The short answer
A camera operator films what someone else has decided to film. A self-shooting director decides what the film needs and films it as well: research, interviews, direction and camera in one pair of hands. If you already have a director, hire an operator. If you need someone to turn a subject into a story, hire a self-shooting director. For multi-camera events and performances, you often need both.
When you start looking for someone to film a documentary in London, the job titles blur quickly. Camera operator, cinematographer, DoP, videographer, shooting PD, self-shooting director: several of them can arrive with the same camera and the same day rate, yet they are being hired to do very different things. Choosing the wrong one is one of the most common reasons a commissioned film ends up as good-looking footage without a story.
This guide explains the difference between a self-shooting director and a camera operator, where the DoP and the videographer fit in, and how to tell which one your project needs. It is written for charities, schools, cultural organisations, businesses and producers commissioning a film for the first time.
The One Question That Separates the Roles
Ask who decides what goes in the film.
A camera operator is responsible for the shot: framing, focus, exposure and movement, carried out to a brief or under direction. A self-shooting director is responsible for the film: what it is about, who appears in it, what they are asked, which scenes matter and how it all fits together, and then for filming it too.
Both may be excellent with a camera. The difference is where their job begins. The operator's job begins when someone says what to film. The self-shooting director's job begins long before the camera comes out of the bag, with the question of what the film is for.
What a Camera Operator Does
A camera operator is a specialist in getting the image right. On a well-run shoot, that frees everyone else to concentrate on their own job.
- Follows a brief or a director: the shots, scenes and interviews are decided by someone else.
- Handles the image: composition, focus, exposure and smooth, motivated camera movement.
- Brings and runs the kit: camera, lenses, support and often basic lighting.
- Works as part of a team: typically alongside a director, a producer and sometimes a sound recordist or a second camera.
A good operator is invaluable, and on multi-camera shoots they are essential. What they are not usually hired to do is decide what the story is, find the contributors or ask the questions.
What a Self-Shooting Director Does
A self-shooting director, called a self-shooting PD (producer-director) in television, carries the editorial and the technical sides of a documentary at the same time.
- Shapes the story: works out with you what the film is for, who it is for and what it must say.
- Finds and prepares contributors: decides who to interview and builds the trust that makes them open up.
- Conducts the interviews: asks the questions and listens for the answer that matters, while operating the camera.
- Directs and films the scenes: knows what each sequence needs, so the right shots are filmed on purpose.
- Often edits: many self-shooting directors cut their own films, so the story stays in one pair of hands.
Our guide to hiring a self-shooting director in London covers the role in more depth, including what to ask before you book.
Where the DoP and the Videographer Fit In
Two more titles often appear in the same search results.
Director of photography (DoP) or cinematographer. The DoP designs the look of the film: lighting, lenses, camera movement and the visual style as a whole. On a larger production the DoP leads the camera and lighting team, and camera operators may work under them. A DoP is a visual specialist; the story still belongs to the director.
Videographer. Usually someone hired to film an event, a promotional video, a conference or a wedding to an agreed brief, often editing it too. Many videographers are highly skilled. The word tends to describe the kind of job, a defined piece of coverage, rather than a documentary role in which the filmmaker shapes the story.
Side by Side
| Role | Decides the story? | Conducts interviews? | Operates the camera? | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camera operator | No | No | Yes | Crewed shoots, multi-camera events, a director's second camera |
| Director of photography | No, shapes the look | No | Often, or leads the camera team | Drama, commercials, high-end documentary |
| Videographer | Within a brief | Sometimes | Yes | Events, promotional videos, conferences |
| Self-shooting director | Yes | Yes | Yes | Interview-led and observational documentary, charity, school and personal films |
Which One Do You Need?
Hire a camera operator if
- you already have a director, or someone on your team who will direct every shooting day;
- the content is fixed: a talk, a panel, a performance or a scripted piece to camera;
- you need several cameras covering the same moment, such as a stage show or a live event.
Hire a self-shooting director if
- you have a subject but not yet a story, and need someone to find it;
- the film depends on interviews with people who are not used to cameras;
- you are filming in sensitive settings, such as schools, care homes, hospitals or people's homes, where a small presence matters;
- you want one point of contact from the first conversation to the finished film.
Hire both if
Some projects need a director's judgement and more than one camera: a performance with interviews, a large event at the heart of a documentary, or a scene where two angles must be captured at once. Here a self-shooting director can lead the film and bring in an operator for the days that need one, rather than paying for a full crew throughout. We look at that trade-off in when a small documentary crew is the right choice.
The Mistake Organisations Most Often Make
The most common problem is hiring a camera operator for a job that needs a director, usually because the day rate looks lower and the showreel looks beautiful. The shoot goes well. The footage is sharp and well lit. Then, in the edit, it becomes clear that nobody asked the question that would have given the film its centre, the key scene was filmed in a single wide shot, and the contributor who could have carried the story was never interviewed at all.
A showreel shows that someone can take a good shot. It does not show that they can find a story, run an interview or know which moments a film will need three weeks later in the edit. If your project needs those things, ask to see complete films the person both directed and shot. Our guide to documentary interview questions shows how much of a film is decided by what is asked on the day.
How the Cost Compares
A camera operator's day rate can be lower than a self-shooting director's, but the comparison is rarely like for like. Hire an operator and someone else still has to plan the film, find contributors, direct the interviews and build the story in the edit, either your own staff or another freelancer. A self-shooting director's rate covers both jobs, and fewer people on set also means less travel, scheduling and coordination.
The real cost of a documentary is usually decided by the number of filming days, the locations and the length of the edit. Our guide to what a documentary film costs in London explains how those decisions shape a budget.
Questions People Often Ask
What is the difference between a self-shooting director and a camera operator?
A camera operator films what someone else has decided to film. A self-shooting director decides what the film needs and films it: they research the story, conduct the interviews, direct the scenes and operate the camera. The operator is responsible for the shot; the self-shooting director is responsible for the film.
What does PD mean in filming?
PD stands for producer-director, the person who both organises a film and directs it. A self-shooting PD also operates the camera, which is why the role is common in documentary and factual television, where small teams follow real people.
Is a videographer the same as a self-shooting director?
Not quite. Videographer usually describes someone hired to film an event, a promotional video or a wedding to an agreed brief. A self-shooting director is a documentary role: they shape the story, decide who to interview and what to ask, and often edit the film as well.
Can I hire a camera operator and direct the film myself?
Yes, if someone on your side has a clear idea of the story, can conduct interviews and will be present on every shooting day. Many organisations find that the directing, not the camera work, is the hard part, which is why they choose a self-shooting director instead.
Both Roles, One Filmmaker
Steve Sklair is a BAFTA-winning documentary filmmaker based in London. Over four decades at the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK broadcasters he has worked as director, camera operator, editor and series producer, so he knows each of these jobs from the inside. He cut his teeth on the BBC's Video Diaries, where intimate, single-handed filming was the whole point, and his film The Man Who Loves Gary Lineker won the BAFTA for Best Single Documentary. Today he directs, films and edits most of his own work, including education films with the National Education Union shot in real classrooms.
If you are not sure which kind of filmmaker your project needs, that is a good place to start the conversation. The documentary brief form asks what the film is for, who appears in it, where it will be shown and when you need it, and the answer to the crew question usually follows from there.
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