Shooting+Tips+F10

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.Be mindful of overusing the zoom. If you need to zoom in and out, take it slow and steady and don't zoom out again too soon. -JSJ 2. Frame your shots well. Fill the frame with your subject and don't be afraid to place him/her slightly off-center. -JSJ

3. Tripods are essential for smooth panning, especially with small cameras. When you have to hold the camera, resting you elbows on your chest helps a lot. Just don't breathe heavy. (Pinholster) 4. Make sure you read the manual that came with your camera before you begin shooting. There are a lot of tips in the manual that can save you some time and headaches. kwc 5. Check out the scene selections that are available for your camera and know how to use them. For example, the spotlight mode works pretty well and can be useful in certain lighting situations. (MAD) 6. Make sure your battery is fully charged before recording scenes so you don't have to stop mid-shoot to plug-in or recharge. (RLT) 7. Panning with small cameras on a tripod can result in some movement. It will go much smoother if you have been careful to securely place the tripod and then weight it with something (there is a hook in the middle that will hold a bag or a purse in my case). (PSB)

8. With a small camera, panning is sometimes smoother and easier without using a tripod. Make sure your feet are firmly planted as you pan. (Clatterbaugh) 9. The rule of thirds works well when setting up your shots. (Clatterbaugh) 10. Fading in and out of shots gives a smooth transition to motion video. Still shots generally work fine with fading or cutting to the next shot. ( L. Gay) 11. Zoom technique – try walking toward the subject instead of using the zoom feature then compare your results. Sometimes it gives a more natural transition for the eye. ( L. Gay) 12. The main subject does not always have to be in the center of the shot frame. Many times it adds to the effect to off-center the subject and include the background. (L. Gay)

13. Zoom technique – try walking toward the subject instead of using the zoom feature then compare your results. Sometimes it gives a more natural transition for the eye. (L. Gay)

14. When doing free camera work the newer, smaller cameras are hard to keep steady. Attach the camera to a tripod and retract all the legs but one, (you can use the one extended leg as a "monopod" when you stop.) The weight of the tripod will act as a counter-balance and keep the camera steady as you walk around (RT Wilde)

Audio Tips 1. Adjust the sound levels for each shot so your movie's volume is consistent. (CYT) 2. If filming a conversation around a table, try to get an external mic. If you don't have one, shoot each persons's lines individually, or some will be much louder than others. (CYT) 3. If people are talking in your movie make sure your rehearse several times before shooting. This will save time when editing if you can get it perfect the first couple of times. kwc 4. Be careful of ambient noise when shooting outside. Even a breeze can sound like a wind tunnel if it hits your mic in the right way. Shielding your mic with your hand can help diminish the noise. (ewa) 5. Edit your audio using Audacity or another program such as Adobe Soundbooth. By doing this, you can adjust the levels to make them all even out better. (MAD) 6. Use a set of earphones in order to test the sound on your video. It's better to check in the beginning with the "play back" feature to ensure proper audio levels than to have to start all over again in the end. (RLT) 7. Even small cameras can pick up extra noises. Be aware of the surroundings when shooting someone speaking. A far off car horn can be picked up. (Clatterbaugh) 8. With a Flip Camera, make sure not to talk so loud when the camera is close to the mouth because the sound become distorted. It has a sensitive microphone, talk normal. (Limbaugh) 9. Camera mic – when using the camera mic get as close as possible to the subjects (especially small voices) and limit the background noise (L. Gay)

Lighting Tips 1. Soft, diffuse light works best. (Kilkenny)  2. Indoors, multiple light sources help. (Pinholster)  3. Shoot outdoors when possible, but earlier or later than noontime to avoid harsh shadows. (CYT)  4. Try not to shoot indoors with bright sun coming in behind the subject. This can cause the subject to be dark or a glare on the subject. kwc 5. Shoot with your back to the sun, that way your subject is clear and the colors are more true. (ewa) 6. Keep an eye on the shadows with indoor lighting. If you only light from one direction, you are most likely going to get shadows that are not appropriate for the shot. (MAD) 7. Indoors keep a short distance from the light source. Try not to capture the light in your shot... have your subject off set from the light to avoid harsh shadows or orbs. (Clatterbaugh) 8. Lighting – indoor lighting can be very tricky, especially with night shots. Take a few minutes if possible to experiment with light angles and locations. (L. Gay)

Talent Tips 1. Be sure to communicate with the talent exactly when you are starting to film and ending. (kilkenny)  2. I found that it is really hard to shoot children. You can't practice with them or know for sure what they are going to say:) kwc  3. Make sure your talent doesn't look at you for confirmation that they're doing the scene right! It's extremely obvious. (ewa)   4. Have your talent "hold" their pose for a few seconds before you start shooting. That way, you have a little wiggle room when you're editing. (ewa)   5. Try to have at least one "ham" among your talent. All is takes is one to get the others going! (ewa)   6. Always make sure that your talent knows the plan. If they know exactly what is happening when and can be a part of the creative process, they are more willing to participate. (MAD)   7. Allow extra time when shooting pets and children... even if they know the plan, they get fidgety and improvise! (Clatterbaugh)  8. Chose a talent that is willing to help you. If you force someone into helping you, their unhelpful expression shows up on camera. (Limbaugh)

Other Tips 1. When shooting outside on two different days, be mindful of the changes in weather and how it'll look when you combine all your shots. (ewa) 2. Always be ready to shoot a scene more than once and to adapt to the situation. (MAD) 3. Shooting outside in late morning or early afternoon is good for lighting and gives more even tone to your shot. (Clatterbaugh)