What I do

The job of a Digital Imaging Technician is relatively new within the film industry. I look after footage by managing it, duplicating it, and making sure that everyone’s hard work is looked after. This career came into existence when digital cameras became more popular, because everything used to be shot on film. As soon as digital cameras became more popular, they realised they needed someone who understood digital cameras, computers, and hard drives, who could be an intermediary between the camera team and the post-house edit.

If there is a technical filming issue, I also flag it as soon as possible, as that can save the production a lot of money. You have to be technologically minded, but you also need to be able to communicate well.

A professional film camera on an outdoor set with

Hear more about Deloris' role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I have always loved art, drawing and writing. I wasn’t very good at maths, as I have dyscalculia, which is very similar to dyslexia, but with numbers. Having dyscalculia doesn’t mean you can’t do things – you just need to learn to do them in a different way. I worked for a bit in animation and then realised my passion was for film. I got on to an on-the-job training course, which really helped people like me to be able to break into the industry and get the connections we need. It was a brilliant course.

When I began work in the film industry, Digital Imaging Technicians didn’t exist, so I started off as a Trainee Camera Assistant, and then moved to assistant level. I was fascinated with the internal workings of the cameras, and I wanted to know more. So I went to work in a rental house, which is where all film and TV equipment that is rented out to productions is kept. While I was there, I found out about the role of the Digital Imaging Technician and realised I had the right skill set to become one, as I had worked in a camera team, and I’d also worked with cameras and technical equipment. The rest is history!

A typical day in my
working life

There are some things about my job that stay the same and some things constantly change. On any given day, you could be in a different location, such as on the rooftop of a building, in a mansion by a pool, or filming in someone’s bedroom. There is a lot of communication with the edit and production departments. But you will always have your computer equipment, your hard drives, and your card reader – which are the main tools we use and are a constant feature of this work.

This job is very in demand, and after the pandemic it exploded even more, as there are more productions being made than qualified people to do it.

My advice for someone wanting to get into this role

Work experience can really help you. There is a book called The Knowledge Production Guide and when I first started out, I used it to contact people on the phone to ask for work opportunities. That’s how I got the work experience I needed. There is also a lot of self-teaching in this role. Sometimes it is easier to watch a YouTube video than read a manual, especially if you have dyslexia or dyscalculia.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

There are so many cool things about being a Digital Imaging Technician. You get to go to amazing locations and get access to places or buildings you would never normally get to see. We meet so many different and interesting people. You are also one of the first people to see the film! It’s part of your job to watch it.

The best bits about working in a team

I am freelance, so I work with many different camera teams and different people. You have to work long hours, so it’s really important to get along with the people you are working with. My job is independent, but also part of a team and you are a link between different departments.
I like that one minute I can be in a quiet corner concentrating on what I am doing, but the next I’m having to go to the camera team in order to pick up the camera cards on a busy set. On big feature films, they need a team of Digital Imaging Technicians.

The next steps in my career journey

I really enjoy what I am doing now. There are specialist areas I could get into down the line. For instance, there are Digital Imaging Technicians who specialise in colour grading, or you can be on set more. I am what you call a ‘near set’ Digital Imaging Technician. On set colour grading is where you are physically on the set and you have a live picture and you influence the exposure, the contrast, the lighting, colours and saturation and you move around with the crew. That is usually done in bigger feature films. I might move into that area in the future, but I am not sure yet.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

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Meet other technicians

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