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Why not Cameramen?

ad2478

ad2478

Friends on many sites i have seen people willing to become filmmakers. But i havent seen people willing to become Cameramen. Why is it so? I am specifically talking about cameramen because i personally feel that this is a great art to learn and some how it is more hard then being a filmmaker. What do you people say?

Regards
 
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...probably because most independent film directors are camerapersons.....:D

It would be my guess that if your goal is to solely be a camera operator, chances are you are in television news....


-- spinner :cool:
 
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'cos when you're the writer, producer, camera-operator and director - it's much easier to just say filmmaker. :blush:

That said, there's lot of people who want to just want to be a DP.
 
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Hmmm actually i love Cameras.and i feel its great when a filmmaker himself uses cameras .................he know far more better his film in imagination.so if he will have the camera in his hand he can make his film more attractive..He will have more idea of Lighting etc...i personally want to be a filmmaker but i think if i know using my CAM in the best possible way it will add few more points to my film.
 
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its great when a filmmaker himself uses cameras .................he know far more better his film in imagination.so if he will have the camera in his hand he can make his film more attractive
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Not necessarily.

It can be great if you have a dedicated cameraman.

If you're wearing a lot of hats, the last thing you need is an extra job to take care of.

If push comes to shove, I'd pick up the camera... even though I'd describe myself as a menace, just holding one. :P

I'd much rather hand the camera job, to someone I trust, who has spent a lot of time focusing on camera-work. They have the skills (and nuances) to really get that image you want. All you have to be able to do, is describe what you want. Storyboards, examples, in-depth discussions, whatever - you can have that cameraman/DP capturing exactly what you want (or even better!) if you know what you want, and can communicate.

Yah, it takes a bit of trust - but why wouldn't you want to have the most experienced & qualified DP you have taking care of the finer details?


HI, ZEN!!! (waving!)
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'sup, babydoll :cool:
 
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If you look for a DP I guarantee you will find one, meaning, they are out there, so not sure where you are looking.
 
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Obviously BGDV FIlms even i am very much passionate about directing....just was thinking about cameramen because i take this also as aglamourouse form of ART ? Dont ask me why i think so because i really dont have any reason for it.....:D
 
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I started out doing everything myself. As our productions grew in size, I've found I'm unable to do all the jobs well and have grown a crew around me to handle the jobs and really be able to dig in and focus on them. We're getting much better footage than I was able to do when I started out and much better than when I started to become overwhelmed doing all the jobs on set.

Handing off the camera to someone who focussed just on the picture being captured allowed me to do the other roles I was handling much better... and handing off more work allowed me to focus more on getting the actors doing their thing the way I as a director have envisioned. Larger scale blocking with more background actors/extras has increased the production values of our latest endeavors and none of that would have been possible if I had to spend the time operating the camera.

I started down this path loathing the Hollywood system of specialization, but have really come to embrace it as I surround my self with talented creative people who share a passion for creating cinema. We improve with every production we tackle!
 
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On a side note ad2478, a cameraman is different than a DP, but I figured you meant a DP. A cameraman operates the camera only, and could work in news, sports, etc., and is not a DP. In film, there are are camera operators that sometimes work with DPs.
 
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Working with a DP gets more and more impotant the more complex the equipmet gets. If your just working with a DV or HDV on a tripod its usualy not much a DP can do better than a cameraman.
If you use cranes, dollies, different lenses complex lighting and so on a good picture gets more difficult, or better said it gets more difficult to get the best possible out of all that stuff. And the problem is also the opposite. To not overdo it. A DP also has a sertain influence on the shoots themself. He needs to understand the whole film to give you the best outcome. Usualy storyboards are made with the DP involved as a major player.
Just take a simple example. To make a picture with your 200$ digicam is quite easy and different people wouldn´t get to different pictures. But with a high end camera in a studio a dedicated photographer will make a big difference (if you tell him what you want).

And regarding your basic question. As a filmmaker you are making the film, meaning - having an idea - making it a story - bringing it to life. As a DP you make briliant moving Pictures of what you have been told. Its very different.
 
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Indietalk

Thanks for telling me about DP and cameramen. I think i know the difference. A cameraman is the guy who only handles camera where as DP is responsible for creating required atmosphere and mangain the lighint for a specifi scene. Suppose if the scene is horror DP help us in doing that. AM i right??

By the way thanks to all of you for your guidense

Regards
 
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ad2478 said:
IndietalkThanks for telling me about DP and cameramen. I think i know the difference. A cameraman is the guy ...
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Not just "the guy." You left out one VERY IMPORTANT detail -- there are camera women too. Hence the more correct terms cameraperson and camera operator.
 
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citychik said:
Not just the guy. You left out one VERY IMPORTANT detail -- there are camera women too. Hence the more correct terms cameraperson and camera operator.
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At school we even learned that women are better suited for the job of a camera operator as they better handle multiple things at the same time. (focus pulling, moving, watching where not to step on, frame composition, etc.)
 
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