Basic Skills in Complex Contexts

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Getting Started Filming

Posted by Sean McFarland on February 27, 2009 in Making Visible, Multimedia, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Evidence with 1 Comment


 

GETTING STARTED FILMING

 

SHOOT PLAN

 In this case the word shoot refers to a shooting session. If you think of everything you record as being part of a shoot, and have a plan for most of your shots, then you’re well on the way to having better organized footage.

First of all, be clear about the purpose of each shoot. Generally speaking, everything you do should be working towards a larger plan. Exactly what this is will depend on many factors. However, sometimes footage that you thought would be “just for fun” ends up playing a huge role in the finished product.

Plan the approximate length of the shoot: How much footage do you need to end up with, and how long will it take you to get it?

Planning means adopting an attitude in which you take control.

 

ZOOM

This is the function which moves your point of view closer to, or further away from, the subject. Note that the further you zoom in, the more difficult it is to keep the picture steady. In some cases you can move the camera closer to the subject. For long zooms you should use a tripod.

Zooming is the function everyone loves. It’s easy and you can do lots with it, which is why it’s so over-used. The most common advice on using the zoom is use it less. It works well in moderation but too much zooming is tiring for the audience.

 

AUDIO

Virtually all video cameras come with built-in microphones. These work fine, and are well-suited for most general work. But you can also try plugging an external microphone onto the hot shoe of your camera. Often, the external mic is better quality and captures the sound in a more focused way.

Listen to what people are saying and build it into the video. An interesting comment you heard yesterday in one of your interviews can be incorporated as a question into an interview today.

Try not to start and finish shots while someone is talking — there’s nothing worse than a video full of half-sentences. One more thing… be careful of wind noise. Even the slightest breeze can badly effect your audio.

 

BASIC SHOT TYPES

There is a general convention which assigns names to the most common types of shots. The names and their exact meanings may vary, but the following examples give a rough guide to the standard descriptions.

 

ews

EWS (Extreme Wide Shot)
In the EWS, the view is so far from the subject that she isn’t even visible. The point of this shot is to show the subject’s surroundings. The EWS is often used as an establishing shot — the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is always a good idea to capture an EWS shot when possible. For example, if you are shooting students in a class working, try also to get a shot of the entire classroom setting.

vws

VWS (Very Wide Shot)
The VWS is much closer to the subject. She is (just) visible here, but the emphasis is still on placing her in her environment. This also works as an establishing shot.

ws

WS (Wide Shot)
In the WS, the subject takes up the full frame. In this case, the girl’s feet are almost at the bottom of frame, and her head is almost at the top. Obviously the subject doesn’t take up the whole width and height of the frame, since this is as close as we can get without losing any part of her. The small amount of room above and below the subject can be thought of as safety room — you don’t want to be cutting the top of the head off. It would also look uncomfortable if her feet and head were exactly at the top and bottom of frame.

ms

MS (Mid Shot)
The MS shows some part of the subject in more detail, while still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person “in the flesh” if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn’t be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.

mcu

MCU (Medium Close Up)
Half way between a MS and a CU. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.

cu

CU (Close Up)
In the CU, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame. A close up of a person usually means a close up of their face.

ecu

ECU (Extreme Close Up)
The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail. For people, the ECU is used to convey emotion. An ECU shot does not only have to be of the face. You can capture hands, or even tapping feet. 

kali

CA (Cutaway)
A cutaway is a shot that’s usually of something other than the current action. It could be a different subject (e.g. this cat), a CU of a different part of the subject (e.g. a CU of the subject’s hands), or just about anything else. The CA is used as a “buffer” between shots (to help the editing process), or to add interest/information.

 

 

thirds1

The “Rule of Thirds”  divides the frame into nine sections. Points of interest should occur at 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up (or across) the frame, rather than in the center.


“Headroom”, “looking room”, and “leading room”. These terms refer to the amount of room in the frame which is strategically left empty. The shot of the baby crawling has some leading room for him to crawl into, and the shot of his mother has some looking room for her to look into. Without empty space, framing looks uncomfortable.ciaran1 tryaz


 

Look for interesting and unusual shots. Most of your shots will probably be quite “straight”; that is, normal shots from approximate adult eye-level. Try mixing in a few variations. Different angles and different camera positions can make all the difference. For example; a shot can become much more dramatic if shot from a low point. On the other hand, a new and interesting perspective can be obtained by looking straight down on the scene. Be aware that looking up at a person can make them appear more imposing, whereas looking down at a person can diminish them.

 

 

BASIC CAMERA MOVES AND TECHNIQUES 

As with camera framing, there are standard descriptions for the basic camera moves.

Pan: The framing moves left & right, with no vertical movement.

Tilt: The framing moves up & down, with no horizontal movement.

Zoom: In & out, appearing as if the camera is moving closer to or further away from the subject. When a shot zooms in closer to the subject, it is said to be getting “tighter”. As the shot zooms out, it is getting “looser”.

Follow: Any sort of shot when you are holding the camera and you follow the action while walking. Hard to keep steady, but very effective when done well.

 

Shooting Technique

Position yourself and your camera. If you’re using a tripod, make sure it’s stable and level (unless you have a reason for it to be tilted. If you’re not using a tripod, stabilize yourself and your camera as best you can. Keep your arms and elbows close to your body (you can use your arms as “braces” against your torso). Breathe steadily. For static shots, place your feet at shoulder width (if you’re standing), or try bracing yourself against some solid object (furniture, walls, or anything).

Think about your audio. Audio is just as important as vision, so don’t forget about it. Press “record”. Once you’re recording, make sure that you are actually recording. There’s no worse frustration than realizing that you were accidentally recording all the time you were setting the shot up, then stopped recording when you thought you were starting.

Keep checking the status displays in the viewfinder. Learn what all the indicators mean — they can give you valuable information.

Use both eyes. A valuable skill is the ability to use one eye to look at the lcd screen and the other eye to watch your surroundings. It takes a while to get used to it, but it means that you can walk around while shooting without tripping over, as well as keeping an eye out for where the action is happening. It’s also easier on your eyes during long shoots.

Learn to walk backwards. Have someone place their hand in the middle of your back and guide you. These shots can look great.

 

Keep thinking “Framing…Audio…” As long as you’re recording, think about how the frame composition is changing, and what’s happening to the sound.

 

That’s all there is to it!

 

 

 

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