They need skills such as;

• Attention to detail

• Knowledge of camera systems

• Multitasking

• Collaborative

  I currently have good communication as I can confidently discuss my ideas with a group and positively talk about ideas. I am also currently able to multitask productively which will help me stay aware of all the parts of the production.

  The 2 skills I want to focus on are knowledge of camera systems as it will help me to make a more professional looking production and it will also help me support the group. To do this I am going to research camera systems online and ask experts like James to help me when I get stuck. The second skill I want to improve is my attention to detail as it will help to again make a more professional looking production and it will help me to notice mistakes and fix them.

  These are the typical duties and responsibilities of a camera operator;

• choosing, assembling and setting up equipment.

• liaising with creative staff and production colleagues to agree on how scenes should be shot.

• planning, preparing and rehearsing scenes.

• following camera scripts.

• creatively framing and capturing action.

• responding quickly to directions.

• liaising with lighting and technical staff.

• working with other camera operators and assistants.

A camera operator is responsible for the setup and capturing of the performance. They capture the production in the exact way the producer and director wants so have to be specific with their camera angles and easily follow directions. They are also responsible for the care of the camera during filming like the setup, assembling and breakdown. They generally have to communicate a lot with the director, producer, actors, technicians, costume/props and hair/makeup as they are partially responsible for the way the production looks.

Skills

Collaborative

Multitasking

Attention to detail

knowledge of camera systems

Organisation

Responding quickly to directions

My role needs to be able to have all these skills and more to accurately perform as a camera operator so that they can help to produce a high quality production.

Who I work with

This role asks for lots of open communication with most of the other roles like how they need to easily take direction from the director however also let them know how to improve some scenes. They also need to be able to communicate and work with the script writer, prop/ costume designer, makeup/hair artist, editor, technicians, and producers.

Why I suit the role

I currently have good communication as I can confidently discuss my ideas with a group and can give/ receive constructive criticism. I am also currently able to multitask productively which will help me stay aware of all the parts of the production. I am also good at responding to directions and have a lot of endurance meaning I work hard to make a production that will be successful.

My job role as camera operator went quite successfully as I was focused, well prepared, accurate and had clear commmunication. I made sure to be prepare for every session with storyboards. These helped me to know exactly what takes I needed to complete in the sessions and how to do them which helped me stay focused throughout the process. They also allowed me to clearly communicate my ideas for the camera shots with the director and ensure that they matched up with the creative vision. It also meant that my camera work was accurate to the source material throughout the process however allowed me to make some creative decisions of my own like the quality and techniques used in the clips. Overall, I had a positive impact on the final production as I was open to numerous takes throughout the process to ensure I had enough footage for the editor to work with and so that we got the right shots with the directors consistant imput. I was also able to communicate clearly with the actors throughout the sessions so that if they needed to make any changes to their eyeline or acting for the camera they knew what they needed to do and why. This helped to keep a clear line of communication between myself, the diretor and the actors so we could all work together. I was also well prepared throughout the rehearsals which helped to keep the filming process focused and on track as well as reduce the time wasted.

Our performance company had very good communication throughout the whole rehearsal process. We kept this up by informing each other of changes, illnesses, any costumes that were needed, any bookings that were made, the plans for rehearsal all before the next sessions. This made sure that everyone was prepared for each session and knew what was going to happen during the rehearsals. It also gave people enough time to discuss any problems they may have like tardiness or missing costume pieces. In case of any tardiness and illness, we had a strong contingency plan to ensure we all knew how to overcome it. The individual who was not able to make it the session would send instructions to everyone else on what to do to work around their role. We also had strong communication in the rehearsals especially between myself and the director as we would look at the footage together to determine whether that was all the footage we needed for that session and if we needed to change the angles or have the actors perform differently. I also had strong communication with the editor as I often had to send over the footage and check that there wasn't any missing. This meant that we had everything we needed for the final video and there was no back log with the editing. All of this meant that our communication was very clear and successful which made things run smoother.

During this process I developed some strengths and unearthed some weaknesses the effected my personal process. I was very strong at staying on task during the sessions as I was prepared for each session due to my own preparations. An example of this is my storyboards and bookings that helped me to have little to no issues each session with the camera or what I needed to achieve. I also had strong communication during all of the rehearsals however, a weakness I found was my lack of communication digitally. This weakness made it difficult for the rest of my group to get information across to me and for me to let them know anything I needed. This often ended with me messaging the day before with my issues causing stress for other team members like the costume designer. However, we would work together to work through this and I improved on this throughout rehearsals as I knew communication was an important constant. It also meant that I would have to change things the day before rehearsals like my storyboards as I didn't know we were no longer doing certain scenes. This weakness didn't hinder the team massively and was fortunately able to be fixed before the rehearsals however is something I want to work on during my next performance and message my team 2-3 days before the rehearsals with information.

During rehearsals I could make some improvements as well. I could have been more direct with the editor in the rehearsal by bringing them in to look at the footage in live time so that she could have been more prepared for when she started editing. This would ensure nothing could be lost and she knew the order of the scenes; making her job smoother and easier. I also think I could have been more independent with my set up and take down of the camera and lighting as it was my responsibility. I would occasionally used my teams help with this as I often had to get my makeup done or change into my costume and so I wanted to be as fast as I could with this. This meant that we wouldn't have wasted more time however this sometimes hindered my team and their responsibilities during some of the sessions. To fix this I should have used 5 minutes before every session to get and set up all of the lighting and camera stuff so that I was more prepared.

I developed many skills during this piece such as precise communication, strong focus, and improved camera/ lighting knowledge. I improved my communication as I have to be clear when talking to the director and actors as I had to effectively tell them what I wanted and if they needed to change anything whilst taking in what they wanted. With the director I also had to be able to understand what they wanted and translate it onto the camera so that we could achieve our goal for the performance. I also massively developed my camera knowledge as I hadn't really used a camera before however I now know how to set up and take down the camera safely. I also know how to change the settings on the camera like auto and manual focus. I also experimented with different skills like zooms in and out, camera angles like extreme close ups and profile shots, how to transfer footage, etc. I also learnt how lighting effects cameras and how set up different styles of lighting using the same kit. These are all new things that I have learnt during this process and are things that I want to improve further in the future.

In H21 and H22 I want to ensure my communication outside of lessons is stronger with my team so that we can all feel fully prepared for each rehearsal. This will also make the process a lot smoother for all the job roles and ensures that the time will be used more efficiently. I want to continue to set personal goals for myself in each session which will help me to stay focused and on track with the performance. This will also help my proactivity; helping the company to run as one easier. I would also like to challenge myself on the more creative side in the future by taking on a role that has more creative input and control of the final piece. I think that this will work well with my strength and will also allow me to improve on my weaknesses.

During this meeting we talked to James about all of the technical aspects early on into the process so that things like sound, lighting, set and projection were all set and in order. This made it easier for days like dress run and kept James in the loop.

Maiya - Music director

Ell - Music Director

Celeste - Choreographer

Peter - Costume

Maja - Costume

Harry - Location

Nat - Props

Imogen - Assistant Director