Camera commands
The reason for having standard instructions in a control room has nothing to do with being pedantic. It is simply the fastest, most accurate way for directors to get what they want.
Planned camera commands
These are the instructions written onto scripts and camera cards. They are the shots and movements we have detailed already, and will be immediately understood by all professional camera operators. The table opposite shows a summary.
Unplanned commands
These are used to adjust the shots to the director’s liking. Always be aware that while you can see what all the cameras are offering, they can only see their own picture (although experienced operators will have a good idea of what the others are shooting). Shots will invariably need to be adjusted, particularly when you are matching shots from two cameras.
The commands are the same as for planned ones, but try to quantify the adjustment. If you tell a camera to pan right, they will have no idea where you want them to stop. Try instead to use expressions like Pan right until the door is completely in frame’.
Do not just say ‘Camera 2, looking room’. An operator will not know whether that means you want more of it or less – be specific.
It’s a nice touch if you can remember the names of the camera operators. Big stickers under the camera monitors make this a lot easier, but do not jeopardise the production for this nicety. If there are two operators with the same name, you must call both cameras by their numbers. When you are live and it gets very busy it is easier to call numbers, and all crews will understand if you revert to camera numbers when it gets hectic.
Crashing in or out
Usually in a fast-moving programme the camera operators will assume the vision mixer may cut to them with little or no warning. Consequently they may move to a shot more slowly than they need to, so that it could at least look like a deliberate shot if it was cut to air.
There are times when you need a shot as fast as is possible. If you say to a camera operator ‘Crash to a single’, it means that they can zoom in very fast, and you will not cut to it until it has arrived. Vision mixers should also understand it to mean ‘Do not cut to the camera until it has arrived, but take it as soon as possible’.
| Script | Command | ||
| BCU | Big Close-Up | ||
| CU/CS | Close-Up/Close Shot | ||
| MCU | Medium Close-Up | ||
| MS | Mid Shot | ||
| MLS | Medium Long Shot | ||
| LS | Long shot | ||
| VLS | Very Long Shot | ||
| WA | Wide Angle | ||
| LA/HA | Low Angle/High Angle | ||
| 2S | 2-Shot | ||
| OTS, O/S | Over the Shoulder | ||
| C, COF | Centre/Centre of Frame | ||
| Z/I, Z/O | Zoom in/Zoom out | ||
| fav | FAVouring | ||
| fr L or R | FRame Left or Right | ||
| A/B | As Before | ||
| Also: | Pan L or R | ||
| Tilt up or down | |||
| Ped up/elevate | |||
| Ped down/depress | |||
| Crane up or down | |||
| Crab L or R | |||
| Arc L or R | |||
| Track in or out | |||
| Focus up/defocus/pull focus |