Camera operator career?

[Malina]

Hello all hope your day's going well


I'm currently a student in year 11 taking the dreaded GCSEs    and I'm a bit confused about what to do after I leave secondary school. When I ultimately finish uni I'd like to be a counsellor/psychologist, but because that isn't usually a full time job I'm thinking about also going into something else.


I enjoy languages and photography/videography so I've been looking into those fields. With languages I could become a supply teacher (which would work well if I become a school counsellor as well). With cameras I've been looking at becoming a cameraman for the BBC or companies like that. I can't find much information online regarding information on becoming a cameraman, so if anyone has any information on this (or just any in general) I'd greatly appreciate it!


Thanks for any responses! ^^

[Ventus Fall]

What about film academies? They usually divide between actors, camera(wo)men, editors, etc.

[Malina]

(sorry, Camera apache )


I hadn't thought of that, thanks for telling because that's the most logical course isn't it 

[Ventus Fall]

No problem!
And while it may be logical, I wouldn't have known so quickly either about this if I hadn't at some point wanted to become a film director and was looking at film academies myself
Heck, maybe you can also look into other things (journalism academies/universities, for example) and call the studies to ask about a camera-operator carreer

[Aphexbeats]

Hello all hope your day's going well


I'm currently a student in year 11 taking the dreaded GCSEs    and I'm a bit confused about what to do after I leave secondary school. When I ultimately finish uni I'd like to be a counsellor/psychologist, but because that isn't usually a full time job I'm thinking about also going into something else.


I enjoy languages and photography/videography so I've been looking into those fields. With languages I could become a supply teacher (which would work well if I become a school counsellor as well). With cameras I've been looking at becoming a cameraman for the BBC or companies like that. I can't find much information online regarding information on becoming a cameraman, so if anyone has any information on this (or just any in general) I'd greatly appreciate it!


Thanks for any responses! ^^

HI there Lumix, speak as a guy who had done a few years of camera operations, you may want to reconsider. The thing is that camera operations are sort of not the best paying jobs. You really need to put in work in order to get contracted gigs for camera operations. I went to college for media studies and did some camera operations - I got myself a job at a  news station and did camera for a local hockey team. This is really fun if you have a passion for film, but it rarely pays the bills. My advice would be to develop a demo reel of the camera work you have done. Pursue this university degree and get a job as a counselor - do camera stuff in your leisure time as extra income if it means that much to you! I personally pursued another degree and have yet to find employment, but the camera stuff didn't pay well at all (minimum wage and a stipend).