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Director of photography apprenticeships

Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators > Director Of Photography

Creative and media

Director of photography apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • working towards this role
  • specialist courses run by private training providers


    • University

    You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject. Examples include:

    • photography 
    • art
    • drama
    • film studies

    You'll usually need: 

    • a foundation diploma in art and design 
    • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma 
    • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree 
    College

    You can take a college course, to develop your camera skills before looking for work. Relevant courses include: 

    • Level 2 Diploma In Creative Media Production and Technology 
    • Level 3 Certificate in Media Techniques
    • Level 3 Diploma in Photography 
    It may give you an advantage if you can find a course that offers practical experience and possibly a work placement.

    You'll usually need 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a Level 2 course. Yo'll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and a creative subject for a Level 3.

    Work
    You could work your way up from being a: 

    • runner 
    • camera operator trainee 
    • lighting trainee 
    It's also helpful to have experience of working as an assistant director. You'll need a lot of experience before you can move on to become a director of photography. You can improve your prospects by developing specialist filming skills like aerial, night-time or underwater photography.

    Volunteering

    It'll help if you can get paid or unpaid experience with:

    • community film productions 
    • amateur or student film projects
    • independent film production companies or camera equipment suppliers 
    You can search for film and TV companies to approach for experience through media business listing services like PACT and The Knowledge.

    Other Routes
     You may be able to get training through one of the new entrant training schemes that broadcasters and film bodies offer, for example: 

    • BBC trainee schemes 
    • Channel 4 training scheme
    • ITV Careers 
    • BFI 
    You could also take short courses in camera operation run by film schools, regional screen agencies and private training providers. 

    Professional and industry bodies
    You could join an organisation like the British Society of Cinematographers for industry news and latest developments in camera techniques and technology.

    Director of photography apprenticeships - what it takes

    Skills and knowledge

    You'll need: 

    • knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software 
    • knowledge of media production and communication 
    • to be flexible and open to change 
    • to be thorough and pay attention to detail 
    • the ability to work well with others 
    • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure 
    • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things 
    • excellent verbal communication skills 
    • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

    Director of photography apprenticeships - what you'll do

    Day-to-day tasks

    As part of your role, you will: 

    • visit a location before filming, known as a 'recce', to check its suitability
    • hire filming and lighting equipment 
    • test equipment before filming 
    • manage all aspects of filming, sometimes operating a camera 
    • supervise the camera crew to decide on any special camera moves 
    • work closely with the lighting team to decide on lighting techniques
    • review film footage with the director
    Working environment
    You could work on a film set, at a film studio or at a TV studio. Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.

    Career path and progression - Director of photography apprenticeships

    With experience, you could work on TV and film productions with bigger budgets, or become a director or producer.

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    Considering an Apprenticeship?

    There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

    • Paid Training
      Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
    • Range of career opportunities
      There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
    • Earn & learn
      As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
    • Great career prospects
      Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
    • Learn on the job
      There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

    Start searching for Apprenticeships Near You

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