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Production

Production is the stage where you gather all your resources including:

  • Video footage - shoot it yourself or collect it from other sources.
  • Record interviews for news and documentary-style productions
  • Music - should always be non-copyrighted
  • Sound effects - record yourself or get from CD or internet
  • Still photographs - digital photos should be at least 720 X 480 dpi
  • Graphics, titles & other images generated by computer

Basic Equipment:

First you need to start with a basic camera package:

  • Camera – HD Mini-DV, Mini-DV, DVD camcorder, Digital 8, (or the older Hi-8.  VHS is not recommended for its poor quality.)
  • Tripod
  • Headphones
  • External microphone
  • Computer with editing software

More Elaborate Camera Package:

  • Lighting fixtures with light stands (Travel lighting kits are available.  Inexpensive alternatives are clip on lights or standard garage lights, especially if you can bounce them.)
  • Diffusions for your light fixtures
  • Umbrellas to reflect and diffuse light
  • Sun gun (light that clips onto the hot shoe of your camera for shooting in dark locations where you have no power)
  • Gels for coloring your lights including color correction for making video lights the same color temperature as daylight.
  • Reflector (professional reflectors can be purchased, but you can also make your own from a stiff white product such as foam core or insulation)
  • Boom microphone
Shooting Tips:
 
Shoot a variety of shots from different angles.  Use the wide shot (WS) to establish the location, the medium shot (MS) to show interaction, the close up (CU) to show detail, and the extreme close up (ECU) to show intimacy.  Put together, the variety of shots will visually tell the story.  This is called sequencing.  This represents the building blocks of visual storytelling.  Shots do not need to be gathered in the final order; this will be done in editing.
  • Avoid placing your subject in the middle of the frame.  Use the rule of thirds.  Balance the masses in your shots.
  • Use a tripod as often as possible and almost always for interviews.  If you do not have a tripod, use a flat surface such as a table or lean against a tree, wall or something to stabilize you.  Electronic stabilization in the camera helps.
  • Hold the camera steady when shooting off the shoulder.
  • Avoid zooms and pans.  Instead, shoot a variety of shots.  If you do zoom or pan, there should be a reason (to reveal, promote intimacy, show detail, etc.)
  • Shoot from different angles and not always from eye level.
  • Avoid shooting people or objects with brightly lit backgrounds.  The auto iris will think there is a lot of light and close down, making your subject dark.
  • Be aware of your light source and where shadows fall.  The light source should be in front of rather than behind the subject.  Video does not handle high contrast well, so video shot in cloud cover often looks better than video shot in bright sunlight.  Reflectors can help light a subject.
  • Be aware of possible wind noise.  Use headphones to make sure you get good sound.
  • Avoid shooting military or other politically sensitive situations.
  • Shoot more than you will need (tape is cheap).  But don't over shoot, making it difficult to sort through later.
  • Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds.
  • Be aware of the elements in your frame.  The viewer can ONLY see what's in your frame and may miss or notice things that you're not aware of when you're in the situation.
  • Generally, make sure there is some action in your shot.  Buildings without people are boring.  If there is no movement, you may want to consider using a camera move.
  • Remember that different parts of the world use different television standards.PAL-India, Europe & most of world, SECAM-France, Eastern Europe and former USSR, NTSC—North America, Japan & Korea
  • Shoot on the highest quality format available.  The most popular format today is Mini-DV.  Other tape formats are Digital-8, Hi-8 and DV-Cam.  Some cameras record directly on to small DVDs.

This is a short video that illustrates many of the production principles mentioned above:

Good video tells a story. Instead of long takes, it is more effective to shoot from different angles, which put together, form a sequence. Here are some examples of the various types of shots you can use:

It is important to orient your viewer and not confuse them about the space where people and things in your video reside. This video explains the 180 degree rule, otherwise knows as following the eyeline:


Here are some tips for improving the quality of your video when you don't have much money.