Shooting+Tips+S10

Shooting Tips Post your tips for shooting good video on this page in the appropriate section. Be sure to put your name in parenthesis at the end of your post so I give you credit for it... and be sure you don't erase someone else's contribution when you enter your tip! (We'll number our tips to keep them separate!)

Camera Work Tips 1. When you are filming something like a commercial, don't feel like you have to do the whole thing in one shooting. It is fine to stop the camera, regroup, change things and then turn the camera back on. Even without editing this stopage won't be noticed. (Gilzean)

2. Practice using the tripod as much as you practice using the actual video camera. A tripod helps to keep the camera steady, but if you are jerky with the movements on the tripod the footage is just as bad. Learn how to move the camera up and down and left and right using the tripod. (Dearolph)

3. If you are going to shoot so the horizon is not level, make sure it has a purpose. Also...a non-level horizon AND a shaky camera are not a good mix. (Clark) 4. When panning and zooming, make sure to use slow, smooth movements. (Shirley)

5. You really need to practice zooming. You need to know which way to press the button to zoom and how to adjust the zoom speed. If you zoom to fast you can lose your audience because of the distraction of the speed of the zoom. (Bowen)

6. Film from different angles and vantage points. This makes the final product more interesting and holds the viewer's attention. (Blocher)

7. Make sure that you start recording a few seconds before the talent begins speaking, and add a few seconds to the end. (Mulkey)

8. Use a tripod as much as possible. The tripod helps to stabilize each shot. If you do not use a tripod, it is likely that your shots may have some turbulence. (Valentine)

9. Always use a tripod! Even with the new stability functions that cameras have, nothing substitutes for a good tripod. (Kicklighter)

10. Make sure you continue your shot long enough (approx. 15 seconds) so you can make the necessary editing changes.. (Cooper)

11. Carefully consider whether zooming in during the shot is the best option or whether it would be better to cut to another shot that is already zoomed in. From my observations, there isn't much zooming in during shots when you watch professional productions. The zooming can sometimes be a distraction, particularly if your zooming abilities are less than top notch. (Kennedy)

12. When using a LCD display camera with touch screen stay back from the display as much as possible so when you press the screen to create an effect you are doing so smoothly without moving the camera. (Powell-Schager)

13. Always use a tripod. If filming on an unstable surface, cut an “x” into three tennis balls and place them on the feet of your tripod. (Doughman)

14. Charge your battery and have a backup battery for remote shoots.(Hood)

15. When you can't use a tripod for a shot, you can brace yourself in a number of ways. You can lean against a doorway to steady yourself, kneel on one knee resting your camera on the other knee, or kneel behind a chair or stool and rest your elbows on the seat. (Auger)

16. Big movement and close up camera shots do not mix. If you're shooting in close up only use small movements that can easily be followed with the camera. (Whisenant)

17. Before beginning project, make sure that you are have figured out which camera shots to use ie - wide shot, close up, over the shoulder, etc that is advantageous to your subject. This will help set the tone and mood for project. (Sherwood-Hill)

18. Controlling zoom speed is difficult, and seems nearly impossible unless the camera is positioned on a tripod. (Hickey)

19. Always white balance before shooting to keep colors true. (Powell-Schager)

20. If you need a makeshift dolly, you can use a child's stroller, even the umbrella type. Put the tripod/camera setup in the seat and strap it in with ratchet strapping, bungee cords or even tape (electrical or gaffer). Check the wheels to make sure that they roll and turn smoothly and don't squeak. (Pat)

21. For outside shots, consider the time of day. A dark shadow following your subject may be distracting. (J. Martin)

22. When following the movement of a living subject, try to get far enough away so the camera isn't trying to "chase' the movement. (J. Martin)

23. I've had problems with keeping charger connected to camera while filming...it falls out when move camera and has become bent. To solve this, I purchased a second battery and keep two charged at all times so I can run on battery. (Powell-Schager)

24. Planning ahead using a story board can make using a tripod easier. I find that I frequently do not get what I need in the shot when I use a tripod without advance planning. If you know what you want to capture, placing the tripod is easier. (Purcell) Audio Tips 1. Test the external microphone before you begin shooting. I think this is pretty obvious, but I know I haven't done it yet, and I need to before we start shooting our video.(Dearolph)

2. Be very aware of the small sounds around you. The mic picks up everything. Try to find a quiet place to film--even the AC and heat can overwhelm the video. (Clark)

Also, you as the cameraperson must be careful not to make noise by your own movements, vocal sounds, sniffing, etc. (Owen)

3. Make sure you plan for your talent to finish talking before any sudden movements. Movements can muffle the sound and make it hard to understand what has been said. (Shirley)

