Cinematographers

ANZSCO ID 212313

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
450
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
61%
Female Share
8%
Average age
41

Summary

Cinematographers plan, direct and coordinate filming to control the quality and style of photography in films or videos.

Tasks

  • Determines lighting, film, shutter angles, filter factors, camera distance, depth of field and focus, angles of view and other variables to achieve desired mood and effect.

  • Views film and video tape to evaluate and select scenes and determine which scenes need to be re-shot.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Film, Television, Radio and Stage Directors, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 61% of people employed as Cinematographers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 5 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Information Media and Telecommunications
79.8%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
10.3%
3
Education and Training
0.9%
4
Arts and Recreation Services
0.9%
5
Other industries
2.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

52.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.6% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

9.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

2.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Cinematographers All Jobs Average
NSW 52.1 31.6
VIC 27.6 25.6
QLD 9.0 20.0
SA 5.3 7.0
WA 2.8 10.8
TAS 0.7 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9


  • Around 90% of Cinematographers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
8%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Cinematographers is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 8% of the workforce. This is 40 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Cinematographers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 7.5 9.3
25-34 26.5 22.9
35-44 24.8 22.0
45-54 26.7 21.6
55-59 8.4 9.0
60-64 3.7 6.0
65 and Over 2.3 4.2
Median Age 41 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Cinematographer. Although some workers have a university or Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in screen production.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Cinematographers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 10.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 29.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 22.6 11.6
Certificate III/IV 8.8 21.1
Year 12 21.1 18.1
Year 11 3.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 4.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Film, Television, Radio and Stage Directors who have strong interpersonal skills, can communicate well with diverse audiences and who are organised and efficient.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 46%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 46%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 46%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 45%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 45%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 39%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 37%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 37%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 37%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 36%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 71%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 65%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 54%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 48%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 46%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 36%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 36%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 34%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 30%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 28%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 28%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 28%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 28%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 27%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 27%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 26%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 25%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 25%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 24%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 20%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 55%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 50%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 48%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 48%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 46%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 39%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 68%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 66%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 62%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 59%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 56%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 54%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 53%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 53%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 52%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 51%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 50%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 48%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 46%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 45%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 44%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 42%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 40%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 39%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 29%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 86%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 52%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 95%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 94%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 91%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 87%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 84%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 83%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 82%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 79%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 78%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 78%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 76%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 74%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 72%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 72%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 69%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 67%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-4031.00 - Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture.


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