HOW TO STEAL MY JOB: Cameraman
Cameraman Sketch has been filming for just under four years and is known for having captured some of the most legendary bars in grime. With Wiley, P Money, Merky ACE, Fangol, Scrufizzer and Skepta being just a few of the names Sketch has worked with and three independently successful DVDs (London To Birmingham, UK Touring DVD and 2010 DVD) to date, the Nottingham based cameraman has had his fair share of experience. Having just finished filming the Lord Of The Mics 3 DVD, Sketch puts the camera down for a minute to give you aspiring cameramen/women ten tips to how you can steal his job…
1. Make sure the battery on your camera is charged or you have a spare one.
2. When doing paid work if you’ve come to an agreement always ask for a deposit.
Sometimes the person you’re filming for might change their mind about what they want after you’ve filmed it and not want to pay but it’s still your time taken to film it in the first place.
3. An easy way to start filming and get the hang of it would be to start filming your friends or locals.
Even film at your local pub and use backing music that’s either been offered out as a free download or music you’ve brought to be the backing tracks. This way you can get the hang of what you’re doing before you put your work out there.
4. Always have your camera on standby you never know when there’s a moment that needs to be captured.
Sometimes the most interesting footage is footage you didn’t even expect to film.
5. There’s always new competition and talented cameramen coming through so try and have your footage edited and uploaded as quickly as possible.
You snooze you lose and someone else will get the hits.
6. Try and have a steady hand whilst filming and when it’s time to give movement don’t be afraid to move.
Again, practice walking around your local area or filming your friends for a long time to get used to holding the camera and the most comfortable way to hold it.
7. Always pack your lights and spare memory card.
Have your equipment ready or you could lose out on a job/booking over it. Bad feedback = less work!
8. If you’re being a cameraman to be rich take up filming like Steven Spielberg, filming isn’t all about the money it’s about the love of a vision as well.
9. Filming is a hard graft so when you eventually get paid for it use your income to invest back into projects and get better equipment, better lenses, more lights, more memory cards even better cameras.
10. Don’t turn your nose up at unpaid work for unknown projects if YOU like them and YOU see something special in the project.
You never know they could be the next big thing and your camerawork could be what opens peoples eyes up to them!
Buy Lord Of The Mics: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lord-of-the-mics-iii/id483332557
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