Getting the Specs Right: What Your Editor Needs When You Hire a Camera Operator
When another studio or production company hires C King Media to handle the filming, the biggest goal is simple: deliver footage that’s ready for your editor. That means before we ever hit record, we need to confirm a few key camera specs: framerate, color space, and audio setup. This way we’re capturing exactly what you need, not what we assume you want.
Let’s break down what those mean and why they matter.
Framerate: The Look and Feel of Motion
Framerate refers to how many still images (frames) are captured per second of video. It’s what gives motion its “feel.”
24 frames per second (fps) – The cinematic standard. It’s what you see in films and high-end productions. It gives motion a softer, more natural look that feels like a movie.
30 fps – The middle ground. Slightly smoother, often used for broadcast or corporate content where realism is the goal but you still want polish.
60 fps – The ultra-smooth look, but more specifically it is needed for slow motion or fast action, like dancing, sports, or events with a lot of movement. But in very low-light environments, or with certain LED walls or stage lighting, 60 fps may not perform as well it can introduce flicker or noise because the camera’s exposure window is shorter.
So when we talk framerate, we’re really deciding on the vibe: do you want cinematic, natural, or hyper-real?
Color Space: Log vs. “Ready to Use”
Color space defines how much color and contrast data the camera captures. Editors and colorists love flexibility, but that flexibility comes with trade-offs.
Log (Flat Color Profile) – This captures a wider range of color and dynamic range, giving editors more control in post. It looks gray and washed out straight from the camera, but it’s perfect when someone else will be doing the color grading.
Rec.709 (Standard Color Profile) – This is the “ready to use” look. It’s contrasty and colorful straight out of the camera, ideal when the footage needs to be dropped directly into a project with little to no post-production.
So the question is: will someone color-grade this footage later, or should it look ready to go right out of the camera? That answer determines whether we shoot in Log or Rec.709.
Audio: How Clean Do You Need It?
Audio can range from “just something to sync later” to “the final mix.” Knowing what level you need determines how we capture it.
Scratch Audio – This is the basic sound from the camera’s built-in mic. It’s usually just there to sync the real audio later. It doesn’t need to be clean and the plan isn’t often to use for the final video.
Board Feed / Sound Engineer – If there’s a DJ, AV tech, or house sound engineer, we can plug directly into their board or recorder for high-quality audio. This gives your editor clean, consistent sound, and we capture this by recording it separately (Sometimes it can go into a stationary camera) and syncing it later in post production.
Mic’d Subject – If we’re capturing someone speaking: an interview, a toast, or a performance, we can use wireless lavs or handheld mics to record clean, isolated sound right from the source.
Each approach affects not just quality, but how the footage syncs later. If you need polished dialogue or usable audio for a highlight reel, it’s worth coordinating a real audio feed.
Why This Matters
When we know these specs in advance, your editor gets exactly what they need, and no mismatched footage, no exposure surprises, no “why does this look different?” conversations later. (no one wants that)
So before filming starts, we’ll confirm:
Framerate: 24, 30, or 60 fps — what’s the intended final use?
Color Space: Log for flexibility or Rec.709 for ready-to-use visuals?
Audio: Scratch, board feed, or mic’d recording?
With those details locked in, we can deliver footage that fits seamlessly into your workflow: no headaches, no guessing, and no lost time in post.
….and most importantly, if this is your first time and you do not know; JUST ASK! We are always happy to help