Film CV Examples for UK Crew Roles
Updated 29 July 2026
A film crew CV is a credits document, not a traditional work history. Production offices scan for your home base, your most serious credits, and the kit you genuinely know. This guide shows you how UK crew structure a CV that gets you hired.
Film CV examples
Junior Camera Trainee
JuniorCamera trainee with eight months on professional TV drama and commercial productions. Trained on Arri Alexa Mini and Sony Venice workflows under experienced camera crews. Based in Manchester, available as local hire across the North West.
Why it works: Leads with home base, shows progression from runner to trainee, and never overstates kit knowledge.
Mid-Level 2nd AC
Mid-level2nd AC with three years across UK TV drama, feature film, and high-end commercial productions. Experienced on Arri, Sony, and RED camera systems with strong data management and on-set workflow. Local to London, can local-hire in Bristol and Cardiff.
Why it works: Credits grouped by production type, full context per credit, and honest kit list with no inflation.
Senior 1st AC / Focus Puller
Senior1st AC with eight years on UK and international feature films, high-end TV drama, and commercials. Trusted focus puller on multi-camera drama and large-scale commercial productions. Guild of Television Camera Professionals member. Based in London, available for international travel.
Why it works: Major credits lead, full HoD context, guild membership, and a track record of high-pressure multi-camera work.
How to write a film CV
Format and structure
A UK film crew CV runs 1–2 pages, reverse-chronological, and leads with your home base and availability. Productions filter on local hire because hiring outside the shooting region means paying travel and accommodation. State your base city and whether you can work as local in other hubs (e.g. "Local to London; can local-hire in Manchester / Leeds").
Section order: Contact details and location at the top, then your credits (grouped by production type or department), then skills and kit, then training and certifications, then education. Add an IMDb link and a portfolio or showreel link if your department values visual work (camera, edit, VFX, art, costume, makeup).
Credits are your work history
For technical crew roles (camera, grip, sound, electrical), experience is inferred entirely from credits, not a prose work history. Each credit should carry full context: production name, production type (short, feature, TV drama, commercial), production company or broadcaster, your role, and ideally the director and head of department you worked under. Group credits by production type (Feature Film, TV Drama, Commercial, Short Film) or by department so a hirer can scan your relevant track record fast.
Kit and technical skills
List only the cameras, lenses, mixers, or DIT workflows you genuinely know. There is no such thing as winging it when it comes to kit. Overstating which systems you know leads to being exposed on set the first time you have to use the gear for real, and you won't be hired again. Be specific: "Arri Alexa Mini LF" and "Sony Venice 2" rather than "Arri cameras" or "Sony cameras".
Training, certifications, and memberships
List relevant tickets and certifications crew are expected to hold: First Aid, Health & Safety, and Hostile Environment training (with dates and the governing body), plus a valid driving licence. Note training currency, productions need to know your certs are in date before they put you on set. Add professional memberships and guilds relevant to your department: The Production Guild, Guild of Television Camera Professionals (GTC), Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS), British Society of Cinematographers (BSC), and union membership (BECTU). These signal you're an established, vouched-for industry professional.
Education and references
Education goes at the bottom unless you're entry-level. Add an industry reference as soon as you can, a director, head of department, or producer you've worked under who'll vouch for your work ethic. In a small, network-driven industry a reference adds many layers of credibility, and naming people you've worked for lets a hirer recognise a mutual contact. Early on a tutor reference works, but swap it for an on-set reference fast.
Personal statement examples
1st AC with eight years on UK and international feature films, high-end TV drama, and commercials. Trusted focus puller on multi-camera drama and large-scale commercial productions. Guild of Television Camera Professionals member. Based in London, available for international travel.
Hard-working and passionate filmmaker with experience across multiple departments. Looking for opportunities to grow my skills and work on exciting projects. A team player who is committed to delivering high-quality work.
Writing your experience
Writing credit lines
Each credit should follow a consistent, scannable format repeated identically down the page:
Production Name | Production Company / Broadcaster | Your Role
Most recent first, with a 1–2 line description at most. Include the production type (feature, TV drama, commercial, short), your role, the director, and the head of department you worked under. Keep TV/film credits in their own section, separate from non-industry employment.
Prioritise serious productions
Put the largest, most serious productions at the top of your credits, and don't pad with student films. A few days work on a professional production of any type is worth more than a list of student films. Working on a major production is itself a credibility signal, if you couldn't do the job you wouldn't be re-hired.
