Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
- Telecommunications
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
What the work involves
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Artistic, Realistic, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (60.7% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (30%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (73%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 77% of occupations compared | 86% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Higher on dealing with the public than 54% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 79% of occupations compared | 80% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 90% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 54% of occupations compared | 68% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Higher on conflict situations than 59% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 57% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 70% of occupations compared | 34% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 5.74%
- Contact with others about half the time: 4.53%
- Contact with others most of the time: 3.38%
- Constant contact with others: 86.35%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 12.65%
- Fairly important: 15.67%
- Important: 15.25%
- Very important: 18.2%
- Extremely important: 38.23%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0.86%
- Important: 18.65%
- Very important: 0.72%
- Extremely important: 79.77%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 8.86%
- Very little freedom: 24.53%
- Limited freedom: 0%
- Some freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- A lot of freedom: 20.59%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Time pressure
- Never: 15.77%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 14.82%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0.26%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0.86%
- Every day: 68.29%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Conflict situations
- Never: 5.06%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 32.85%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 22.47%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 38.88%
- Every day: 0.73%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 15.77%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 24.32%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 14.25%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 0.73%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 13.12%
- Fairly serious: 12.85%
- Serious: 24.58%
- Very serious: 15.55%
- Extremely serious: 33.9%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2019
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O*NET-SOC 27-4031.00 · SOC 27-4031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8