4 If you don't have an external microphone, make sure your subjects are within the audi capabilities of your camera. (Bowen)

5. Buy a camera with external microphone capabilities! This will allow you to be more flexible with what you film and how you film it. (Blocher)

6. I think an external microphone will be the best to use. I noticed my camera picks up the camera sounds on the built-in mic. (Reece)

7. Try to get the best audio with a microphone. You can adjust the audio in Movie Maker to make the person louder. Right click on the audio portion of the clip, choose volume, and then adjust. (Mulkey)

8. Do not try and film when there is strong winds. The camera/microphone pick up the vibrations of the wind which make it very difficult to hear audio from the actual shot. (Valentine)

9. It can be helpful to hook up headphones the camera to hear exactly what background noises are being picked up by the camera. Also if you are outdoors use the headphones to check for background sound, even the slightest breezes can be picked up by some cameras. (Kicklighter)

10. Make sure the tension on your tripod is not too tight which will produce a clicking sound in your audio. I learned this tip the hard way when filming my first take. (Cooper)

11. If you're stuck with the built-in microphone, have talent practice their speaking parts ahead of time with the emphasis on matching volume levels. This helps to eliminate the problem of having one student speak quietly while another is loud. (Kennedy)

12. If it is windy outside and you are trying to record, hold a piece of cardboard on the side of the camera that the wind is blowing. This will block some of the wind and help with the sound (especially if you have an external microphone). (Doughman)

13. Allow talent to hear a take of the audio before a final shot is made. It can help them adjust their speech to be more clearly heard. (Hood)

14. Distance between camera and speaker affects sound quality tremendously. No doubt using a mic other than the camera's built in would be highly beneficial. (Hickey)

15. When recording narration using the Movie Maker feature, be sure to listen to all of your recordings at one to ensure that the volume is in line across the board. Don't get too far into lining up all of your images, transitions, etc. that it makes fixing volume differences difficult. (Kennedy)

16. Try to keep your distance from the talent consistent and use zoom in/out so your volume is consistent throughout the shoot. (Powell-Schager)

17. If you are putting multiple music clips next to each other in Movie Maker, you can merge them together so that they fade into each other. This will avoid the sharp sound change. To merge the music, go to the timeline view and put your cursor on the second music clip. Hold down your mouse button as you drag the second clip over the first one slightly. A blue bar will appear to show that the music will overlap. (Kennedy)

18. When adding audio into Movie Maker, do it last. (J. Martin)

Lighting Tips 1. To create the best lighting for a video, use extra lights even when there is plenty of natural light around. I learned from Camera Shoot 2 that even with the sun, more light would be better to deal with shadows. (Dearolph)

2. You can get glare from sunlight even if you are not filming directly into the sun. If at all possible, make sure the sun is behind you when you film. But also be aware of any shadow YOU can be creating. (Whisenant)

3. Make use of all natural light. Especailly if you lack a lighting kit! (Shirley)

4. Be aware of all windows when filming. Windows can cause a glare even if you are not planning to use the light from them. (Bowen)

5. The more lighting, the better! Things look different on camera than with the eye. Film a "test shot" first to see if your lighting is adequate. (Blocher)

6. Angles seem to work best for lighting. It helps with shadows and glare. (Mulkey)

7. Position your camera between your subject and the light. Unless you are trying to create some form of a silhouette, the light should not be behind your subject because it makes it extremely difficult to see them. (Valentine)

8. Natural light seems to be best; therefore, whenever possible, shoot during the sunny hours of the day. (Owen)

9. If you happen to have a stand alone flashlight, it works great as a key light. There are many flashlights at reasonable prices that stand alone and whose head tilts. (Rhinehart)

10. Halogen work lights are great "budget" substitutes for studio quality lights. (Kicklighter)

11. During outside filming be aware of the shadows made by trees, bushes, and the roof overhang. Pre-shoot the setting to determine if you should delay filming until later in the day. (Cooper)

12. Days where the weather changes, from sunny to cloudy, can make it difficult to determine the time of day the shot is being taken in. If this is an important factor, watch the forecast and plan ahead. (Powell-Schager)

13. There are multiple ways you can use a spot light. You can turn it into general overall lighting by reflecting it off of a white surface. A sheet, poster board, or even a rolling white board can be used to angle the light where in want it. (Powell-Schager)

14. Take lighting into consideration before filming. Try to always use key and fill light. (Doughman)

15. Check backgrounds for reflective quality before shooting, like gloss-painted walls in classrooms. (Hood)

16. Placement of subject in relationship to windows and incoming sunlight is essential. (Hickey)

17. I mentioned using parchment paper over the work lights to diffuse the light over in WebCT. Another possibility that I remembered is to use fluorescent bulbs. There are some that are daylight balanced. While not as bright, they are not as hot either. Another diffusion trick is to stretch a pair of tights or stockings over the reflector housing. Just watch the heat buildup. I've seen the fabric stretched over a wire frame and hung in front of the light. Of course, different colors of cloth will change your lighting color. You can fake a sunset by coloring the light. (Reece)

