| Let's start there (but not spend too much time on it | | | | shot correctly before you push the red "take" button, |
| because you are probably already checked out on | | | | and keep your fingers off it while rolling. Fast or |
| their use):On/Off - On some brands you actually have | | | | excessive zooms cause nausea and disorientation of |
| to find two or three switches to accomplish this. You | | | | your poor audience. You don't want to have to provide |
| may be required to choose between camera and | | | | air sick bags at your showing.These rules barely |
| VCR or VTR, you may have to open shutters over | | | | scratch the surface. Start by following them and when |
| the lens or remove a lens cap, and you may have | | | | your footage looks more respectable, you'll be ready |
| choices about snapshots, locked, standby, or video. | | | | to study the hundreds of other things you see the pros |
| You're probably ready when you see a picture through | | | | do in great movies and on TV that makes their |
| the viewfinder with no unexpected icon flashing in the | | | | footage dazzle.Now let's take on some of the many |
| middle.Zoom - Changes the lens setting from wide | | | | buttons on your camcorder. You should have a large |
| angle to telephoto. You see what's happening in the | | | | owner's manual that explains what they do and I don't |
| viewfinder.Red "Take" button - Rolls the tape. Usually | | | | intend to duplicate that. (Most owner's manuals were |
| "REC" shows in the viewfinder when recording and | | | | written in Japanese first and then are translated into |
| "STDBY" shows when the tape is stopped.Beyond | | | | dozens of languages, perhaps by a computer. Legal |
| that everything else is automated on most consumer | | | | warnings probably fill the first two pages and the really |
| camcorders. You only have to master all those other | | | | interesting stuff is frequently buried away in |
| buttons if you want to take control of things like focus, | | | | tiny-typeface footnotes. Don't get discouraged, you |
| exposure, shutter speed, color balance, stabilization, | | | | are not alone when wondering if you no longer know |
| depth of field, freeze motion, volume, and tons of other | | | | how to read.) If you've studied photography a lot, the |
| special effects and titling. On most camcorders the | | | | information that follows may be old hat, but I've got to |
| default manufacturer settings are the place to start -- | | | | cover it to show you why you may want to explore |
| they've done a very good job taming all these options. | | | | some of the buttons from time to time.Basically you |
| You should only need to make changes for particular | | | | are simply managing light and motion. Start with light: |
| scenes when you see things going wrong. So let's not | | | | too much light and everything is blistered out, too little |
| trail through all the buttons and menu options out there | | | | light and details get lost in the shadows. The human |
| right now. Instead let's focus on you and all the | | | | eye has a much wider range from bright to dark in |
| problems you can create.Let's examine other areas | | | | any given scene than does any video equipment. A |
| that separate the pros from the beginners. It's always | | | | video shot of your "true love" that looks OK to you |
| said, and frequently demonstrated, that if you put the | | | | standing there may play back later with white |
| cheapest pile of junk camcorder in the hands of a pro, | | | | splotches and blisters all over his or her face. How can |
| the resulting footage will look dazzling. It doesn't work | | | | something like this happen, you ask? You assumed the |
| the other way around. It's not the tools that separate | | | | camera would "close down" automatically when the |
| the 8-year old baking her first cake from her | | | | subject got too bright.The automation in the camera |
| grandmother -- it's lots of little things, some of which | | | | can fail you if there are extremes in any one shot. It |
| are hard and tedious to document, and some of which | | | | adjusts for the average brightness. Hot areas are |
| fall into discussions and hot arguments that might be | | | | averaged with dark areas. The range it can handle is |
| lumped together under the category called "style."Let's | | | | limited. The middle or average of the range you are |
| get you started with some of the obvious areas. As | | | | trying to shoot may not be the setting you want for a |
| you shoot video you will naturally get competitive with | | | | correct exposure where the true subject is very "hot" |
| and wonder why your footage doesn't measure up to | | | | surrounded by a lot of dark holes. You have to take |
| the footage you see on TV and in the movies. This will | | | | charge deciding to throw away the details in the dark |
| cause you to start adding tricks to your trade | | | | holes in order to get proper exposure of the main |
| consciously and unconsciously. Most of us are very | | | | subject. Shots of someone on a stage in a spotlight is |
| critical viewers of TV and movies.The first sign that | | | | the most typical example of having to manually take |
| there is a rank amateur running the camera comes | | | | charge of the exposure setting in your camcorder.The |
