Camera trainee
| Highest | $3,800 / mo · United States |
|---|---|
| Experience | 0–1 yrs |
| Degree | Required |
| First paycheck | 6 to 18 months working as a rental house technician |
Pay in the destination countries
Monthly, in US dollars. Each country is an Imora admission package — open one for that route's fees, language requirement and deadline.
| Country | Monthly |
|---|---|
| United StatesTOEFL 80–100 · $10–70k | $3,800max |
| Hong KongIELTS 6.0–6.5 · HK–200k | $3,100 |
| SingaporeIELTS 6.5 · SGD 18–35k | $3,100 |
| United KingdomIELTS 6.0–7.0 · £11–38k | $3,100 |
| CanadaIELTS 6.0–6.5 · CAD 20–40k | $2,950 |
| AustraliaIELTS 6.0–6.5 · AUD 30–50k | $2,750 |
What does the day look like?
Your day starts 30 to 60 minutes before call time. You unload flight cases from the camera truck, assemble a Magliner or Inovativ cart, and set up your daily cleaning kit. Between 85% and 90% of the day is physical labour: managing dozens of 14.4V and 26V lithium-ion batteries from brands like Anton Bauer, Core SWX, and Bebob, setting up SmallHD Cine 13 or Flanders Scientific monitors, assembling Teradek Bolt 4K wireless transmitters, taping down BNC SDI cables, and laying floor marks. Assisting the 2nd AC, you operate dry-erase Denecke TS-3 smart slates and carry ARRI, Cooke, or Zeiss lenses using two hands.
Creative framing, shot composition, or looking through the viewfinder accounts for exactly 0% of the job. Looking through the viewfinder on a live set can lead to disciplinary removal; only 10% to 15% of your time is spent observing technical procedures and set etiquette. Shifts run on a 10+1 structure (10 working hours plus 1 hour unpaid lunch) or 9 to 10 continuous hours. With pre-call prep and wrap, trainees spend 11 to 13 hours on set. Weekly commitments reach 50 to 60 hours, featuring early morning call times at 05:00 or 06:00, as well as overnight shoots from 18:00 to 06:00.
Where does this lead?
Next step up
What do you make of this job?