9-14-11 Camera Notes

Notetaking on Camera Techniques

INTERVIEWING:
• What seven items should you bring with you when you are shooting an interview?
 
(Clocks Tick Tock Making Heads Pound Loudly) 
CameraTripodTapeMicrophoneHeadphonesPowerLight

• Shooting into a light source = silhouette


• Where do you want your light source? behind the camera



• On what object should you focus the camera? a persons' nose

*white balance

• No tripod=bad


• Date and Time=never (display button)


• SP/EP : Standard Play/Extended Play

• Camera shoots in SP (highest quality setting as we can).

• Pre-Roll: start 3-5 seconds before interview


• Post-Roll: start 3-5 seconds after interview


CAMERA SHOTS:

***BACKGROUND: 

• DYNAMIC=has some depth, not plain
•  interviewee is at least 6-8 feet from wall
• interviewee IS the shot, not a poster

• 1 Shot=middle of the chest-above the head. Microphones are to be heard, not seen.

• 1 Shot with graphic=over the shoulder graphic

• 2 Shot=middle of the chest-above the head. 1 shot with two people.

• CU-close up

• MS-medium shot

• LS-long shot

• ECU/ELS- extreme close up/extreme long shot 

*create a series of shots

• Rule of thirds-imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. You place important elements on the rule of thirds.


CAMERA MOVEMENTS:
• Tilt-up and down


• Pan-left and right


• Zoom-closer or farther away (changing focal length)


• Dolly-camera on wheels

LIGHTS:
• Key- the main bright light that comes from the front, usually from the side.


• Fill- fills in the shadows opposite of the key light. (behind)


• Back- separates the interviewee from the background.


MICROPHONES:
• Unidirectional- picks up from one direction

• Omnidirectional- comes from all directions. microphones on top of cameras are omnidirectional.

• Cardiod- unidirectional

• Lav/Lapel Microphone- clip on

• Boom Microphone- usually unidirectional