Shooting

• There’s nothing wrong with multiple takes unless you are shooting interviews.
• Get steady shots whenever possible. If you are not following action in the shot then DO NOT USE ANY LENS MOVEMENT OR CAMERA MOVEMENT. Set up your shot and then don’t touch the camera until the shot is completed. Don’t start the interview until you’ve finished setting up the camera!
• If you are following action, please try to keep your movements steady. Do multiple takes if possible so you can have several variations on a shot.
• In general, avoid pans and tilts unless you are following action. Shoot a long shot/wide shot then follow up with close-ups and medium shots to get the detail you seek.
• Always shoot in widescreen. Everything we do will be in widescreen HD video. When you set up your file in Premiere, make sure you are setting it up for widescreen.
• Don’t forget the rule of thirds. Do not set up your shot so that the subject’s head and eyes are in the exact center of the frame. The subject should be looking at the interviewer, NOT into the lens. Always shoot ¾ of the face – never a full profile and never directly in front of the face.
• A lot of Manual’s hallways and classrooms will end up looking very dark on video. Feel free to turn on lights, shoot near open windows, etc., but make sure your color looks good (see White Balance).
• Watch for backlit shots – this is when your subject is standing in front of a powerful light source (an open window, the sun, etc.).
• Always include a little “bumper” video at the beginning and end of each shot – at least two full seconds of video so that you won’t face editing problems later. The best thing to do is to hit record as soon as you get the camera set up and only stop recording when you are ready to put the camera away. That way you’ll have lots of extra video to work with for B-roll, padding interviews, etc.
• Be creative. Go for unusual angles and shots (as long as they add to, not distract from, the actual story). Remember your prepositions: try putting the camera inside, above, between, beneath, beside, against, outside ...