“ Why an EVS Operator Has to Think Like a Director, Editor and Camera Operator”
- szymborskipiotr
- Nov 17
- 1 min read
The best EVS operators don’t just record clips – they build a story.
Their clip order often is the narrative. You can throw their material straight onto a timeline and it already feels like a rough cut.
That’s why a great EVS operator is, in a way, part camera operator, part director, part editor.
Like a camera operator, they must understand what is truly important to capture – not everything that moves, but key reactions, turning points, emotions and moments we simply cannot lose.
Like a director, they feel the rhythm of the show: when to stay wide, when to go tight, when a replay will actually add to the story, not just fill time.
Like an editor, they think in sequences: how these clips will cut together, how a moment will play as a story beat, how the viewer will experience the flow.
And there is one more crucial element:
👉 Understanding and communicating with the camera operators.
When an EVS operator truly understands how camera ops think and what they’re trying to achieve, they can select and sort the right clips with intention. Then, when they play them back, they don’t just “press replay” – they feel those clips like a director and serve them like an editor, shaping a coherent visual story.
That’s why teamwork is so critical in live production.
When camera operators, director and EVS operator think like one brain, the result on screen feels effortless – but behind the scenes, it’s pure craft.
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