Digital video courses

[laurent.a]

It's a question for technical students more than directing ones...

I would like to know from you students how your teachers train you to digital video or even HD cinematography.

Do you have technicals courses about the different formats ? What cameras do you work with ? do you learn how to get into the menus and different parameters. Are you tought about the tests that should be made before shooting... or do you use these cameras like nearly anyother one and only focus and learn about lighting an framing ?

I think the tool is worth knowing it well and it's becoming clear that a new job has appeared on HD films, like an new assistant to the dop, helping him to configure the machine with vectorscope, monitor and so, assisting him to get the image he wants and keeping the material in state, matching the lenses colorimetry, etc. while the focus puller is still doing his work on the stage.

How is the job called where you are ? video assistant ? video engineer ? Digital technician ?

In France, people like Philippe Ros call his assistant François Paturel "opérateur vision" as we call the video engineer on multicameras " ingénieur de la vision "

Are you tought this job ?

 

[Hamco]

At the New York Film Academy we learned all the actual operation of the camera (menus, shooting modes, 24p, all that) in the camera classes, but most of the cinematography was learned in directing classes (shots, framing, lighting etc)