So what does a cameraman do?!
Saturdays are the busiest day for a Sports OB cameraman. Most weeks you’ll find me on a horse racing course somewhere in the UK.
Racing is a great sport to cover and you will find yourself working on a range of cameras. From an RF Hand Held in the parade ring to a very high hoist, to a Super Slow Mo.
Knowledge of the sport you are covering is always essential. As a cameraman, I can honestly hold my own in that department. I used to ride the equine superstars I now film!
Having ridden in Pony Club from a very young age I embarked on a career in the Horse Racing industry and between the ages of 16 and 20 I held a professional jockey’s licence. Nature had other ideas though and I eventually became too big in stature to ride beyond my teens.
The first time I remember taking an interest in TV and Film making was seeing a documentary on the making of the ‘James Bond’ films when I was about 12. I remember seeing a scene with lots of action and large explosions. A dolly grip was pushing a Chapman / Leonard dolly on tracks and I remember thinking “I would love to do that”! It must have been the only industry to take my mind away from a career as a jockey.
Fast forward six years and riding at racecourses I would often see the cameraman on the hoists, towers and gantries and it took my mind back to the ‘Bond’ documentary. When the time came to hang up my boots there was only one other industry I would go back to University to study.
I’ve been a cameraman for over 20 years now, working on some of the biggest sporting events in the world. I love every minute of it.