Camera work is one of the most artistic things that we do as technical artists. It is a perfect marriage of tech and artistry, which is why I think it's one of my favorite things to teach volunteers. Video cameras are really not all that complicated to learn, however, like playing chess, there is a difference between knowing how the pieces move and being a real chess player.
Training camera work can really be broken down in three sections technical, functional, and artistic. The first thing I always tell potential new camera operators is to watch what happens on TV and in movies and try and copy that. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Look at what the professionals are doing and copy it. I am a huge fan of finding videos to send to volunteers so they can watch them on their own time before training, I find this better prepares them to come to training with questions, which allows me to figure out what they need to focus on. If something is confusing, then that is where I am going to spend more time.
The first thing we train on is the technical side. We spend time going over the parts of the camera. It's really introduction to Camera 101. This section focuses on the important switches and buttons, and the switches and buttons that aren't important but will mess things up. For example, most of our camera lenses have a servo zoom, and there is a switch under the lens that will disable this motor. I can't tell you how many times, minutes before we go live, someone has accidently flipped that switch and is now sure they have a camera that doesn't work. However, even if they forget where the switch is, just knowing this is something that could happen keeps them from panicing and gets them to a point where they can ask for direction on how to fix the problem because they understand what it is.
While the practical training is about following the rules, artistic training is really about knowing when and why to break them.
During this portion of training, you want to go over things like zoom and focus controls, white balance, shutter speed, and backfocus. This is also where you would spend time teaching volunteers about tripods if you use them; where the locks are, how to set the drag, and how to adjust the handles.
Functional training is the next step in our curriculum. For functional training we work on how to apply the technical training to practical camera work. We focus on shot composition, and camera movement. Shot composition is all about following the rules; the rule of thirds, nose room, lead room, and head room. There are some great videos by Digital Juice that I use to teach these concepts
Volunteers will spend most of their training time in this stage as they work on mastering basic camera movements and controls. Much like riding a bike, camera work becomes easier and more natural over time, some of that time is going to happen live but the more time behind the camera we can get a volunteer before game day, the better they will be.
The last section of training we have is artistic training. This one is tough and we actually don't have a set training curriculum for this section. Like most technical disciplines, artistic talent is something you either have or you don't. I would venture to say it's almost impossible to teach people to have an “ear for music” or an “eye for camera work.” I have some camera ops are that are technically very proficient, but just don't grasp the artistic aspect. The good news is that technical proficiency is enough to get through a weekend because the director will actually help with artistic side by dictating pace, and style. Technically proficient volunteers are required, artistic volunteer are simply preferred.
While the practical training was all about following the rules, this section is really about knowing when and why to break them. At this point I leave it up to the volunteers to watch others operators to get ideas. While it is possible to teach an appreciation for the artistic aspect, it's not always possible to train people into it. One of the things that can help is teaching the camera ops to listen to the music and really feel it. One of the most important skills camera ops need is the ability to listen, and beyond that “feel” and “understand” what is happening around them. This allows them to react to the environment and, more importantly, be able to anticipate what will happen around them.
While you might not be able to teach the art, you can encourage the art among your volunteers. When you see them take risks and try new things encourage those moments, then correct the results. I have found most camera operators will eventually get to the next level, though it may take a while. So make sure you are encouraging your volunteer artists, because when you have a team of volunteers working together to create art that brings glory to God, it is something really special.
