ABSTRACT
Because lightweight cameras were the first generation of video cameras that could be operated from the shoulder, they were, and still are, frequently referred to as hand-held cameras. Although shoulder operation is suitable for fast breaking news stories or where the camera needs to be frequently repositioned at speed, the great majority of lightweight camerawork benefits from the camera being mounted on a pan/tilt head and tripod. Shaky and unsteady pictures are difficult to edit into standard ‘invisible technique’ productions, but they have become a feature in those programmes where an unsteady frame is equated with ‘realism’ and ‘naturalism’. The ‘camera surprised by events’ has become a popular camerawork style where the camera nervously on the move, with unsteady framing, has sought to replicate unrehearsed news coverage.
