Hirst Shooting Video for the Web 2012

7/29/2019 Hirst Shooting Video for the Web 2012

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Shooting video for the webThe basics of videography for blogs and

online news sitesEthical Martini, August 2012


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Just shoot me

Theres nothing mysterious about broadcast

technology and in the web context high-end

production values are not important

However, always aim to shoot the best qualitythat you canthis means good light, good audio

and good camera angles

There are some basic rules you should be

following -

the rule of thirds

, for example andhow to follow action with the camera, without

getting all that jerky movement that spoils the

shot


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Before you leave the building

Even if youre not a boy scoutbeprepared

What do you want to shoot?

Story & Purpose Time frame to deadline


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Equipment checklist:

Inventory what have you got

Phone & App point & shoot, edit & upload

Automatic video camera

Backpack kit:

Batteries; tapes (if you need them); free-space on hard

drive (if you have one); tripod; audio gear; lights (if you

can get them); power cordsoh, and the camera


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Brain checklist:

what are you shooting; where are you going; how are

you going to shoot it; do you need permission to

shoot there; is the interviewee ready;

have you researched the topic; have you got your

notebook, maps, keys, phone, wallet and water; doessomeone know where youre going


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Basic guidelines for web video

Use low-action shots whenever possible lots of movement can look blurry and pixilated on the

web

Keep the camera still

if youre shooting action, let it happen in the frame

Zoom, zoom, zoom in a word No

Make sure your subject is well lit from the front

get as much light as you can in the shot, peoples

faces in particular and important action Strive for good quality audio

GIGO: garbage in, garbage out

Avoid small objects except in ECU shots


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Framing the shot

A good shot will always fill the frame

Get as physically close as you can to the

subject/action Zoom with your feet

Familiarise yourself with the grammar of the shot: Long/wide/establishing shots (panoramic, scene-

setting)

Mid-shots (from the mid thigh or higher)/Head and

shoulders (close-up)/ECU (extreme close-up)

Cutaways/B-roll/Reverses (shots that you can use to

cover up difficult edit-points)

Choose your background carefullydecorate

Pan (l-r)/zoom (in-out)/tilt (up-down)


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Shoot a variety of shots

Wide

Establish the events

Medium

More engaging

Close up

Show the details

Source: ISU


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Wide Shot

Establish the event

Source: ISU


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Medium Shot

Engage the viewer in the event

Source: ISU


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Close-Up Shot

Show the details

Source: ISU

http://communication.illinoisstate.edu/


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Shoot for your editor (usually you)

Editing is always easier if you (or your editor) has a good selection of

useable shots and great audio (well pretty good audio)

Most times you only get one shot at getting a shot

Action speaks louder than words shoot wide first and

shoot wide often

Objects that are relevant or interesting; details faces,hands, windows, artworks, flowers, friends, doors, damage, colour, emotion,

metaphor, beauty, intrigue, curiosity, personality make great

insert/cutaway shots

But dont waste time on that till you get the action Take time to frame an interview shot even in the

heat of the moment

Take more time with a set-up interview

Frame, sound-check, re-frame, record


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Rule of thirds

Imagine the scene you

want to frame overlaid with

a grid breaking it into nine

rectangles of equal size

Find the major point ofinterest in the shot as your

focal point

Frame major foreground

objects into the left or right

horizontal third and into themiddle third

Fill at least two thirds

vertically

Source: sweet.vanjava

The theory is that if you place

points of interest in the

intersections or along the lines

that your photo becomes morebalanced and will enable a

viewer of the image to interact

with it more naturally.

Digital Photography School
http://sweet.vanjava.info/index.php/2008/03/04/trying-to-apply-the-rule-of-thirds-on-my-snaps/http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/rule-of-thirds/http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/rule-of-thirds/http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/rule-of-thirds/http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/rule-of-thirds/http://sweet.vanjava.info/index.php/2008/03/04/trying-to-apply-the-rule-of-thirds-on-my-snaps/


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Source: TV Handbook

Source: Ethical Martini

Source: sweet.vanjava

Source: Picture America
http://www.tv-handbook.com/Composition%20and%20Camera%20Movement.htmlhttp://ethicalmartini.wordpress.com/http://sweet.vanjava.info/index.php/2008/03/04/trying-to-apply-the-rule-of-thirds-on-my-snaps/http://pictureamerica.org/HV20Directory.htmlhttp://pictureamerica.org/HV20Directory.htmlhttp://sweet.vanjava.info/index.php/2008/03/04/trying-to-apply-the-rule-of-thirds-on-my-snaps/http://ethicalmartini.wordpress.com/http://www.tv-handbook.com/Composition%20and%20Camera%20Movement.html


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Stabilise the camera

Theres nothing worse than shaky footage,

except unintentionally shaky footage

Keep the camera stillsure, but how?

