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Suggestion required for camera to re-learn on

7 years, 5 months ago - Glen Gorman

Hello Shooters,

I've recently decided to move back into production and need to re-learn camera skills. Cameras have moved so quickly since I was behind the lens that I need to re-train. Thankfully a lot of the skills remain the same, however technically there have been some amazing advances. I'm not aiming to to the main camera op but all levels need to be able to pick up a camera and shoot interviews or cutaways at a broadcast level.

My question is what camera should I learn on.

Any suggestions welcome and If you know where some decent training in London is available please let me know.

Cheers,

Glen

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7 years, 5 months ago - John Lubran

Choices for cameras, settings and formats used to be simpler, The basic tenets of camerawork have hardly changed, exposure, lighting, focus, frame, white balance, filters, lenses, grips, hand held techniques and where required, audio recording and self directed or semi self directed camera work such as sequences and follow action. Knowledge of essential ancillaries in terms of grips, audio kit, lights, reflectors, monitors, power and protecting equipment from environmental hazards are pretty important too.

The growing number of choices today with frame rates, bit rates, digital coding options, Broadcasters differing requirements HD, 4K and emerging even higher resolutions have added to the things that we need to know about. None of it is rocket science but it does add up to a broad skill set to be acquired. One thing that has made the process easier is the significant reduction in the need to learn quite as much hypothetical physics as was once considered important because of the real time 'what you see is what you get' functionality of today's equipment. This still requires the ability to see and make creative judgements.

Then there's the different types of camerawork such as that typically required for drama fiction feature where everything is pre-planned to the last detail. This 'paint by numbers' work differs hugely from the often fast moving opportunistic needs typical of documentary and factual; and then there's work that falls somewhere between.

So to the question of what camera to use? Well what's available to ones resources and opportunity is absolutely and critically central to that. How long is a piece of string?

Response from 7 years, 5 months ago - John Lubran SHOW

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Response from 7 years, 5 months ago - Franz von Habsburg FBKS MSc SHOW