How to Become a Cameraman!

How to Become a Cameraman / Director of Photography (DOP). If you are looking for an exciting and highly rewarding career, then becoming a Cameraman/DOP is something that you should think about. If you have any interest in traveling around the world, using a mixture of creative and technical skills, meeting famous and interesting people, performing a fulfilling job and earning a great income in the process, then find out the top 6 secrets to becoming a Cameraman/DOP below.

1. Keep learning. The first secret is something you will hear a professional crew quoting. The simple phrase is 'everyday is a school day'. This means that everyday you need to be learning something new. This the best mindset to adopt and hold as you move forward with your career. The people that are able to adopt a learning mindset will quickly learn new skills and move ahead while those that think they already know it all, will fall behind. While this may be true in many fields, it is something that you cannot ignore in the ever-changing, dynamic world of the Cameraman.

2.  Have a 'Good Eye'. This means having the ability to spot a good shot or filming opportunity. Being able to frame a shot. This means knowing and differentiating between what looks good and what doesn't. This can be learned with time, but many people have more natural skill at this than others. If that is you, then you will have a solid career as a Cameraman.

3.  Be able to work quickly (and most importantly calmly) under pressure. You need to be composed during stressful times and always have a smile on your face. You see, a Cameraman's role can be very stressful because of time constraints when you are shooting. If you are shooting a scene and have very little time to get the perfect shot then you need to be confident and calm at the same time. You must maintain a professional pose while ensuring that you get the job done. This is a secret that the most successful Cameramen understand and apply.

4.  Be able to work alone and also being able to work within a team. You need to be able to both motivate yourself and those around you. You must be able to get on well with all types of people and different personalities as you will find people from all walks of life, opinions and with different characters. Successful cameramen are enthusiastic, passionate, positive, open-minded and determined.
 

5.  Always be enthused and positive towards the production. Having a positive can do attitude, will always put you ahead of the competition.

6.  Find solutions, not problems. As a Cameraman you will continuously come across problems that need to be solved. You need to be able to stay calm and solve the situation. This is always going to be a factor in your profession so you need to develop this skill early in your career. This skill alone will literally differentiate the best from the rest.