| when you realize it is being hand-held because the | | | | other extreme occurs when details of your true |
| picture bounces around (and may actually make some | | | | subject are crushed into a gray mess because your |
| viewers seasick, watch out!). The standard answer to | | | | subject is surrounded by a very bright background. |
| this is to lug a tripod around with you. This is great if | | | | You need to open up the exposure, throwing away |
| you are going to be positioned in the same place for | | | | the details in the bright background so you can brighten |
| more than three minutes filming a game or stage | | | | up and see your subject correctly. Some camcorders |
| performance, but if you are zipping around like a fly on | | | | have a button called "backlighting" that does this for |
| the wall you have to take other measures. Here are | | | | you.This doesn't mean your camera can't take pictures |
| some:Lean on things while filming to stabilize yourself. | | | | in extremely bright or extremely dark places: it can if |
| Find a tree, a wall, a table, a friend . . .Take a deep | | | | the whole scene is bright or the whole scene is dark. |
| breath and hold it. Dig your elbows into your inflated rib | | | | The thing you have to be sensitive to occurs when |
| cage creating a triangular bracing system between the | | | | there is a mix of bright and dark, your true subject is |
| camcorder and your stable chest. Do not answer any | | | | not in the middle of the range of lighting intensity, and |
| questions thrown at you and stop filming before your | | | | your camcorder is calculating an average brightness |
| whole body starts convulsing trying to purge the stale | | | | setting that is wrong for what you want to |
| air.Zoom out (going to a wide angle setting) and then | | | | capture.What do you look for to adjust exposure? If |
| move yourself and camera in close to the subject. | | | | your camera is anything like most of ours, there are |
| Wide angle shots are much easier to hold steady. | | | | several ways to adjust exposure -- some are |
| Zoomed in telephoto shots really need a good | | | | redundant and others handle extreme situations |
| tripod.Practice, practice, practice. While rolling tape, pick | | | | beyond those discussed above. How do you sort it all |
| a stationary object near the corner of the viewfinder, | | | | out?If your camera has a wheel or dial called |
| lock in on it, and don't let it move around in the | | | | exposure and the picture gets dark and light as you |
| viewfinder. This turns your whole nervous and | | | | turn it, then that's where to start. You will need to "turn |
| muscular system into a self-correcting stabilization | | | | it on" telling the camera's automation that you are |
| machine. It becomes second nature if you work at it | | | | taking control of exposure and to butt out. This may |
| enough just as a waitress can carry a tray of drinks | | | | require you to read the manual -- different |
| without spilling any.Push the "take" button to stop rolling | | | | manufacturers have different ways to block you from |
| tape when you realize you are about to lose stability. | | | | tampering with their automatic settings. Once you are |
| You'd be surprised how many shots run until the | | | | in control, here are several things to consider and |
| cameraman bumps into something, loses concentration | | | | several words of advice:Be sure you trust what your |
| or literally falls off a step.Be sure the camera's built-in | | | | camcorder's viewfinder is telling you. In an ideal |
| motion stabilization feature is turned on. On some | | | | situation, you want to play with your camcorder in |
| brands the stabilization feature reportedly snaps and | | | | some very tough situations taking and reviewing |
| jerks the picture too much as the camera is moved | | | | throwaway footage before you "go live" on location. |
| around. You'll hear that the feature should be turned | | | | The viewfinder may have its own settings which if set |
| off. Don't accept this advice as gospel -- play with it | | | | wrong will mislead you. For example, if the picture in |
| for a while first because this objection is true on only a | | | | the viewfinder looks dark and dingy, but it looks great |
| small percentage of camcorders.Don't dismiss using a | | | | when played back on a TV, brighten the viewfinder |
| small mono pod or very light portable tripod for those | | | | setting, not the exposure setting of the footage you're |
| "on the go" shots. These won't serve you well when | | | | taking.Flip out screens are a wonderful invention |
| shooting a long event but may be just the ticket when | | | | everywhere except outside on a sunny day. Because |
| moving around like a fly on the wall.Another rule to | | | | it's so hard to see anything on them when it's too |
| consider is how long your shots should be. Watch TV | | | | bright outside, you may be tempted to crank around |
| and count how long their shots run. You'll notice that | | | | on the brightness setting of the flip out screen. Fine, but |
| the average 30-second commercial may have 20 | | | | this may seriously mislead you when you come back |