Talent 1. Pre-arrange hand signals so you can "signal" them changes you want them to make (i.e., start with your hands/fingers together then slowily pull them apart to indicate that they should slow down their speaking or put your hands together and separate them vertically to indicate louder). (Powell-Schager)

2. Do a practice of the storyboard script with the talent first to get some of the silliness and nervousness out. (Dearolph)

3. Make sure that the students know what YOU are going to do while filming. Even if you practice the script they could become distracted if you need to move around the studio. (Whisenant)

4. Have a definite plan before you start filming. Your talent is doing you a favor so don't waste his/her/their time. (Clark)

5. Find __//willing//__ talent. Making someone do something they are not comfortable with, or do not "feel" like doing, will only cause your shoot to be a disaster! (Shirley)

6. Make sure to practice your storyboard before you shoot. This allows your talent to get the feel of what their expectations are in the video. (Bowen)

7. Share your storyboard and overall goal with your talent before filming. This allows them to know what you plan to show and might make things run more smoothly. (Blocher)

8. Have the talent count silently to 3 before they begin speaking. (Mulkey)

9. Encourage your talent. Try to make sure that they are having a good time. If they are bored or not having fun, then they are less likely to cooperate or help during the shoot or on future shoots. (Valentine)

10. Bribing your subjects with cookies is not a bad idea. Also, when possible, let your subjects have input in deciding the content of your shoot . (Owen)

11. If you are doing a second take to improve your shoot, have your talent view the footage with you to give some input on what can be done to improve the video. (Dore)

12. It alwas takes longer than you think. If you are having talent come just to shoot, estimate much longer to do the shooting than the finished footage. You and the talent can better plan their time. Also make sure you have everything set up and ready to go before they come so you can start shooting once they arrive. (BJ)

13. Make sure you have students and parents sign consent forms before filming students. Be patient when working with students....(Kicklighter)

14. Talk to your students about taking it seriously before you begin. Have them think about how professional actors behave on a set before you even begin. Since every kid wants to grow up to be a movie star, they are more likely to eliminate the nervous giggles right from the start which can cut out a large number of takes. (Kennedy)

15. Be prepared to reherse video and allow for talent to improvise. Often they have a good sense of what will make the scene work. (Powell-Schager)

16. Create a storyboard/script before so they talent has something to go by. Allow them opportunity "to go with it" if the opportunity arises. (Doughman)

17. Capture shots in as few takes as possible. Talent tends to be less fresh and speech and actions less natural with as scenes are done again and again. (Hood)

18. Make sure that talent enunciates words correctly and knows when to speak or not speak. (Sherwood-Hill)

Other Tips 1. Be careful not to over do it on the panning and zooming. If you want to get more than one subject in a shot, it is okay to break it into more than one shot. Shot the first subject, then pause the recording and get everything situated for the next shot, then begin recording again. (Shirley)

2. When doing a planned shoot, film a shot more than once so that you can choose the best one later. (Owen)

3. Use a tripod whenever possible. It is very obvious when you don't especially when you don't have a steady hand. It will make the video look much more professional if a tripod is used. (Rhinehart)

4. Practice, practice, practice with the camera till you automatically operate controls. (Powell-Schager)

5. Keep the Rule of Thirds in mind. (Doughman)

6. Keep the dog (or other pets and small children) away from your set. You never know what they're going to do. (Whisenant)

7. Have a Plan B in case the weather doesn't cooperate with the setting you have planned in your storyboard. (Clark)

8. If you have recorded narration in Movie Maker and you want to add background music too, finalize your movie, then open a new project and import the movie into it. The narration will be embedded with the images at that point and you will be able to add music to the audio layer in the timeline view. (Kennedy) 9. Use the right tool for the job! If you want to do lots of narration and have two sound tracks it is easiesr to use Phtoostory than MovieMaker! (Powell-Schager)

10. Even the best laid plans....allow LOTS of extra time. (Powell-Schager)

11. If large movie project files are causing your computer to lock up, render the movie in several pieces, then pull them all into one final movie and render that. (Kennedy)

12. This is basic, but remember your audio, video, and image files need to reside all on the computer you're working on to be available to be saved as a project and then still be there when you re-open the project. (J. Martin)

13. To move images or clips into Movie Maker, you can drag files in if the window isn't maximized and the source of your clips isn't maximized either. Holding the curser on the top bar of either window you can move the windows around for positioning. (J. Martin)