As you set about shooting video, you may want to consider hiring an expert if you don’t already have one in-house. With patience and creativity, a novice videographer can shoot like a professional, but you must invest the time to develop the expertise. If your budget permits, hire a freelance journalist with videography experience and accompany him or her on a shoot or two to see how it’s done.
It’s important to remember that online video is more about the content and relevance than serious production values, though. So get excited about learning a new set of skills and having some fun.
Planning a Shoot
Sometimes, you don’t have to plan. If there is breaking news or a spontaneous event that you need to cover now, you’ll have to learn to shoot on the fly.
But often there is time for preparation, and that means making lists and checking them twice – before you get into the field. Spend the time checking your equipment and organizing your arrangements. You’ll reap the benefits of this advance planning with smoother, faster shoots.
Here are a few guidelines for things to arrange prior to a shoot:
Check out the location in person. Walk around the site and note where people walk, where the light hits and how much sound is in the environment. It’s especially helpful if you can visit the location at the same time of day you plan to shoot so that you can figure out the best camera location for that time of day.
- Locate nearby bathrooms, parking and power outlets. You are sure to need these three things during a shoot of any length. You don’t want to show up on the day of your shoot only to find out the nearest parking is two miles away.
- Find out whether you need permission to shoot video. Different cities have different rules about how news and other video crews must handle shooting in public spaces. You might need to get a permit – even for a public space – or you may be able to shoot with impunity. It may depend on how your organization presents itself. Frequently, there are different rules for students and news reporters than for commercial videographers. You will always need permission to shoot in private spaces, and in public ones when you need to acquire access for a special vehicle, lay down power lines or set up lights. Also, don’t assume you are entitled to use any power outlet you find in a public space without permission; someone has to pay for that power.
- Look into the laws covering filming people in public spaces. Again, the rules vary city to city, and you shouldn’t assume anything. In many places, it’s sufficient to post a sign that you are filming and that people are giving their permission to be filmed by walking through the area, but check with the city you are filming in by calling the film commission or in smaller towns, the police department. Never film children without getting permission from their parents.
- Pack your equipment and check it twice. It’s a good idea to have a checklist of everything you are taking with you. Go through that checklist before you depart and again before you leave the shoot location. Make sure all batteries are charged and check that you have packed all detachable power cords required to run your equipment.
- Figure out how you will get to the shoot, especially if you have to transport bulky equipment. Is there a route that permits you to roll your equipment on a cart?
- Bring extras — extra batteries, extra power cords, extra surge protectors and extra microphones.
Shooting Footage
Once you start to shoot footage, move around to different spots to get a few different shots. Also, be sure to take some footage of the area that can be used to cover mistakes or provide transitions. It’s a good idea to have multiple pieces of this so-called “b-roll” — scene shots of street signs, doors, entrances and buildings — each lasting 30 seconds or more. It can also establish a sense of location and provide footage for voice-overs.
While your camera probably came with a good zoom capability and you can move it around as you film to pan, keep these effects to a minimum. A little goes a long way when it comes to pan, tilt, and zoom.
When you’re recording video for use on the Internet, follow these guidelines:
- Use low-action shots whenever possible.
- Make sure your subject is well lit from the front.
- Strive for good quality audio to go with your video.
- Avoid small objects that often don’t come across well in small video windows.
Arranging Lighting
If you find yourself shooting indoors or in low lighting, look into adding lights to your video equipment. It can make a huge difference in the quality of your final product.
Simply paying attention to where you shoot is important, too. Situate the camera so that light is hitting your subject. Avoid back-lit situations just as you do with still cameras. Indoors, you may be able to use nearby windows and adjustable lamps to improve the lighting of your subject.
The best solution is to bring your own light with you, along with a few accessories to help move the light where you need it to be:
- Acquire a light-colored, portable reflective surface such as poster board or fabric. You can use this to actually move light around, bouncing reflections from a window to where you need them.
- Sometimes you have too much light and need to soften it a bit. A semi-transparent piece of fabric can be placed in front of the light to smooth things out a little.
Some video cameras come with a light you can put on top of the camera. These aren’t as useful as they seem, unless you need to be completely mobile, because they depend on the subject being directly in front of the camera at all times.
Cleaning Up
It’s easy to get carried away when you are on location and assume that you can remember details later that will fall through the cracks. If you use tape, pay special attention to them. When you change tapes, be sure to label the one you just finished instead of simply tossing it into your bag or zipping it into a special pocket. Tapes all look the same once you get back to the office, and it’s frustrating to have to watch big chunks of footage to figure out what they are and where they go.
Also, be sure to protect your tape set from being accidentally recorded over. It’s very easy to pick up a tape you were using earlier and pop it back in. You can save yourself some heartache by looking for the tape-protection feature (usually a slider) and activating it.
When you leave a shoot, be sure to pick up any trash, remove any tape you used to lay down cable and leave things as you found them. You’re a lot more likely to be welcomed back if you respect the location.