Director
Creative or operational relevance to directing
Entry-level camera department position — carries, preps, and learns. In the U.S./UK, a trainee holds a formal crew slot; in Germany, the equivalent is a camera internship or Volontariat.
The Camera Trainee is the lowest rung of the camera department and the only one where learning is explicitly part of the job. Practically, this means: cables, cases, batteries, tripods, rain protection, coffee — and alongside that, watching the 1st AC pull focus.
What is actually required
- Be there before you're needed. The difference between a good and a bad trainee isn't knowledge, but foresight: the rain cover is ready before it rains.
- Keep things tidy. Every piece back in its place. The department works under time pressure in semi-darkness — it only finds what's in the same spot as yesterday.
- Don't get in the way. This sounds trivial and is the most common feedback.
The path after
From Trainee to 2nd AC, from there to 1st AC, and only after that to your own camera work. The jump from Trainee to the next level depends less on training and more on re-bookings: those who are called back a second time are in.
From the crafts
Perspectives
Producer
Importance in production planning and execution
More in the lexikon
Related terms
Test your knowledge
Quiz
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Kamera-Trainee"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?