Director of Photography, CNN Field Production
About The Position
The CNN Director of Photography is the creative leader of a Field Production team, charged with executing a production in a manner reflective of the creators’ vision. The DP will work closely with the program’s creator to establish a look and feel for the project as well as understand and deliver on budgetary targets, production deadlines, content management and delivery specifications. As the team lead, they must have a deep understanding and a willingness to teach the operation and best practices of all equipment to be used during the production. The Director of Photography must be a highly organized collaborator, able to supervise a team of photographers, who is able to deliver high production value product in high stress environments under deadline. All CNN Field Production personnel are expected to cover any manner of news event and be an editorial contributor to meet the needs of the network. Additionally, they are required to have a flexible schedule to meet news demands and be available for Breaking News 24/7.
Requirements
- Driver’s license (Must maintain an active Driver’s license)
- Valid Passport
- Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, TV Production or related field. In lieu of a degree we would consider prior experience and on the job accomplishment
- 8+ years of Electronic News Gathering and Cinema Production Experience
- Must be accredited to work in the United States
- Fluency in English (Spanish highly desired)
- Drone Certification
- Experience working in hostile environments
- Knowledge of CNN programming, production and newsgathering processes
Nice To Haves
- Military Experience welcomed
Responsibilities
- Demonstrates a mastery of news and production lighting, photography, editing, content management and storytelling skills.
- Is curious, knowledgeable and makes themselves subject matter experts on evolving technologies and the latest production trends and concepts while seeking opportunities to leverage them for the benefit of the production.
- Is experienced with various camera platforms and recording formats, audio and video specifications, postproduction workflows and host platform delivery requirements.
- Will work closely with production leads to identify the desired look and feel of the project, delivery timeframe and budget parameters, leading a team of Field Production personnel to achieve those goals.
- Will decide on the correct camera, lens, format, color combination etc that matches that theme.
- Will develop workflows that allow for efficient content management, editing and archive processes.
- Has a keen news awareness for the stories on which s/he is assigned.
- Is expected to be an editorial contributor to the team on which they are working or to report out relevant information to the network as a whole.
- Consistently demonstrates initiative to pitch, produce, and creatively tell relevant stories and/or ideas for all platforms.
- Maintains all gear including crew vehicles, working with appropriate departments to keep all gear up to date and in working order.
- Able to trouble-shoot quickly and effectively.
- Responsible for accounting of all expenses on corporate credit cards and submitting them in a timely manner per company guidelines.
- Accounts for working hours via internal tracking and reporting applications.
- Keeps all relevant credentials current.
- Is expected to travel to a variety of news events often with little to no advance notice.
- Responsible for gathering, packing, and transporting production appropriate gear as well as arranging logistics including airfare, rental vehicle, and lodging.
Benefits
- health insurance coverage
- an employee wellness program
- life and disability insurance
- a retirement savings plan
- paid holidays and sick time and vacation
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
