Video

All shots should be from a tripod. One more time with feeling: ALL shots should be from a tripod. One exception: an exterior or standing interview does not need a tripod.

ALL interior interviews should be shot with lights.

Interviews: place your subject toward screen left (preferred) or screen right (if you have more than one interview) and have the interviewee look at roughly a 30-degree angle toward you. The camera should be over your left shoulder if the subject is on the left–and over your right shoulder if on the right. Make certain that the subject is framed above the stomach with limited headroom. There are times to break these rules; these are not absolute.

Do not hand the individual a microphone. Try to use lavaliere microphones. You want your questions as well as the answers.

You need a medium shot from just below the stomach to introduce the individual. Make sure that the two focal lengths are different from the master shot of the interview and the setup shot. During the setup shot, the interviewee should not be talking.

A walking shot is a good identifier. You need the subject to walk toward the camera and then walk past it out of frame. You need a head-to-toe shot and a medium shot.

Natural sound should exist on every edit. Also, natural sound can break up the narration track when appropriate.

Editing tips:

A Final Cut tutorial exists on the Web site for those who need to brush up.

The editor and the narrator should review and log tapes together. You might want to take some rough notes in the field on shots. You can make scene selections during this process.

The narrator should write before editing.

The narration should be laid BEFORE editing. You edit the narration in bits and pieces. Lay the initial narration to the first sound bite or standup. Edit the material to this point. Then lay the next part and so on.

Lower thirds should come up two seconds after someone talks for the most part. The lower third should stay up three to four seconds. You want to dissolve in and out. Lower third should be black with white Verdana type and a maximum of two lines. Stay away from acronyms. Lower third should be flush left.

Unlike other professors, we are not opposed to simply identifying someone and leaving out the lower third. Lower thirds can detract from what people are saying. We hear someone speak, we then read the lower third, and we then miss what he/she is saying. But most local stations like lower thirds.

Editing takes a lot of time. Compressing and rendering take a lot of time. You can’t expect to zoom into the edit room and out in a short period. You are required to buy a Firewire Drive.

Start your stories from first frame of video and go out on black. Do not start on black. Do not freeze your last frame.  Signoff: Christopher Harper, Philadelphia Neighborhoods, Brewerytown.

Don’t try to replicate what you are seeing in the mainstream media; try to do something unique, different, fun and engaging.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*