Behind The Scenes: The role of Assistant Camera

My role on the short drama film True N.O.R.T.H. was assistant camera (AC). The main goals I had as a camera assistant was to step back and learn the responsibilities of different roles of different departments on a film set but also help me become more familiar with a camera and its equipment - and by far, this was my favourite role in the second half of this year.

The camera assistants' jobs are to ultimately support the Cinematographer/DP/Primary Camera Operator. They are also responsible for setting up and taking down the equipment, inspecting the camera equipment to confirm it is safe and in working order for operation, moving the camera, focus pulling, and slating each shot.

Being in this role, I learnt all about different settings on the camera and setting up, moving, changing lenses on the camera. I had the best opportunity to learn from other crew members, watching how they work, talking and even assisting them - after building a trust with the cinematographer, I even had opportunities to be a secondary camera operator.

Being an assistant in the camera department really took away the stress of being a head of department - I really absorbed all the knowledge and experiences I could, on top of just enjoying the work we were doing. It really helped bring my passion for filmmaking, and just being on set, alive - even more than it was previously. After stressing over jobs and assignments, it reminded me of that exciting spark in helping create a whole new world within our own.