| different shots. Pretty much the same with MTV. Now | | | | inside again -- be careful. Try to remember the setting |
| watch situation comedies and cops and robber stories | | | | before you changed it outside and go back to that |
| -- maybe shots stay on 3 to 5 seconds. Follow up with | | | | point as soon as possible.Once you trust what you are |
| slow running talk shows on PBS. Even there they | | | | seeing in the viewfinder, learn what to look for that |
| switch the camera before 10 seconds have gone | | | | clues you when to switch off the camcorder's |
| by.Back when you were getting advice with your | | | | automation and change to manual exposure control. |
| home camera movie film from Kodak, the advice they | | | | Then you need to know how to set the exposure |
| gave was to count to 7 and shut the shot down. They | | | | manually. Set it wrong and everything will come back |
| advised against lots of jerky short clips. While that was | | | | too dark or too bright -- sadly it's easy to do.There is a |
| in a slower and more graceful period of time, it's still a | | | | trick I use when going to manual exposure at an event |
| rule to seriously consider. Tightly edited sales pitches, | | | | such as a stage performance or a wedding. Let the |
| action packed movie clips and music videos may | | | | automation help you! Before going to manual exposure, |
| demand one to three second clips, but this is too fast | | | | zoom in tight on an important face that is lit pretty |
| for general family footage. We find that when people | | | | much as you expect will be common throughout the |
| put photographs together in a video presentation, six | | | | event. The camcorder should adjust its exposure to a |
| seconds for each photo is about the right time.On the | | | | nice mid-point of the light on that face. Then flip the |
| other hand, you'll lose your audience if you make your | | | | manual exposure feature on. Normally this will "lock-in" |
| shots too long. I can't tell you how many times I've | | | | the automatic setting that you trust is OK. Do not turn |
| seen shots of a baby being fed in its high chair that a | | | | the manual exposure knob -- the camcorder is set to |
| proud parent lets roll for over a minute. It's equivalent to | | | | the desired value. You are now free to zoom wide |
| a 3-hour sermon in church or a filibuster in | | | | and pan around the room knowing that a bright |
| congress.Even though you and I may have no interest | | | | window in the background won't close the camera's |
| in a "feed the baby" sequence unless we know the | | | | lens down and black holes won't cause the faces of |
| baby, it might keep our attention if broken up into | | | | the main stars to blister out.As I mentioned earlier, |
| multiple shots such as an establishing shot showing | | | | many cameras have other ways to accomplish the |
| where we are, feed the baby, look at the mother, | | | | same results when working with uneven lighting |
| close up of the mess, close up of mother's stress, | | | | situations. Many have a "backlighting" button that will |
| picture of baby wiggling feet in the air, mother leaning | | | | take faces out of the shadows in a scene with lots of |
| back in exhaustion . . . . All of this puts you the | | | | hot spots in the background. Solving the other problem, |
| videographer to work. You have to move around and | | | | some have a special features setting that shows an |
| compose several shots telling a story. Some shots | | | | icon with a face in a spotlight. This feature will help |
| may be long, some short, but the overall impact is | | | | eliminate blistered out faces in your video where the |
| dramatically improved.Closely related to this is rule #3: | | | | main characters are surrounded by dark holes in the |
| avoid "hunting" with the camcorder. We've all seen | | | | background.You may find these settings are easier to |
| shots where the camera is panning to the left | | | | use that trying to adjust the exposure manually. Just |
| surveying the scene only to change direction and pan | | | | be sure to turn them off when no longer needed. We |
| back to the right again, then no, maybe what it is | | | | see videos shot with the backlighting feature turned on |
| looking for is down, let's zoom in for a second, darn it | | | | during normal shots -- they are all washed out.The |
| moved out of the shot, let's follow it putting everything | | | | camcorder engineers didn't stop there. Lurking behind |
| out of focus, well heck, we seem to be looking at a | | | | every senior male electronics engineer is a teenage |
| blank wall, and with a shake of the camera, it's turned | | | | boy who wants to develop the perfect camcorder |
| off finally, followed by a totally unrelated shot taken | | | | that will shoot good footage in near darkness. The |
| hours later.You avoid hunting by following rule #2: shut | | | | race is on between vendors. This means you will likely |
| the camera off when a shot falls apart. Also you | | | | find still more exposure settings that address this issue. |
| avoid hunting by getting your head out from behind the | | | | Most of these settings result in footage with horrible |
