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How Do I Hire a Professional Cameraman?

A professional cameraman acts as the immediate contact to the Director and works to deliver the creative vision to the audience through angles, shots, movement, and his or her ability to capture powerful scenes behind the camera. Hiring a professional cameraman for your project is a very important task that requires an understanding of the key qualities and traits possessed by professionals in the industry as well as an understanding of the potential questions or considerations in reviewing applicant experience.

Hiring a professional cameraman can literally make a simple, amateur production appear professionally produced.

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Cameraman Traits

Any potential candidate for a cameraman position within your film crew should possess several powerful traits associated with creativity, sportsmanship, and strong personal growth. Before hiring any cameraman, review their showreel to determine whether their experience and creative skills are in line with your needs.

Professional cameramen will possess the following skills:

  • Strong Ability to Focus the Camera. A great shot is almost entirely dependent on camera focus. A poorly focused camera or a cameraman that is not able to take clear shots will almost certainly struggle to tell the visual story of the reproduction.
  • Strong Ability to Track the Shot. This is especially important for productions that involve fast-paced environments but will be equally important for slower, smaller instances of movement. The cameraman must be able to frame the shot throughout the movement that takes place in the production.

Videographer Prepping Camera Gear 167

Covering Your Production Bases

Before hiring a cameraman make sure that you’ve covered all your production bases and that you’re asking the appropriate questions in advance to ensure a well-informed decision. It doesn’t take much effort to familiarize yourself with the roles, and goals, of a cameraman and they appropriate steps that you should take prior to hiring these professionals. 

Make sure that you’re asking potential cameraman hires the following questions to ensure that they will align well with your project:

  • What types of shots do you like best? Can you show them to me in your reel?
  • When are you available to shoot?
  • If you could only practice one skill on the set, what would it be?
  • What’s the most important skillset for a cameraman? (look for something relative to focus, motion, or capturing scenes professionally)
  • What methods do you use to focus a camera lens?
  • What angles can scene XYZ be shot at? (fill in the blank with a sample scene, you’re looking for an answer that shows their interest and knowledge of their job)
  • What’s your relationship like with Directors? Have you ever disagreed with a Director? (here, you’re looking for details that may signify a struggle with the working relationship. You want to know that you hire a cameraman that will work well with others on your crew)

A cameraman is responsible for capturing the earliest stages of the production while working closely in tangen with the Director. A great cameraman will bring your creative vision to life but a lot goes into hiring a cameraman. Give Beverly Boy Productions a call today to begin the next steps of the hiring process. We’ve got a skilled cameraman ready to get started on your project!

Book Your Cameraman here!

Name:
E-mail:
Phone Number:
Tell Us About Your Project:

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