Careers > Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

$58.23K Median Salary 3.9K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 24.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

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

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Far Vision

Near Vision

Visualization

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Oral Comprehension

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Visual Color Discrimination

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Control Precision

Flexibility of Closure

Information Ordering

Selective Attention

Deductive Reasoning

Finger Dexterity

Fluency of Ideas

Inductive Reasoning

Manual Dexterity

Originality

Category Flexibility

Time Sharing

Knowledge

English Language

Computers and Electronics

Communications and Media

Telecommunications

Skills

Active Listening

Coordination

Judgment and Decision Making

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Social Perceptiveness

Time Management

Complex Problem Solving

Technology Skills

Video creation and editing software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Analytical or scientific software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Document management software

Desktop publishing software

Office suite software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Word processing software

Presentation software

Web page creation and editing software

Tools

Aircraft guidance systems

Digital camcorders or video cameras

Airships

Soldering iron

Radio frequency transmitters or receivers

Camera controllers

Hex keys

Signal generators

Workshop cranes

Multimeters

Screwdrivers

Tape measures

Electronic viewfinder

Outside broadcasting van

Camera tripods

Nut drivers

Video monitors

Frequency analyzers

Camera lens

Stage or projection or studio lighting system

Gas generators

Headphones

Specialty wrenches

Flash memory storage card

Cinematographic cameras

Camera harnesses

Torx keys

Equalizers

Distortion meter

Traffic cones or delineators

Wire lug crimping tool

Camera lens filter

Oscilloscopes

Lux or light meter

Automated film processor

Abilities

Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).

Knowledge

English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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.
Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Technology Skills

Video creation and editing software: YouTube
Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites

Tools

Aircraft guidance systems: DroneDeploy; Landing pad; Local area augmentation system LAAS receivers; Microwave landing system MLS receivers
Digital camcorders or video cameras: Digital video cameras
Airships: Fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles UAV; Multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles UAV
Soldering iron: Soldering irons
Radio frequency transmitters or receivers: Animal transmitters; Radio telemetry equipment
Camera controllers: Studio camera control equipment
Hex keys: Allen wrenches; Hex wrenches
Signal generators: Function generators
Workshop cranes: Hydraulic cranes
Multimeters:
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Electronic viewfinder: Directors' viewfinders
Outside broadcasting van: Satellite broadcasting trucks
Camera tripods: Videocamera tripods
Nut drivers: Magnetic nut drivers; T handle nut drivers
Video monitors: Portable video monitors
Frequency analyzers: Spectrum analyzers
Camera lens: Zoom lenses
Stage or projection or studio lighting system: Stage lighting equipment
Gas generators: Power generators
Headphones: Headphone amplifiers; Studio headphones
Specialty wrenches: Oil filter wrenches
Flash memory storage card: Universal serial bus USB flash drives
Cinematographic cameras: Movie production cameras
Camera harnesses: Mobile mountings
Torx keys: Torx drivers
Equalizers: Audio equalizers
Distortion meter: Distortion analyzers
Traffic cones or delineators: Safety cones
Wire lug crimping tool: Blasting cap crimpers
Camera lens filter: Videocamera lens filters
Oscilloscopes: Sampling oscilloscopes
Lux or light meter: Light meters
Automated film processor: Automatic film processors

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