Use a tripod still the most effective way and youcan then operate the controls without jerking the

camera around

Steady yourself and the camera against

something solid thats not moving:

a tree, a wall, a table, a heavy (non-operating) piece

of machinery; rest your elbows on the roof of the car;

get someone to hold you or to lean against


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UseALL available light

Dark, greyed-out and grainy footage cannot berepaired in post-production (GIGO again)

Using professional lighting rigs is expensive, time-

consuming and not for the D-I-Y beginner

Simple-to-usehotshoe

lights for modern digital

cameras work well for lighting facesif youre

close enough

When in doubt take it out(side)theres nothing

wrong with asking your interviewee to go outside,but be very careful about noisy locations

Open the curtains/blinds and turn on the lights

A simple table or desk lamp makes a reasonable

spotlight for faces


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Lighting tips

Dont shoot into direct sunlight

If youre outside on a really sunny day, find some

light/dappled shade

Dont shoot with the sun in your interviewee

seyes, they squint and look stupid

Find and use the backlight button on your

camera

If you only have a little amount of light, get it onyour subject any way you canuse the desk

lamp etc and bring it close, then frame the shot to

leave it out (see rule of thirds)


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A few sound rules

Read up and practice microphone technique

Test your microphones before using them,

particularly the first time

If using a smallprosumer

camera, fit anexternal mic if you can

Where possible use lapel mics for interviews if

you only have one, put it on the talent, not on you

If your camera lets you ALWAYS check youraudio levels in a pre-record test

Stay away from noisy locations and high wind

situations


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Chasing some action

If you keep the camera still,how do you shoot action?

Let the action come to you

Frame a wide shot and let

the action move through theframe

Start with an empty frame

(if you can), hold the shot

until the frame is emptyagain


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Hold the camera still move slowly

Pan, zoom, tilt if you want to try it from a standing position move your upper body first

on a tripod

start and finish on a still subject, or hold the shot till it

leaves the frame


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Action in the frame

For interview subjects frame wide or deepenough to get hands in frame if they move, using

slow tilt

If youre on your own, keep it simple

a good seated MCU set wide (camera close) over

one shoulder,

or standing head and shoulders to mid chest [dont

cross the line]

If in doubt, keep it wide for crowd scenes, teamsport and racing

Dont shoot flat angle the camera so that the action

is moving towards (not head-on) or away into a

horizon or vertical vanishing point (thirds)


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Wide, Medium and Close-Up

Used for montage of event Using a variety of shots is a good way to keep the

viewer engaged

Try moving from a wide to medium to close-up in

one long shot It can work for a voice-over sequence, or as

overlay for interview tracks


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Get at the Eye level of subjects

Viewer identifies with subject through

eye level

Often Youth are shot from Adult

perspective

Use angles appropriately


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Get at the Eye level of subjects

Source: ISU


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Youth Eye Level

Source: ISU


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Youth Eye Level

Example:

Source: ISU


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Crossing the line is a very

important concept in videoand film production.

It refers to an imaginary line

which cuts through the middle

of the scene, from side to

side with respect to the

camera.Crossing the line changes the

viewer's perspective in such

as way that it causes

disorientation and confusion.

For this reason, crossing the

line is something to be

avoided.

Source: Mediacollege.com

Where can the camera go?

180 degree rule

for any given sequence of

shots stay on one side of

the subject

a half-circle along animaginary line through the

subject forms your

shooting area
http://www.mediacollege.com/video/editing/transition/reverse-cut.htmlhttp://www.mediacollege.com/video/editing/transition/reverse-cut.html


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180 Degree Rule

Medium shot

Source: ISU
http://video.extension.iastate.edu/2009/08/28/4-h-building-better-citizens/http://video.extension.iastate.edu/2009/08/28/4-h-building-better-citizens/


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180 Degree Rule

Close-Up shot

Source: ISU
http://video.extension.iastate.edu/2009/08/28/4-h-building-better-citizens/http://video.extension.iastate.edu/2009/08/28/4-h-building-better-citizens/

Hirst Shooting Video for the Web 2012

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