I had to put in (literally) hundreds of hours of practice before I could reliably work this way with other people's time and money at stake, but it can be a great thing for your own development. Last week I repeatedly nailed a 20' walk up that ended in a CU (with a very low key and without marks) at T1.9 on an 85 while operating (a large Red One rig) and felt like Superman. I figure that if one has to endure years of hardship (both financially and in terms of working conditions) on the way into this industry, we might as well do everything we can to develop a "shock and awe" skill-set while we're here. It's also nice to not have to ask others in your department to do things that you yourself aren't capable of.
Besides, none of us really need to make an already difficult job market even smaller by not taking small-crew gigs.
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