Show context and scale
| Weak credit | Strong credit |
|---|---|
| Camera Assistant, TV Drama | 2nd AC, 8-part BBC drama (22-week shoot), managing slate and camera reports for A & B camera |
| Runner, Feature Film | Runner, £12m feature film for Working Title, supporting camera and grip departments across 10-week shoot |
| Sound Trainee, Commercial | Sound Trainee, 6 high-end automotive commercials, assisting boom op and managing cable on multi-camera setups |
Before and after examples
Before: Worked on camera department for TV drama.
After: 2nd AC on 6-part prime-time drama for ITV Studios, prepping two Arri Alexa 35 bodies and Cooke S4 lens set across 18-week shoot with DoP Sarah Mitchell.
Before: Assisted with sound recording on feature film.
After: Boom Operator on £8m independent feature, recording dialogue for 60 shoot days with production sound mixer Tom Harris, zero audio issues flagged in post.
Before: Runner on commercial shoots.
After: Runner on 12 high-end commercials for Pulse Films, supporting camera, grip, and art departments across fast-turnaround shoots for automotive and fashion clients.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
Education
Education goes at the bottom of a film crew CV unless you're entry-level. List your degree, institution, and graduation year. If you studied at a recognised film school (NFTS, LFS, Edinburgh, etc.) it carries weight, but your credits matter more. Once you have professional experience, education shrinks to a single line.
Certifications and tickets
List relevant tickets and certifications crew are expected to hold:
- First Aid at Work (FAW) – valid date and issuing body (St John Ambulance, British Red Cross)
- Health & Safety Awareness for Film & TV – valid date, issued by ScreenSkills
- Hostile Environment and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT) – for crew working internationally or on location in challenging environments
- Driving licence – full UK licence, or EU/international if relevant
Note training currency. Productions need to know your certs are in date before they put you on set. If a cert has lapsed, renew it before applying.
Guild and union membership
Add professional memberships relevant to your department:
- Guild of Television Camera Professionals (GTC) – camera crew
- Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) – sound crew
- British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) – DoPs and senior camera crew
- The Production Guild – production, AD, accounts
- BECTU – union membership
These signal you're an established, vouched-for industry professional. Include your membership year if you've been a member for several years.
Common mistakes to avoid
Listing kit you've only used once or seen on set, not operated confidently
List only cameras, lenses, and workflows you genuinely know. There is no such thing as winging it when it comes to kit. Overstating your knowledge leads to being exposed on set and not hired again.
Padding your credits with student films or unpaid shorts when you have professional experience
Prioritise the largest, most serious productions at the top. A few days work on a professional production is worth more than a list of student films. Once you have pro credits, drop the student work.
Inflating your job title (listing 'Producer' when you ran, or 'DoP' when you were a camera trainee)
Use the exact title you held. Titles are easily verified through mutual contacts, and a PM hiring a runner wants to see running experience, not your directing ambitions. Tailor a separate CV to each crew role you apply for.
Leaving out your home base and availability, or burying it at the bottom
Put your home base and availability prominently at the top. Production offices filter on local hire because hiring outside the shooting region means paying travel and accommodation. State your base city and whether you can work as local in other hubs.
Listing credits without full context (no production company, no HoD, no production type)
Each credit should carry production name, production type (short, feature, TV drama, commercial), production company or broadcaster, your role, and ideally the director and head of department. Experience for crew roles is inferred entirely from credits.
Including a showreel link at the top when applying for technical crew roles (camera, grip, sound, electrical)
For technical crew roles, the CV beats the showreel. It's unlikely that the DoP, gaffer, grip, or production sound mixer will look at your showreel; it's your CV and location that will interest the production office most. Lead with credits and home base, not a reel link.
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Leads with training, film school, and months on set; mentions home base and availability | Leads with years of experience, major credits, and guild membership; mentions international availability |
| Credits | Runner and trainee roles on TV drama and commercials; may include one or two student films if recent graduate | 1st AC, DoP, or HoD roles on major features, high-end TV drama, and international productions; credits name directors and DoPs |
| Kit and technical skills | Lists 2–3 camera systems or sound rigs genuinely used under supervision; may include 'learning' or 'training on' language | Lists 6+ camera systems, lens sets, and workflows confidently operated across multiple productions; no hedging |
| Certifications and memberships | First Aid and Health & Safety certs; may list film school or ScreenSkills training | Guild membership (GTC, AMPS, BSC), union membership (BECTU), and up-to-date training with multiple years of currency |
| References | Tutor or HoD from recent production; one reference is enough | Multiple HoD or director references from major productions; names recognisable in the industry |
| CV length | 1 page; education and training take up more space | 1–2 pages; credits dominate, education shrinks to one line |