The Importance of Having a Camera Operator on the Set
“Choosing Your Film Crew Wisely: Key Departments and Roles,” omits the role that camera operators play in the collaborative process.
Why Crew Roles Matter on Student Films
Steven Poster, ASC, believes that this is a serious omission, and wants to set the record straight. Poster is president of the International Cinematographers Guild and an A-list cinematographer who has earned some 50 feature film credits, including Donnie Darko, Southland Tales and the soon to be released The Box, Spread, and Cats & Dogs 2.
“Having a student concentrate on this crucial aspect of filmmaking – the placement and movement of the camera, the framing and composition – produces superior results, uses less time and money, and better prepares the student for the way film crews work in the professional world,” says Poster. “Let’s remember that the vast majority of directors of photography use operators. They know the value of having another set of experienced eyes. The operator can help the director of photography achieve the desired look in the least amount of time. The operator can find flaws, help with eye lines, and concentrate on the frame, which after all is why we are all there. It’s about efficiency, but more importantly for me, it’s also about a level of artistic excellence. The bottom line is that I can get a better result by having that partner on the set.”
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