We offer mentorship to up and coming wildlife cinematographers as an option when they join IAWF. Should you take up this offer the mentorship would come from one or more of our more established members and would comprise 4 x 1-hour sessions across the first year of membership. Our aim will be to pass on our experience, encouragement and knowledge, and give confidence to those starting out.

Terms and conditions of for freelancers has long been a hot topic of discussion. In August 2022 a number of our members participated in an initiative by the Natural History Camera Crew Collective to understand ‘what was going on’ with booking, cancellations and rates. There is more information on the link below for members only.

Ts & Cs for freelancers

All members are encouraged to make use of the IAWF Slack App. Slack allows IAWF to organize communications by channels for group discussions and private messages for members only in a secure manner.

The IAWF has 2000 followers of its Instagram feed and the number is growing. You will be able to post to it as a member. TV researchers and APs are well known for using social media to search for library footage and for cinematographers who have filmed certain subjects.

IAWF members are active in a number of useful WhatsApp groups to do with various aspects of wildlife filming. We share the most useful on our members’ content and resources page.

The IAWF also has an active Facebook page. We also list any useful groups on our resources page.

We list any useful content, including YouTube videos, on our Members’ content and resources page.

IAWF endorses and participates in the establishment of baseline payment rates for freelancers. This information was researched and compiled by KMG Management and some of our members contributed financially. The results are open access here.

You can place your own personal profile on the IAWF website. These profiles are designed to be a portal to each member’s own web and social media presence, but the aim is for the IAWF site to lead search engine rankings for ‘wildlife cinematographer’ and related searches. We can professionally host members’ videos on our Vimeo account if required.

From 1 April 2023, the GTC will offer legal advice to members who have work-related legal problems.

The new benefit for members will initially run for a three month trial, when the scheme will be reviewed.

IAWF members can take advantage of the IAWF Members’ logo and demonstrate your commitment to upholding and advancing standards and expertise within our profession by displaying it on your website and printed material such as letterheads, business cards and brochures. Displaying the IAWF logo is the ideal way to promote tour membership and show your clients, agents and employers alike that you care about your profession.

In the same way full members can take advantage of the GTC Members’ logo.

We all know how expensive workshops and courses can be, whether it’s first response medical help or familiarisation with the latest gadget. One GTC workshop alone is worth the membership fee. Examples of recent workshops include:

• intro to colour science with Arri
• carnets – a 2022 update
• shoot for the grade
• drone regulations update
• live streaming on a shoestring
• so you want to be a wildlife specialist
• Jordan Cowan – figure skating cinematographer
• Thunderbirds – behind the camera with DoP David G Hicks
• making sense of large sensors
• Cooke Optics factory tours
• LED lighting – setting the standard
• the Alexa
• a RED day out
• the work of the DIT
• timelapse and hyperlapse
• it goes on…

Some courses and workshops are recorded and available to members who cannot attend in person.

The GTC’s twice yearly journal has been around since 1973, the year after the Guild was started. The hazy origins of its eccentric name may be hidden in the mists of time but the content of this well-respected magazine is always cutting edge and relevant to working camera crew. Zerb is unique in that it is both edited and largely written by camera operators, DoPs and camera technology experts. Each issue is edited by a different member of the GTC acting as guest editor, with the overall operation overseen by a managing editor for continuity. This system ensures that articles are predominantly told ‘from the camera professional’s point of view’ and strive to be topical and objective, featuring an entertaining mix of location reports, technical information and human stories related to the craft of camerawork. We encourage IAWF members to contribute to Zerb. Doing so not only promotes you, but it informs cinematographers of other genres about what makes filming wildlife different. The entire Zerb archive is now available online to members as a searchable archive.

Details and link.

All GTC members receive four copies per year of our informative newsletter, GTC In Focus, which brings news from the GTC Council, plus information about developments in the industry and products from our sponsor companies. It includes reports from workshops and events, kit reviews, as well as news and views from members. There are plenty of tips and an occasional look back in history, not to mention advice from our legal, finance and insurance experts and support from our life coach colleagues. The whole archive of GTC in Focus since 1972 is available to view. We encourage IAWF members to contribute to In Focus.

IAWF members are entitled to an exclusive 20% discount at GTC sponsor Performance Film and Media Insurance.

The Public Liability deal is only for UK members.

What is the facility?

The facility provides GTC members with public liability insurance on the following basis:

• Public Liability Insurance for claims up to £10,000,000
• Excess for third party property damage claims: £150
• Access to a risk solutions helpline, which will provide advice on risk management, compliance, security and health and safety by phone. The helpline will be available from 9am–5pm, Monday to Fridays, excluding Bank Holidays.
• The annual policy runs from 1 May to 30 April. (N.B. This policy is a group GTC policy that runs from 1 May for all members, regardless of when you apply and pay for your first year’s cover.)

Costs and types of cover

• Individuals and limited companies undertaking insured activities where the member is the only director or employee other than a director who is a family member undertaking clerical duties: £26 including Insurance Premium Tax.
• Limited companies undertaking insured activities where the member is a director, with up to two other directors and a spend on hiring in freelancers up to £25,000: £45 including Insurance Premium Tax.

Subject to full policy conditions, available upon request.

You can place your own personal profile on the GTC website. It’s search criteria for anyone looking for camera professionals are location and skillet. Anyone can search for members here and throughout the GTC website.

• WACACO coffee and portable coffee makers (honestly!)
• SmallRig
• Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports
• Cotswold Outdoors
• Dolan Accountancy
• Film Store
• Formatt Hitech (filters)
• Hostile Environment Training
• Keela (clothing)
• Hard Soft Computers
• Langley Labels (for equipment)
• Loupedeck
• Overboard (waterproof bags)
• Paramo
• Performance Film and Media Insurance
• ProAV
• Pro-Earz (in-ear monitoring and hearing protection)
• Quicklink (remote guest contribution)
• Vislink (wireless connectivity and AI powered studios)
• VMI
• many others

Upon joining members will be given access to the GTC Forum. This is a free service to GTC members and sponsor members. The GTC email forum provides an opportunity for members and sponsors to communicate with each other via the Internet. Once subscribed members are able to post messages to all others on the list and also receive similar messages from other members. Subject matter is archived and searchable. Debate on the Forum is lively…