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how do i get a job as a camera trainee?


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Really? I mostly work on commercials and corporate stuff but I don't see it that way at all. I guess my market is fairly small so we all know each other or at least of each other.

Commercials and fiction are quite separate here in LDN. I do mostly fiction, and commercials always strikes me as just a bit too serious plus me not really liking selling chilli chicken mcbites too many times. Then there's also spending weeks on location and never really managing to find the way not to walk through the hotel's bar on the way to the room!

So, although brief and slightly deluded, when on the road it gets real supportive. Sort of like a Big Brother.

 

Also, when I work as DIT the role changes a lot from one to the other. It's infinitely more creative and sleek in a long job, which maybe helps sway my preference.

Edited by John Miguel King
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First of all, congratulations.

Getting a job as a camera trainee is very hard and it is even harder to stay there so learn everything, ask questions, work harder than the rest, be always ready, in time and you will get through very easily.

 

If you love there will be sometimes where you will cry, keep that in mind! Because it is a job with a lot of emotions around!

 

It takes time though. I spent 3 / 4 years as a camera trainee so many years ago and I loved it to bits, however I love being 2nd ac the most.

 

However, nowadays there are so many options out there to choose from after being camera intern.

You can take the DIT route, the 2nd AC route, Cinematographer Personal Assistant way or even getting yourself specialized on video, which is quite difficult and rewarding too.

 

I take the two points of view on the forum, the one from Phil, which is understandable and the one from John, which is quite interesting.

 

The good thing about being a camera intern is that if you get on well with the crew you work with, they will call you always and after some years, they will give you a chance to move up as a 2nd AC if you want to.

Hence, John is right at pointing that film crew is like a family, it is a very difficult one to enter though.

 

If you have the chance to become a camera intern for one of the better crews in UK (Guardians of the galaxy, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc) and you work hard, you will get jobs at that level almost all your life and they will expect you to have a really high professional standard.

 

It is easier to start as a camera intern and work your way up if you don't have any kind of responsabilities and are young.

People in their mid - 30s are prone to have mortgages, kids, etc, so they cannot say no to jobs as 2nd ac / focus puller and most of the time they won't have the chance to work on something else as cinematographers.

 

I have nothing to say about the "cuteness" and "characters" of the filmmaking workers as you will see loads of different types, from me, usually very focused when working on set and don't like the chit - chat, but I'm a quite happy person to some others who love telling stories about all the places they went and etc.

 

You will have to accept them all and live with them.. and sometimes is very hard, but most of the time is like being on holidays! And one thing you will find soon is that they will help you a lot and they will take care of you if you are a hard worker.

 

If you are a lazy person, you better get off the train now and go the corporate route before wasting 5 years of your life! I suppose you are not though!

 

As for commercials and features.

You will have to work on both and you will like commercials because they pay very well, are short and sweet and you have all the toys to play with but you will love features because it is where you will learn the craft.

 

It is said that the best people in the industry work on features, and I think it is true because it takes a different level to be able to not lose focus on something for 2 or 3 months and do your job perfectly every single day every single minute (hello focus pullers! )

 

So, just saying that welcome to the club! Enjoy your days while working and keep us informed! Maybe some day we will work together!!

 

Have a good day (and a long career!)

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I've worked with many A.C's who have zero interest in becoming DP's. Which makes sense as I have no interest in tackling their job. They are two very different jobs which involve different skill sets and while some are great at both, many are not. I've been amazed at the work I've seen some A.C.'s do and I know I'd be horrible at it.

So if you find that you're not the greatest 1st A.C., don't let it kill your dreams of becoming a DP cause you may find that your personality and skill set is far better at that and or, vice versa.

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  • 2 months later...

Miguel , thanks for a long and considered post , thought I would give you all an update / recognition thanks for responding . I am currently working on a feature with some of the very crews you mention , Sherlock , gladiator , Harry Potter etc . I should mention also paid not an internship Im taking full trainee wage ... Which is not bad pay ! By my standards anyway , being a 23 ur old single graduate I feel in a good position to tackle this route ! They are a lovely bunch of people and although very serious about the work I do feel very looked after , though not mollycoddled in any way, they expect hard work and quick learning , but it's allways rewarded with a great feeling of gratitude , being told your doing good work is the best thing , despite having loads to learn and being very green . physically the work is tough , there are certain aspects I need to work on to improve , my organisation and neatness for example , Im quite a creative , and have all the cliché attributes that accompany that . But I am so gratefull to have the opportunity to work with them , I just hope it may continue after this project ...

