??? Becoming a hunting show camera man

mikey2

New member
Just wondering if any one knows how a person might get started, if thier are schools out there, What kind of salary a person might make, and if thier is any demand for this career.. Thanks alot Mike
 
Ive often wondered the same thing, good question. But I would imagine that actually knowing somebody already in that field might be the biggest factor to get your foot in the door... dunno, just a guess
 
Put yourself in the right place at the right time. Talk to people. Ask lots of questions. From what I've seen some of these cameramen don't last too long at their jobs. I've been told hunters make better cameraman than say more schooled technically cameramen because they have a better sense of what and where things are about to happen.

You've gotta be a person that can take critisism. Positive and negative. When things don't go right, it's usually the cameraman who gets the blame.

Ask some of the members here who film shows and movies for advice.

I had my chance, told them I needed the spring to get that years crop in first. In july, the offer wasn't there anymore. Oh well.
 
Quote:
You've gotta be a person that can take critisism. Positive and negative. When things don't go right, it's usually the cameraman who gets the blame.



Absolutely right! Because 98% time it is the cameramans fault. They are the ones running the show. As a hunter and field producer I do know both ends. I get riled if a hunter shoots when I say back off and they shoot anyway, but it does go both ways. I called Al Morris off of a coyote last winter that he new would of been a good kill but I couldnt really be confident so i called him off. Well when we watched it back it was definately my bad. See it was my fault because Al respected my position at the time. If he would of took the shot anyway it would of actually been two making mistakes and two wrongs dont make a right. Yes the kill would of been good but the trust and confidence barrier between hunter and cameraman would of been broken. Cameraman is actually a word that should be placed in movies and football games. In hunting it is the called field producing. The hunter and field producer do work together but the producer can see what the hunter dont so it is a very big responsibility on the field producer and they are the ones that call the shots.(most of the time)
 
as a location manager in the production business for 25 years
i wholeheartedly agree with criner
i was working on a large national hunting commercial 2 years ago
and it couldn't have turned out worse
(the ads were actually run and were horrible)
the camerman was not a hunter
the producer was not a hunter
non of the crew were hunters
except myself and the location owner
it was sad
(but i never laughed so hard for 3 straight days)
point
there were tons of wildlife and hunting cameramen out there
but i have seen over and over guys get hired for their "who they know in the business" that don't know squat about hunting
answer
if you are a hunter
pay lots of dues
-use a camera instead of a gun and solo until you it get it just right
-then film a partner and get it just right
-watch lots of styles of other cameramen
(pay close attention to editing)
-pay lots of attention to editing
(angles and cuts)
-along the way find a hunter you can really sync with
then
-there are lots of books on producing
(study them well)
pay lots and lots of money along the way
work countless numbers of hours without any pay at all
and
for all that
you may end up doing it JUST FOR THE LOVE OF IT

BEST OF LUCK
guero
 
Thanks for the reply Steve, could you give me some info. on how a person might get started in field producing. Thank you Mikey...........
 
Buy $8000 dollars worth of equipment likie guero said and put in alot of time filming. Ive spent time filming my dog running in the yard out of a tree stand for example. If you put in alot of time and pay your dues like filming buddies until you you get crisp, you can find a job. Go to http://www.fieldproducer.com/site/camera-secrets/ and youll learn alot. There is alot of studying and unpaid time but if is what you really want to do you could make $15000 starting off and Ive seen some of the top producer's only get $50000 so its possible to make a living its just making it to that point.
 
" Only $50,000 " That's some perty good money there!

When we film for Outdoor Insights TV, the field producer calls the shots!

I agree with these other guy's, sink some money into the best equipment you can afford and film.film.film!

Try and get a bud interested to, I struggled for a couple years trying to be the hunter and run the camera, it's not easy and get's very frustrating. I finally found a couple guy's that are willing to run camera for me now.

Also, tinker around with editing to, it'll make you much better in the field, you'll know what all kind of "B" footage it will take to produce a full hunt.



JD
 
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