| camera before you start the shot and planning out | | | | color, jerky motion, and grainy images. Go there if you |
| what you are going to shoot. If you want really good | | | | must but all of these features are outside the scope |
| footage, you might practice the shot a couple of times | | | | of this booklet.The next basic issue centers on focus. |
| before you push the red "take" button. Does it stay in | | | | Most cameras have a very good auto focus feature. |
| focus, is the movement too extreme, is there a bright | | | | This feature probably does a better job by far than |
| light or window that comes and goes as you pan | | | | you can do manually if you lack experience or just use |
| causing the camera to change the color and | | | | the camcorder from time to time. Some situations |
| brightness of the subject, etc., etc.?Paint your scenes | | | | confuse the automation, however, and to get decent |
| with shots that move in one direction, then quit. Don't | | | | footage you will have to jump in and take |
| backtrack in the same shot. This applies to all three | | | | charge.There are two things to look for: 1) the camera |
| movements you control: panning, tilting, and zooming. | | | | is focusing on the wrong thing, and 2) the camera is |
| This seems so simple and yet this indecisiveness | | | | confused and is hunting back and forth for something |
| shows up all over the place in the work of amateurs. | | | | to focus on. Most camcorders today look for a sharp |
| You "hunt" before you "roll." A few seconds of | | | | vertical edge in your picture. Once found, they very |
| planning pays big dividends.Rule #4 builds on the two | | | | quickly focus in and out picking which direction better |
| previous rules -- vary your shots. Some shots should | | | | sharpens this edge in the picture. It's the same process |
| be from a distance to establish where we are and | | | | the eye doctor uses: "Which is better, A or B"?No |
| some should be very tight so we can really see the | | | | edge in the picture: the camera is lost. A clear edge |
| subjects in your video. Some shots should be long and | | | | close by and another in the distance: the camera is |
| some short. Here's what to avoid: lots of mid-range | | | | confused which one to select. Most of the time you |
| shots with three or more people posing in them.TV is | | | | can help your poor camcorder by just centering in on |
| an "in your face" medium -- watch it closely. It sits | | | | a sharply defined object that you want to film. If it's |
| across the room from you. The pros cut the tops off | | | | really lost and is focusing on the dust on its own lens |
| of heads with impunity. You need to be "tight" on a lot | | | | when you want to shoot a sunset, you can move |
| of shots to make it interesting but you want to vary it | | | | things along by aiming the camera at a tree or |
| so as not to be too invasive.Also you need to be | | | | something else in the distance before you push the red |
| sensitive as to whether you are above the subjects | | | | take button. Once it's focused for distance shots, it will |
| you are shooting making them look small and | | | | usually stay there.If none of this works you are going |
| dominated or you are below the subjects making them | | | | to have to learn how to turn off the automatic focus |
| look lordly, controlling, and terrifying. If you get down on | | | | feature and take charge of focusing yourself. This is |
| the floor with kids they look a lot more like little human | | | | not complicated. One switch or button gives you |
| beings when looking straight at the camcorder than if | | | | control and usually the ring around the lens moves so |
| you are always shooting the tops of their heads.Rule | | | | you can change focus. Some camcorders let you go |
| #5: let the motion come to you -- be careful how | | | | to manual but have a button or spring loaded switch |
| much you zoom, pan and tilt. Watch what the pros do | | | | setting that lets you tell the camera's auto focus |
| and you'll be surprised how little zooming you see. Any | | | | feature to quickly do its job and return to manual |
| pans or tilts (looking from side to side or up and down) | | | | operation.Carlile and Louise Crutcher went on a trip to |
| are generally very slow. When you do see the pros | | | | China in 1992 and took a Hi8 camcorder with them to |
| chase the subject, you'll usually then see a series of | | | | document the trip. By the time they returned they had |
| stable shots to let you get your bearings again.The | | | | recorded 8 hours of footage. They were interested |
| pros hate zooming in and out. Instead they lay a track, | | | | not only in editing down the video footage but they |
| bring in a crane or rent a well-trained Steadycam | | | | wanted to combine it with still pictures that they also |
| operator to follow the subject around smoothly. This | | | | had. None of their friends or family would sit still for all |
| technology is beyond the casual user's reach, so we | | | | the raw footage. They looked, but could not find |
| zoom. Best advice, zoom slowly and zoom less than | | | | anywhere in Louisville where they could do this work |
| every third shot. Use the zoom feature to frame in a | | | | easily and affordably. |