Camera operators, during televised sporting events, each have specific responsibilities respective to the sport they are covering.
These responsibilities are delegated by the director.
Since every director in every sport "cuts" the game different, every director has different ideas about camera responsibilities. Each camera operator is given instructions during the camera meeting that is held before each telecast. Some directors like to have the camera meeting at the truck and some directors like to have the meeting on headsets. I prefer the meeting on headsets because, before I conduct the camera meeting, I personally visit every camera position in each venue to know the possible shots that are available at each position.
Thus, camera responsibilities are different from venue to venue.
Also, I believe that camera responsibilities differ from player to player, situation to situation.
My camera meeting goes like this: I give each camera their basic responsibilities.
Here is an example of my camera responsibilites on the road and at Busch:
Camera 1 (low third dugout on the road): "Left handed batters. If there is a runner on base and the pitcher is left-handed, give me the pitcher between every pitch. Don't have me ask you to get the pitcher, just be there. I will get the batter from tight centerfield. If there is a runner, I will let you know about scoring responsiblities as they occur." (Since I do not use a low third dugout camera at Busch, this is what I use: Left field corner at Busch Stadium) Responsibility: total Cardinal's dugout responsibilities. Pickoffs and runners as needed. Shag the ball otherwise. If there is a single hit, give me the baserunner rounding first."
Camera 2 (high home): I always want to see the "corners". Left and right field corners, because of the ballpark, are often not able to be shot by the high home camera. High first and the centerfield camera can shoot the left field corner and when the right field corner is blocked, mid third or centerfield can shoot that area.
Camera 3 (depending on the venue, either mid third (Busch stadium) or mid first.): This camera "shags" (follows the ball) and most camera three ops are quite good. (In the early days of baseball television, this was the camera with the biggest lens)
Camera 4 (centerfield): This is the position that shows the pitch. Once the pitch is thrown and the ball is hit, this camera (in our coverage) follows the batter out of the batter's box and once this camera is not "on the air" it shags the ball.
Camera 5 (low first dugout) Right handed batters, score runners and pickoffs at first base. This is the camera position that is the most important, most compelling of any camera we have at Busch Stadium. It is the position at the inside of the Cardinal's dugout. It is the position that supplies the most memorable shots of any season. It is the camera that gives Cardinals fans their most excitable memories of any game. It is the position the causes the most discussions of any game, good or bad, around the water coolers of any office in the Cardinals viewing area, period.
Camera 6 (tight centerfield) Some of the most compelling replays come from this position - home and road. Following the ball from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's glove provide some of our most poignant video.
Camera 7 (at home only) the robotic camera on the backstop. The best "play at the plate" angle in the business.
Many director's (in their camera meeting) give print-outs of camera responsibilities to the camera operators.
I believe that, in baseball, the situation dictates camera responsibility. In my mind, television baseball directing is not black and white. Adjustments as a baseball director must be made as the situation presents itself.
Our coverage changes when Albert Pujols is at-bat just as our coverage changed whenever Mark McGwire batted.
That is why I love baseball so; each at-bat creates a different situation, each game has a different scenerio.
Because of this, it is important for camera operators to follow the director. In tonight's telecast, some of the cameras were "freelancing." Freelancing can disrupt the flow of the telecast and all it takes is a reminder to the operator to follow the responsibility of his respective camera.
Every day I go to work, I learn something.
I can't wait until tomorrow.