Calmly Mentoring Trainees Even after they Flash the Film
If the image is no longer available, it is of a father letting go of his daughter as she rides her bike without training wheels.
Although I am not a teacher by profession, this does reflect my philosophy while performing on-the-job training when I worked in film, specifically when I worked with camera trainees. I worked on a lot of shorts and low-budget features, and quite often the trainee would have no experience with film cameras (that’s what we used at the time) but would have a genuine interest in learning about film. Their natural enthusiasm was tempered with a slight nervousness about touching the equipment.
Fortunately, we would usually start with a camera prep and test, a fairly low stress activity. I would explain what we were doing and why and show them the camera package. Then we would check all the gear and run some tests. It was a great way to get to know the trainee, what kind of experience they had, and where their head was at. It would give them enough experience to get on set and be useful from day one. From there, as they learned, I would give them more responsibility. And they always proved that they deserved my trust.
If there were problems, I would stay calm and explain how to do it right. Maybe not right away, because sometimes you have step in and get things fixed NOW! I earned the reputation as being a “teaching camera assistant” and not a screaming one. Why get angry at someone with no experience? We were all like that once. Mistakes are part of the learning process. Not making the same ones again proves you are learning.
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