Question 1

What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

Jonathan Ward Rau · Accepted Answer

“My biggest suggestion to anyone looking to become a Digital Imaging Technician is to familiarize yourself with the Premiere Pro, Final Cut X, and AVID editing systems. It is a crucial part of the career to be able to back up a project’s files and prepare them for the next step in a film’s production.
“That’s one of my main selling points. If I’m able to do a lot of assistant editing work while being the DIT, it will save Producers money and justify my rate. The more a DIT can help a production move faster and more efficiently, the greater their chances are of getting hired and referred for another opportunity.”

Question 2

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

Jonathan Ward Rau · Accepted Answer

“The biggest mistake a Digital Imaging Technician can make is to not have the proper equipment. If they don’t have enough hard drives to back up the project, there will be serious consequences. It’s inevitable that files will get corrupted and fail, making them unusable. If it isn’t backed up in multiple places, then all the time and energy spent to get that footage is wasted. It must be re-shot, which can be a huge expense.
“Therefore, it’s very important to be organized and make duplicates of hard drives. At the end of the day, those hard drives need to be in separate areas, so if something happens to one, the entire movie isn’t lost. Before every production, a DIT needs to estimate how much hard drive space they need.
“As the shoot progresses, they should update the Producer on how much space has been used versus what is left, so if more hard drives need to be purchased they will be. There is no excuse for a DIT to run out of digital space on a film set.”

Question 3

What is the question people should ask about this career but rarely do?

Jonathan Ward Rau · Accepted Answer

“What is the workflow of DIT?
“Most people think that working as a DIT is just dumping files but a lot more goes into it. It’s a lot more extensive, including applying Look Up Tables (LUTs), setting up the post-production workflow and providing quality control for the shoot.
“Additionally, when backing up footage and creating proxies, there are a lot of steps. You start the process on one batch of files, then later a separate batch when a new media card arrives. Most people don’t understand the juggling act that working as a DIT is.”

Question 4

What is one thing I should have asked which I didn’t?

Jonathan Ward Rau · Accepted Answer

“The DIT acts as the production’s peace of mind. A DIT is often overlooked when it comes to big ‘moments’ on set, but when you’re doing it right, the Director, Producer or anyone else won’t worry about the footage they’ve already shot and whether it will be there in post-production.
“Nothing is worse than getting into post and discovering shots were lost. Digital Imaging Technicians are often unsung heroes of productions and especially on low-budget shoots where people don’t fully understand their role. It’s something that needs to get done and if it’s screwed up, then the whole project is ruined. That is a lot of responsibility.”

Question 5

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

Jonathan Ward Rau · Accepted Answer

“Easygoing.”

Question 6

What is a Digital Imaging Technician?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

Digital Imaging Technicians are experts regarding the digital elements of cameras used during filmmaking and act as consultants to Cinematographers on those elements.

Question 7

What does a Digital Imaging Technician do?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

The main responsibility of a Digital Imaging Technician is advising the Cinematographer of a project on elements, such as brightness and contrast, that may affect the visual outcome of what is shot during a production.

Question 8

How do you become a Digital Imaging Technician?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

To become a Digital Imaging Technician, you must be knowledgeable in all things digital filmmaking and the cameras that execute it. That means having a background in the digital arts, imaging technology, and video production equipment. You must also know how to communicate the workings of a digital camera to those who may not have the same expertise.

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