- CUFCAM501A - Shoot material for screen productions under special conditions
CUFCAM501A
Shoot material for screen productions under special conditions
Application
Shooting material under special conditions is undertaken by experienced camera operators. They could be working on productions that require capturing shots from moving vehicles, aircraft, trains or underwater using digital or film cameras. Shoots may involve risk situations requiring the application of safe work practices and close collaboration with production team members. Generally speaking, a director of photography or director supervises such shoots but there are circumstances where camera operators may carry responsibility for most if not all of the filming, e.g. deep underwater shoots. This unit builds on the skills acquired in: CUFCAM401A Shoot a wide range of television content CUFCAM402A Shoot television content in a multi-camera environment. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Plan shoot | 1. Liaise with relevant production personnel to interpret and confirm overall production requirements 2. Collaborate with relevant production personnel to devise creative solutions for shoots to meet aims and needs of productions 3. Interpret camera plans, identify required special effects and create appropriate shot lists for use during rehearsals and actual shoots 4. Brief relevant production personnel assisting with shoot and determine an execution plan for specific shoots 5. Participate in pre-shoot safety briefings to ensure risks of shooting under special conditions are understood 6. Identify potential hazards and risks that may affect decisions to proceed with shoots and arrange to reduce problems where feasible |
Select and set up equipment | 7. Assess nature of special conditions and discuss issues with relevant production personnel 8. Select required equipment and accessories for shoots and install correctly and safely 9. Ensure equipment and accessories do not impede operations of other production personnel involved in shoot 10. Participate in rehearsals where feasible and agree to final camera shots and camera movements 11. Adjust shot lists as required |
Capture shots | 12. Communicate with relevant production personnel throughout shoot and operate camera according to instructions and cues received 13. Re-create and capture shots established during rehearsals and advise relevant production personnel of unavoidable variations from predetermined plans 14. Endeavour to minimise negative effects of movement of equipment and accessories on filming activity 15. Operate camera and special equipment to ensure safety of relevant production personnel and other participants involved in shoot 16. Work in cooperation with other personnel to achieve the desired camera movements and visual effects 17. Complete operations without damage to equipment and without interference to operators of moving equipment 18. Participate in debriefing sessions to evaluate effectiveness of shoots and to identify areas for future improvement |
Required Skills
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Required skills |
communication, teamwork and literacy skills sufficient to: interpret creative information, scripts and images provide creative input to production planning work collaboratively with production staff and others during shoots complete workplace documentation, e.g. shot lists respond appropriately to feedback about shoots from others high levels of initiative, enterprise and creativity in the context of: demonstrating originality and innovative approaches to filming under special conditions being able to balance creative and technical requirements being flexible enough to make last-minute adjustments to planned shots if unforeseen circumstances arise during shoots self-management and problem solving skills sufficient to: solve problems and challenges during shoots in a timely and collaborative manner evaluate own contribution to creative solutions work under pressure to tight deadlines planning and organising skills in the context of planning shots to achieve required outcomes in the most efficient way, including taking account of budgetary and resource constraints technical skills sufficient to operate a range of professional camera equipment in a single-camera or multi-camera environment under a range of special conditions |
Required knowledge |
industry knowledge, including: roles and responsibilities of personnel in the relevant industry sector sound understanding of artistic and technical elements associated with productions, e.g. staging, lighting, sound issues and challenges that arise in the context of filming under special conditions features of a range of cameras and accessories cinematographic language preparation of shot cards and shot descriptions production scheduling process techniques for handling cables, including their compatibility with other equipment well-developed understanding of photographic principles, such as: exposure tonal relationships focus light sources sensitivity and balancing camera interpretation of colour characteristics of lenses colour correction techniques colour temperature and compensation camera-to-subject practice/framing and composition: lens to eyeline jump cuts crossing the line matching shots general continuity features of and techniques for using light-measuring devices duty of care to colleagues and general public, especially on location OHS procedures, particularly as they relate to lifting, climbing rigs and use of electrical equipment detailed knowledge of the Recommended Safety Code for Film and Television |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: ability to make creative contributions to the planning and execution of filming under a range of special conditions strong teamwork ethic and ability to work under direction and to deadlines ability to operate cameras and ancillary equipment in a multi-camera environment and under special conditions knowledge and application of photographic principles application of safe work practices when filming under special conditions. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: practical demonstration of skills through filming sequences under a range of special conditions access to a range of professional equipment currently used in the film and television industry opportunities to work on single-camera and multi-camera shoots that require filming under special conditions access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required use of culturally appropriate processes and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance observation of the candidate filming under special conditions to assess candidate's ability to capture shots safely evaluation of sequences filmed by the candidate to determine candidate's ability to meet creative production requirements written or verbal questioning to test knowledge as listed in the required skills and knowledge section of this unit. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: CUFCAM403A Plan and implement installation of camera supports. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Production personnel may include: | director director of photography gaffer grip head of department lighting personnel news producer/director/chief of staff other specialist staff other technical staff supervisor technical director. |
Production requirements may include: | artistic and style requirements creative lighting conditions location of assignment mood news stories to be covered script special effects technical. |
Shoots may include: | digital film multi-camera single-camera. |
Productions may include: | animated productions commercials documentaries EFP (electronic field production) ENG (electronic news gathering) feature films filmed events or performances live or prerecorded television productions music video short films. |
Special effects may include: | explosions flash pots floods gunshots mechanical pyrotechnic effects rain snow storm effects, e.g. thunder, lightning wind. |
Execution plan may include: | chain of communication for execution of the filming cues and signals to be used emergency action to be taken in the event of accidents route and timing of camera shots. |
Special conditions may include: | filming of special effects mounted to a crane mounted to a dolly mounted to, or filmed from a moving aircraft mounted to, or filmed from a moving train mounted to, or filmed from a moving vehicle, e.g. car, truck, bus mounted to, or filmed from a moving vessel, e.g. ship, boat underwater use of a jib use of a remote-control camera use of a robotic camera. |
Equipment and accessories may include: | autocue monitor cables cranes cue card holders digital cameras diopter film cameras filter wheel filters fluid heads headphones lenses lighting bulbs lighting equipment lights mounts pedestals rigs and scaffolding shot boxes special camera housings spreaders talkback tallies and return video tracks and dollies tripods underwater camera video split monitor viewfinders. |
Shots may include: | close-up cutaway shot establishing or master shot extreme close-up eye-level shot high-angle long shot low-angle mid shot point-of-view shot wide shot. |
Camera movements may include: | crab crane dolly pan physical relocation static tilt track in/out zoom in/out. |
Special equipment may include: | camera housings, e.g. underwater housing communication equipment diving equipment harness equipment protective clothing, e.g.: helmet wetsuit identifying colour and/or signage on clothing insulated clothing fire-resistant clothing special camera housings rig, track and mount equipment sealed cabling or battery equipment. |
Other participants may include: | actors ambulance and medical staff boat crew council staff divers driver of vehicle fire brigade general public, e.g. studio audiences, spectators interviewees interviewers journalists/reporters performers, e.g. stunt performers, actors pilot police presenters safety officer train driver. |
Operators of moving equipment may include: | boat crew crane operator dolly operator drivers of vehicles pilots train drivers. |
Sectors
Unit sector |
Competency Field
Media and entertainment production - Camera/cinematography |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.