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  • 6 months later...

Far from wanting this to turn into a topic of me blowing my own trumpet I just want to say , for all those out there that may be in my situation 2 years ago , if I had listened to some of the negative comments when I opened the thread I would have made one of the biggest mistakes of my life .

since April this year I have been in almost constant employment as a trainee , working on two feature films and a major TV series (which I just last week wrapped on )

I'm on a plane to Poland to have a bit of an Xmas holiday and relax , but in January I start on Star Wars episode 8 as the trainee on the main unit .

 

So to all those who say this industry is hopeless impossible , etc I say quite frankly , you are misinformed , find the right contacts , do some work experience for them work hard for them , and it would appear this industry is far from hopeless .

 

(Yes I'm a massive Star Wars fan ) I hope everyone has as much success as me .

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Congratulations again!!

 

I wasn't very far away from the list of movies, right?

 

Star Wars is a massive movie, loads of months (4 or 5 I suppose!?) so enjoy and may the force be with you!

 

Have a lovely day!

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This is a long thread and covers all sorts of things. I do agree with a lot of what Phil has said here, his words however harsh do bear the realities of the ‘little’ British film industry. I would like to add that Britain is a very class orientated country and most people who seem to get ahead and are ‘successfully working’ tend to be middle class.

 

Pav

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Far from wanting this to turn into a topic of me blowing my own trumpet I just want to say , for all those out there that may be in my situation 2 years ago , if I had listened to some of the negative comments when I opened the thread I would have made one of the biggest mistakes of my life .

since April this year I have been in almost constant employment as a trainee , working on two feature films and a major TV series (which I just last week wrapped on )

I'm on a plane to Poland to have a bit of an Xmas holiday and relax , but in January I start on Star Wars episode 8 as the trainee on the main unit .

 

So to all those who say this industry is hopeless impossible , etc I say quite frankly , you are misinformed , find the right contacts , do some work experience for them work hard for them , and it would appear this industry is far from hopeless .

 

(Yes I'm a massive Star Wars fan ) I hope everyone has as much success as me .

 

Hey! I thought this thread had good advice, you yourself admitted it wasn't easy to get that first work.

 

There was a mix of people saying things here all of which are somewhat true and especially for the people saying them..

It's often a mistake that people make when talking about forums that they think of things in terms of getting an answer to a question and that answer being right or wrong. I find it's best to go to forums and to expect a wide diversity of opinions and to decide which is right for you and what useful info you can take from them. You see there are often not right and wrong answers but its more about what is right or wrong for your own situation.

 

Heres a good example. Theres a lot of people here saying that the UK doesn't have much of a film industry. The thing is that the words Leavesden and British film industry don't really sit too well together! ;)

 

If you read through this thread I think it's kinda spot on actually, but you have to take it all into consideration.

 

Anyway whatever, I want to say a big congratulations Jake! :)

 

Freya

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I would point out that in the entire history of this forum, during which dozens and dozens of people have appeared asking for advice about the UK industry, this is the first instance, ever, under which anyone has reported any success.

 

Beyond that, all I can say is that training is not employment.

 

P

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I would point out that in the entire history of this forum, during which dozens and dozens of people have appeared asking for advice about the UK industry, this is the first instance, ever, under which anyone has reported any success.

 

Beyond that, all I can say is that training is not employment.

 

P

 

In the US there has been much debate on the topic of 'unpaid internships'. Some of the cases are working towards the Supreme Court.

 

At the moment, if one 'pays' an intern... well... they are a paid employee, so they have whatever rights and protections that employment law provides.

 

If the 'intern' is unpaid, things get murky as to what they would be 'learning' as on the one hand the 'intern' must receive the 'benefit' of the experience, whereas the company cannot receive a 'immediate' benefit. Some small companies can't have someone just 'around', occasionally performing some minimal activity, for which the company does not benefit. The intern obviously 'benefits' in the sense of seeing how actual work is done... running around, screaming and shouting, drop dead deadlines, etc...

 

There were several interns on the film "Black Swan"(2010) who sued for employment status, and the court ruled in their favor in 2013... 3 years after "Black Swan" was released. Appeals are being made...

