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Behind the films and TV shows we watch, there is an army of freelancers who help make it happen - writers, actors, technicians, sound recordists and camera operators to name just a handful.
Most will only work when there is something to be done - like anyone who
operates as a freelancer. For some, particularly actors, gaps between jobs can be filled with less glamorous roles. The same can be said for directors, make-up artists and stunt performers.
But no matter what the production, be it a TV commercial, a whole series or a feature film, you are going to need people who know what they are doing to capture the action on film or video.
Greg Penniket has worked as a freelance camera operator for more than 30 years and says you are only as good as your last job and that future work is always based on past reputation. Having good networks and a solid reputation is key to getting regular work, he says.
Penniket has been on the freelance circuit since completing a cadetship at New Zealand state broadcaster NZBC. He has worked on feature films, news, documentaries and corporate videos - as a camera operator and editor.
He says having solid work experience is key to being a success on the freelance circuit.
"Back then we shot with film," he says. "So you had to get your exposures just right and be disciplined in what you shot. Unlike video, there was only so much film you could use so you had to understand the story before you got your camera out - you made sure to get the primary shots first.
"In news you have to have good skills because you often don't get a second opportunity. When you shoot you have to get it right first time."
When he first went freelance Penniket landed a six-month contract with TV2 news that was subsequently renewed. "That was my first taste of being freelance and it was a safe way to go because I had a good track record," he says. "The contract meant I knew I had six months of work and that allowed me to pay off the gear I had bought."
A year later he set off for Australia where he spent 25 years working in Sydney, mainly for the then Channel 10 which went into receivership in 1989.
"At that point I had hired a couple of people - a camera operator and a sound recordist - to do the news work for the TV station as I had more work than I could handle," says Penniket. "I even took a lease on a second camera."
But growing from free-footed freelancer to employer caused problems when the TV station went under - leaving him with five months of unpaid invoices and staff to pay. His advice to fellow freelancers is to keep on top of invoices, chase payments when they are overdue and stop working for people who don't pay.
Penniket returned to New Zealand in 2003 to help cover the America's Cup and thanks to his reputation hasn't stopped working since. Credits include TV's My House, My Castle, Rural Delivery and Mai Time.
Unsurprisingly, during his 37 years on the job Penniket has made one or two blunders. He was once asked to rewind a tape in the camera so the director could watch a take. But he didn't fast forward afterward and partly erased a perfect shot.
"I told the director what had happened as soon as I realised it and we were able to record it again," says Penniket. "Any mistake will be discovered, so it is best to be honest. I make a point of putting my hand up, taking it on the nose and hoping that my honesty pays off in the long term."
But technology has to come to the rescue. He says cameras that record straight to disk automatically record at the end of the last shot - preventing anything being lost by accident.
Today Penniket shoots using a Sony XD camera that records straight to disk. Once the job is done he delivers the disk to the client who can transfer the footage to their computer faster than it would take to watch the recordings.
Keeping up with technology is something freelancers have to be aware of, he says.
"I wouldn't like to advise people on what to buy. It really depends on whom you are working for and what cameras and editing software they have. It is best to have gear that matches their needs."
Penniket says he steers away from contracts now because they can mean you are no better off - creatively - than being on the staff. "They can tie you down. You may be filming different people each day - but you are often going out with the same crew every time."
So Penniket takes each job as it comes, picking and choosing the most interesting work and mixing it up with video editing work.
And he says being a camera operator requires a good level of fitness as one never knows if you will have to struggle up a mountain or simply run up and down Queen St to record the Santa Parade.
"Ultimately you need to have the passion to want to do the job," he says. "It's not a job where you think about the money too much. You have got to really want to do it to get the best shots."
