Learning path · Camera
Camera operating
Framing and moving the camera: shot sizes, coverage, heads and wheels, dollies, hand-held, Steadicam and gimbals.
Free films in teaching order, for one craft. Watch, tick them off and test yourself. It's practice that prepares you for an Academy course. This one prepares you for Camera department Foundation.
Lesson 1
The Role of the Camera Operator | Rodrigo Gutierrez and Peter Robertson
Cooke Optics · 9:53 · original on YouTube
You will learn: Understand the camera operator's role between director, DoP, actors and grips.
Note: Two working operators (Peter Robertson, Rodrigo Gutierrez); UK-based practice.
By the end you will be able to
- Frame every standard shot with correct headroom and looking room
- Plan coverage and keep the line in a dialogue scene
- Balance and operate a fluid head, and start on wheels and dollies
- Set up and operate handheld, Steadicam and gimbal rigs safely
Test yourself
Could you do it on a set?
4 real situations, one for each thing this path teaches. It's optional practice, not pass or fail, and your answers stay on this device.
Next: do it for real
This path prepares you for Camera department Foundation.
Eight lessons in the order a camera trainee meets the job: safety, who's who, prep, kit care, slates and camera reports, media, lenses and marks.
It's free and open in the pilot. Finish it to book a competency check, then a practical on our unit.
How learning with FIF works
Learning path. Free films in teaching order, for one craft. Watch, tick them off and test yourself. It's practice that prepares you for an Academy course.
- Learn onlineFree films, paths and Academy coursesYou are here
- Competency checkA short check with us, online or in person
- In-person practicalOn our unit at Pinewood or 3 Mills
- FIF CertificateFrom the practical only
The FIF Certificate comes only from the practical. How it works · Book a competency check
Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles: Every Camera Shot Explained [Shot List, Ep. 3]StudioBinder · Lesson14 min.
Cinematic Film Composition — Roger Deakins on Blocking, Staging & Composition in CinematographyStudioBinder · Lesson7 min.
Grip Rigs For Cinematic Camera Movement (Part 1)In Depth Cine · Lesson10 min.
Steadicam beginners guide part 2 (hand grip / start / stops / Don Juan / low mode / high mode)SteadiRed · Lesson20 min.
The Art of Steadicam Operating in CinemaCooke Optics · Lesson13 min.
Camera Masterclass with Sophie Darlington and Chris Titus King | RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses 2017Royal Television Society · Lesson1 h 20 min.
Go further
Beyond YouTube, labelled honestly. Free first. Paid options are labelled.
- ScreenSkills online learning (incl. Getting into the Screen Industries) Free with sign-up
ScreenSkills. UK industry skills body; free e-learning on set etiquette, safety and departments. - Guild of British Camera Technicians Paid (membership; trainee rate available)
GBCT. UK camera crew guild: trainee membership, events, kit days and a route into UK camera departments. - ARRI Academy courses Paid (varies by course, often several hundred pounds)
ARRI. Manufacturer training on ALEXA cameras, lenses, lighting and camera assistant skills. - LinkedIn Learning: Cinematography courses Paid (subscription, free trial; often free via UK public libraries)
LinkedIn Learning. Structured video courses with exercises; check your local library for free access. - Introduction to Camera Gimbals: Rigging and Stabilising Shots Paid (£225 freelance)
NFTS. Five-day gimbal course. - Introduction to Camera Skills Paid (£545)
NFTS. Two-day hands-on camera course. - GBCT training courses Paid (check each course)
GBCT. Guild of British Camera Technicians: short courses taught by working crew, including Steadicam. - Learn Cinematography (specialisation) Free to audit; certificate paid
Coursera. Framing and movement theory. - Apprenticeship standard: Camera prep technician (Level 3) Free to the apprentice (paid job; employer and government fund training)
Skills England. Shows what the apprenticeship covers; find live vacancies on Find an Apprenticeship.
For learners and trainers
Every lesson is a free video by its original maker, played from YouTube with privacy-enhanced settings. Found a broken video? Email [email protected].