Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.

Also Known As:

Camera Operator Cameraman Master Control Operator (MCO) News Videographer Production Technician Studio Camera Operator Television News Photographer Videographer

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

36,900

1% Change From 2024

Explore Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
Direct studio productions.
Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
Write new scripts for broadcasts.
Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
Design graphics for studio productions.
Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.
Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances.
Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines.
Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Programming - Writing computer programs.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.