Designated Camera Stuntman

My dream film job is to be a designated stunt cameraman.

Every cinematographer’s dream [Source: Shutterstock|Dean Zangirolami|Sony]

Job

Although there are many stunt performers who get the chance to wield a camera and do death-defying maneuvers with it, this job will be highly limit the use for cranes, jibs, sliders, dollies, and helicopter shots.

More motorcycle rigs please [Source: Shutterstock|GBreezy|Sony]

A typical day on set

I show up to the set already strapped in a state-of-the-art exoskeleton suit. Straight out of your favorite dystopian Sci-Fi war movie. The suit allows the wearer to carry a heavy camera all day without it having to be bolted to them. Or multiple cameras via rig system. It will allow me to do smooth pans, tilts, dolly ins and out with ease.

Who needs a steadicam when you have steadiarms(patent pending) [Source: Shutterstock|Gorodenkoff]

The action scenes

I can be running alongside some cars driving 25-40mph for a chase scene while getting perfectly framed shots. I am attached to wires that pull and swing me around the set that captures all the chaos that can happen in a war movie or fight sequence without cutting. I can wall-run down a building to get an establishing shot and landing to shoot the rest of the sequence. The possibilities are endless.

Tom Cruise could do it [Source: Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow|Sony]

My team

I do have a support team that makes sure mine and everyone else’s safety is still a top priority. The women and men on the team will also be trained to put on the suit and do the job at any given moment. 

This photo is a slight dramatization of our skills [Source: Shutterstock|John1107]

Training

It goes without saying, but the world of stunts requires a well-trained body and mind and it would be no different here. And a lot of stretching. 

Limber up [Source: Pexels|Jonathan Borba]

Salary 

A stunt cameraperson can make anywhere from $500,000 - $5 Million per project. Whether they do a stunt or are just on set with the team. Enough to cover for potential injuries, which are still a possibility even with enhanced human abilities. 

Boss

We camera stunt performers do not really have a boss, but we make our suits in-house with former employees from Tesla, Microsoft, Apple, and Boston Dynamics. 

Perhaps our very own “stunt dog”? (patent pending) [Source: Boston Dynamics|Sony]

Epilogue 

I wake up as Robocop due to an on-set accident. 

The show must go on [Source: Peter Weller in RoboCop|Orion Pictures|Sony]