Learning to shoot video - tips for beginners. video art

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Learning to shoot video - tips for beginners

video art

A dream come true - you have a brand new digital video camera in your hands! You are more than sure that this long-awaited purchase will help to demonstrate your extraordinary view of the world around you. But in order to properly shoot, you need to arm yourself with at least a minimum stock of knowledge. We will try to give advice that will help you avoid mistakes that can ruin even a well-thought-out video project.

Influxes and panoramas

One of the worst mistakes that beginners make is to use blurs and pans in almost every piece of shooting. Before you press the ZOOM button, be clear about why you are doing it. Do you really need a close-up of an object? Or do you play with the flow just because you can? And, if you don't have a good reason for applying a fade or a panorama, it's best not to use them. Many well-known directors (Spielberg, Hitchcock, etc.) shot entire films without resorting to these techniques.

Instead of blurring, sometimes it's better to pause shooting or get closer to the subject. If you do decide to pan horizontally (moving from side to side) or vertically (moving up or down), try to move the camera very slowly. Almost all novice cameramen move the camera so fast that it causes laughter from their more experienced colleagues.

Lens specifications

Remember, when you turn the zoom control all the way down, you get a short throw (wide-angle) lens that has a different optical performance than a long throw (telephoto) lens. A short throw lens has a greater depth of field, i.e., objects in the foreground as well as the background will be in focus. Using a short throw lens also causes objects to appear closer than they actually are (a warning about this is affixed to the panoramic rear view mirrors for cars, which are similar in effect to short throw lenses).

If you want all the details in the frame to be sharp, use a short throw lens. A short throw lens should be used if you find it difficult to keep the camera still - the longer the focal length, the more difficult it is to avoid the "camera shake" effect. A telephoto lens has a shallower depth of field and can be useful if you want your subject to be in focus and the background blurred. Try experimenting with aiming at and moving closer to your subject while zooming in to keep the frame size constant.

During these manipulations, you will notice that the background gradually "comes" into focus, and your subject mysteriously acquires depth. This strange effect clearly demonstrates the difference in the properties of lenses with different focal lengths.

Camera shake

Another common beginner mistake is camera shake. Some music videos and commercials use this effect as an artistic technique, and if that's what you're after, shake all you want! But in most cases, camera shake is still undesirable for video. Make a gift to yourself and your viewers and get a good tripod with a floating head, then your camera will become stable as a rock.

Crop

When watching home video, there are often shots in which part of the head is "cut off" from the characters. To avoid this, when shooting, you need to take into account that almost every consumer TV "cuts" the top, bottom and sides of about 10% of your so carefully cropped video.

Try experimenting: film a few scenes, noting how much space you leave, and then view them on the TV screen. But do not overdo it - when there is too much space above the head, it seems that a person is sitting in a hole. You can always recognize the work of a professional by what proportion of the frame space the character occupies.

Shooting an interview

In home video, the character who answers the question of the filmmaker is often very far away from the camera. You won't see this in professional photography. Therefore, when shooting something in the style of an interview, take as a model the work of professionals, it is shown daily on television news. Ask someone to help you interview, or trust someone with a camera and ask questions yourself. Interviews can be edited to make it seem as if you yourself were talking to your character (this technique is often used in TV interviews).

When filming an interview, the face should always be shot in front, not in profile (both eyes should be visible in the frame). Of course, if you pretend to be artistic, you can shoot the character in profile, but be sure to leave "space for breathing" in the direction of your gaze. If your character is looking to the left, point the camera slightly to the left - such shots will look better. But still, it is better when, when shooting an interview, the person answering the questions looks at the person with whom he is talking, and not at the camera, and the interviewer stands next to the camera lens. The head and shoulders should be in the frame, and not "too short". From time to time you can slowly make a departure, including in the foreground of the frame, the person interviewing.

After filming the interview itself, additionally film fragments in which the interviewer listens to the interviewee, or the subjects that are being discussed. Prepare various options: with one hero, with the interviewer and the hero in the background. They will allow you to edit the interview as if you were taking it yourself. To do this, simply place the camera (on a tripod) behind the speaker so that he is in the frame in the foreground, and you, as the listener, are in the background. On such fragments, the lips of the speaker should not be visible. Film separate segments in which the interviewer asks questions. Then, during editing, you can create the impression that the shooting was carried out by two cameras. Just keep in mind that if the character was looking slightly to the left, then the interviewer should be looking slightly to the right. If these frames are edited without errors, it will be possible to create the impression of a real dialogue, especially if everything is done without errors. One or two tries and you'll be fine.

Lighting

Good lighting can greatly improve the quality of any shoot, so your lighting kit should include at least three sources. Base lighting consists of a main light close to the camera, a fill light on the subject on the other side of the camera, and a back light that is placed behind the subject to blend in with the background.

Be careful not to let the backlight source into the frame. If you have more sources, install a blue or yellow gel on an additional source and highlight the background with it. When you see the shots taken, you will see that it was worth doing. Outdoors, it is best to shoot an object in the shade, highlighting it with a reflector.

Filming for editing

Good cinematographers always think about how their material will be used in editing when shooting. For example, if your character is talking about swimming, take pictures of people swimming, or better yet, a swimming hero. The main problem with editing is that there are always not enough such frames. When shooting an object, such as a flower, when you already want to turn off the camera, leave it on for another five seconds. This will provide you with more options for installation.

The main rule to follow when filming for editing is to shoot as many different options as time permits. Sometimes in the process of work, insight comes, and you decide to do something unplanned, as a rule, these shots turn out to be the best. Don't miss these moments.

Foreground and background

Another typical beginner's mistake is taking too small a shot. Get closer to your subject. You don't need to shoot hairs in the nostrils, but if you get close to the subject and exclude from the frame what does not carry any information, your video will only benefit. Remember that you are limited in space and don't waste it unless you want to achieve special effects on a carpet or big chunks of blue sky. It is better to place an object of interest to you in this precious space. The larger the plan, the better the video looks.

Finally, choose your background carefully. Try to avoid congested or moving backgrounds. At low compression ratios, the result looks better. There should be no distracting elements in the background. For example, a flower on its own might be just gorgeous, but if you put it behind someone's head, it will look like the person is wearing some kind of stupid hat with flowers on it. Another tip: add a few not too annoying colored spots to the background. The color will make the background more attractive.

We hope that our tips will help you make your video perfect and that the audience will appreciate your skill. Following them, you will be able to embody your ideas on video.

Publication: video-notes.blogspot.com

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