Camera Operator Career Profile
- Career Name - Camera Operator
- Category - Media / Wildlife Conservation / Marine Conservation
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic Subjects - Art, Business Studies, Biology
- Required Education - College Diploma
- Species Worked With - Pets, Critters, Farm Animals, Wildlife
- Short Courses - 340 Rewards = Points +Badges
Do you want to work as a camera operator?
READ: This page helps you read about the career and the information you need to decide whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: ​Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for your career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTOR
UPDATED:
29 April 2024
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What is a camera operator?
A camera operator is the person that uses a camera to shoot footage of animal scenes, used in different kinds of productions, such as nature films, documentaries, videos for zoos etc.
There are different kinds of camera operators, based on the field they chose to specialize in:
- Documentary Camera Operator (footage of animals, pets or wildlife, in different settings to tell a story)
- Night Vision Camera Operators (cameras made to shoot scenes at night, with night vision equipment attached)
- Infrared or Thermal Camera Operators (cameras made to pick up heat signatures of animals)
- Underwater Videographer (discussed as a separate career)
- High Speed Camera Operators (cameras that record fast moving animals and play back footage in slower speed)
Also known as:
- Cameraman
The Aeroscope?
Was the first successful hand-held operated film camera in 1910
Magic Lantern?
Was the first proper way to project images through light onto a surface
What does a Camera Operator do?
Category:
Media / Wildlife Conservation / Marine Conservation
Focus:
Camera operators record moving images for film, television, commercials, documentaries, news, music videos or corporate productions. They operate film or digital video cameras, with a focus on lighting and setting when working with animals.
Daily Tasks:
- Discuss brief with clients, directors
- Set up and position camera equipment
- Choose the most suitable lenses and camera angles
- Plan and rehearse shots
- Solve any practical or technical problems
- work closely with other technical departments, such as lighting and sound
- Post-production of film
- Administration and filing
Where they work:
Environment –
Camera operators working with animals will spend most of their time in the outdoors. On occasion they will film footage indoors, more around pets.
Places of Employment –
Most camera operators work for existing companies, whether in film, TV, animal documentary, wildlife film making or even government. They may also be self employed and freelance their services to film makers.
Average Salary:
On average the income per year is around $55,000. This will differ from country to country. The specific pay depends on factors such as level of experience, education and training, geographic location, and specific industry.
Difficulties:
Camera operators sometimes need to rough it out in very difficult surroundings, such as jungles and deep forests. This also means that they might need to travel a lot, and experience different climates, food and cultures. Working with wildlife can always be dangerous.
​Future growth and Possibilities:
The average grow for this career is around 10%, which is very good. The number of Internet-only platforms, such as streaming services, is likely to increase, along with the number of shows produced for these platforms.
3. Which Skills are required?
The skills required for a career as a camera operator, working with animals, can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills:
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills:
- ​Good artistic skills
- Excellent camera operating skills
- Basic customer service skills
- Good health and physical fitness, especially for outdoor work
- Excellent computer literacy (film editing software)
- Good knowledge of animal behaviour
4. Which Subjects must I have at School?
Art will be your major or most important subject in school, whether you want to study further, or not. It will strengthen your artistic skills and techniques. It can be swapped for photography or video editing, if they are subjects at your school.
Business Studies is not a compulsory subject for further tertiary studies, but it will definitely help you to understand and run your own business one day as a freelancer.
Biology is recommended, not for college or university acceptance, but because it will teach you a lot about animals, such as their behaviour and how they move. The basic knowledge will be required to work with animals.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
5. What will I need to Study?
Minimum Requirements:
The work done by camera operators need to be of a high quality, which means that the minimum qualification to enter this career would be a College diploma. Many of the operators have studied further towards an Bachelor’s degree.
Focus:
Major –
A diploma or degree in Film and Television, Dramatic Arts, Media Production, Media Technology or Photography.
Short Courses –
Short courses in theoretical, practical and technical knowledge of cameras and editing software.
Duration:
The duration of College and Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 3 or 4 years. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
Possible Career Preparation Paths:
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
​To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A Preparation Path is like your road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Possible Combined Career Paths:
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Stepping Stone Career:
Being a camera operator, working with animals, can also be used as a stepping stone career. A stepping stone career is one which is used to help you get to another career, normally because the other career is too difficult to reach (sometimes due to things like high fees etc).
You can begin as an intern operator after basic short courses and expert guidance (maybe working under a mentor). The money made can then be used to pay for studies towards a promotion or another career, and the experience helps in gaining knowledge. One paying to help get to the other.
Some of the possible paths:
Training and apprenticeship:
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as a camera operator will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
In some cases entry level positions (or junior camera operators) require training sessions even before you are allowed to actually perform your job duties. These sessions are offered by the place of employment, after you have successfully applied.
Apprenticeship is also possible where you need to learn skills from a more senior operator or expert.
Join the Camera Operators Group in STEP 8Â to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of education of all the people who enter the career:
6. Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Although not required by law, certifications may help workers establish their credentials and enhance their skills.
Learn more about requirements by joining OZT in STEP 8.
Professional Associations:
7. Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards film making.
8. Join the OZT community
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming a camera operator.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Camera Operator and want to join our Community, or are a member already, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
If this career is NOT the career for you, then you may return to the MAIN CAREER menu, and search for something different.
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