4. Dropping The Camera
This is a big one. Film and video equipment is stupidly expensive and very delicate. Next time you find yourself around a camera guy ask him how much some of the lens' cost for the camera. It is ridiculous. The camera also happens to be the most important piece of equipment on set (unless you consider actors equipment). If this piece of highly prized machinery somehow gets destroyed on your watch... let's just say it reflects badly. In other words no one will let you touch the camera again. For example at my film school they taught us how to load film into magazines for large Arri and Panavision cameras. The importance of this piece is astronomical because it must be able to feed the film properly through the camera without burning the emulsion or ripping the film, but also must be able to keep light out so the film doesn't get exposed. Film mags are not the easiest things to load either; they have small pieces on them that can be broken. I once, after class, asked a rather distressed looking teacher what was wrong. He showed me a film magazine that a student had forced back together. One of those small pieces I mentioned had punched its way through the metal top of the magazine's lid. I asked if it could be repaired and he said no. The magazine would never be light tight again and thus could never again be used. I dared to ask him how much the piece would cost to replace. He shook his head even more sadly, "Ten thousand dollars."