 

The net effect is companies will review their 'interest' in interships, and perhaps some number will no longer extend the offer, or, basically create a 'hiring' category of 'trainee', and go from there.

Edited by John E Clark
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Internships in NYC must (legally supposed to...) either fulfill some sort of school credit or pay some type of wage. Internships aren't supposed to be free "slave labor". Many companies simply ignore the law knowing the interns aren't going to raise a fuss.

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Ok firstly trainee isn't an 'intern' here in the UK trainee is just the lowest paid rank , we are training but on the job and getting paid (fairly well by starter salary standards ) . That said discussion into internships isn't null and void I admit as undoubtedly they do exist and get exploited . I just happen to have had the luck of only ever doing a grand total of about 10 days work experience before people started paying me.

 

Freya reading it back maybe I came across as slightly harsh then , I wasn't really criticising the feedback , I just thought I would let it be known that it isn't my personal experience , balance the books as it were as I would hate to think people would give up or be put off if positive feedback didn't have an online

 

Pavan - I'm not sure where I sit on this one , because I certainly am middle class but I don't think my class has much to do with me getting ahead . And in addition to this I've met a hell of a lot of very respected working class people in my brief time in the industry so far , if anything I would say my class has been a disadvantage as some sparks find it a bit off putting when they think you're a right **(obscenity removed)** toff and have been to private school etc . (I haven't at all ) .

 

Miguel - no in fact perhaps you already know this but the people who have been helping me get my work and that I'm working with again on this one were very much involved in a good few of those titles .

 

Regardless all I wanted to do by following this up is to bring some balance and show other young hopefuls that however hard it is possible . And yes I know my work may dry up at some point but so far Ive had quite the roll .

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  • 1 year later...

Ok firstly trainee isn't an 'intern' here in the UK trainee is just the lowest paid rank , we are training but on the job and getting paid (fairly well by starter salary standards ) . That said discussion into internships isn't null and void I admit as undoubtedly they do exist and get exploited . I just happen to have had the luck of only ever doing a grand total of about 10 days work experience before people started paying me.

 

Freya reading it back maybe I came across as slightly harsh then , I wasn't really criticising the feedback , I just thought I would let it be known that it isn't my personal experience , balance the books as it were as I would hate to think people would give up or be put off if positive feedback didn't have an online

 

Pavan - I'm not sure where I sit on this one , because I certainly am middle class but I don't think my class has much to do with me getting ahead . And in addition to this I've met a hell of a lot of very respected working class people in my brief time in the industry so far , if anything I would say my class has been a disadvantage as some sparks find it a bit off putting when they think you're a right **(obscenity removed)** toff and have been to private school etc . (I haven't at all ) .

 

Miguel - no in fact perhaps you already know this but the people who have been helping me get my work and that I'm working with again on this one were very much involved in a good few of those titles .

 

Regardless all I wanted to do by following this up is to bring some balance and show other young hopefuls that however hard it is possible . And yes I know my work may dry up at some point but so far Ive had quite the roll .

 

Exactly, good job mate. I've seen your IMDB account. It's quite impressive. Its a shame I'm living in the North West. Keep on working and you'll be the 2nd AC in no time!

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  • 7 months later...

This has been a most enlightening thread.

 

Make sure you remember to send the elevator back down when you get to the top, haha.

 

I agree with Brenton here, it has been very enlightening to read everyone's views and opinions. As it has been a few years since this topic was started would you say the situation is still the same?

 

I have seen in the last two years that there has been a little more support - WB and Pinewood (?) introducing a scheme (which I do not qualify for) and there are one or two camera trainee schemes coming up that I will apply to but outside of that I haven't seen anything else. Camera Trainee roles never seem to be advertised or I am looking in the wrong place?

 

I have been applying for work experience in camera rental companies in London as well as asking friends and a few contacts if there's any work or shoots that I can shadow on but it still feels like a who you know business and still just as difficult to get into despite the few extra schemes. I'll keep trying and I am determined to make it as a trainee but if any of you guys have any more advice on top of what has been said already or if I am looking in the wrong place do feel free to share!

 

But yes, going all the way back to it: Jake, I am so glad that everything worked out for you and it's great to hear that someone has succeeded - I hope to one day work alongside you! And to everyone who has contributed their advice and opinion so, thank you, it is very much appreciated and I look forward to hearing what others say in regards to this topic.

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