THINGS TO AVOID

THINGS TO AVOID

There are some mistakes that all new videographers repeatedly make in the field. Most of these errors require practice and experience to avoid. The key to becoming a great videographer is to shoot as much as possible—you must pick up your camera and shoot stories or practice every day. When you are shooting, pay special attention to these common mistakes and double check that you are not making these errors.

Forgetting to hit record. Before shooting a single frame of footage, videogra- phers must be concerned with sensors, codecs, shutter speed, ISO, aperture, and composition. This can be overwhelming and can cause you to forget to hit record. Yes, this happens all the time. Even experienced shooters make this mistake. I have been guilty of this on many occasions. The only way to avoid

62 PA RT I I : Production and Post-Production Techniques

Figure 3.35 Be sure to check that your record light is on when recording.

Figure 3.36 Back-lit scenes can result in under-exposed subjects.

this is by being diligent about checking that the record light is on and that the time code on the camera is spinning forward.

Back lighting. Back lighting, as the terms implies, means having a light source behind the primary subject of your shot. This can happen, for example, when an interview subject is placed in front of a bright window. Back lighting will

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cause exposure problems. You will under-expose your subject or you will over-expose the light source. Neither result is ideal.

Missing focus. Out-of-focused footage is unusable footage. Keeping the subject of your shot in focus requires great concentration. Many cameras have focus- ing tools to assist in achieving sharp images. Peaking is a feature that highlights your image with a color outline of the areas where your shot is in focus. Some cameras allow you to digitally zoom in your shot to see if the image is sharp or soft. Learn to use the focusing tools on your camera to ensure proper focus.

Incorrectly white balancing. Shooters often forget to set the white balance on their cameras before recording. The wrong white balance setting will result in footage with a strong blue or orange cast. While colors can be adjusted in most editing software, you should aim to get proper colors in your original footage. Be sure to white balance your camera every time your light source changes. If you go from an office to a hallway, you may need to reset your white balance. If you go from inside a home to the backyard, you will need to reset your white balance. Learn how to adjust white balance quickly on your camera so that you will not miss shooting opportunities. Even if you are in a rush, set aside time to properly white balance your footage. This will save you much time and frustration later.

Poor posture and support. Videography is a challenging physical activity. To reduce fatigue or risk of injury, you must hold your camera properly. If your camera is too heavy for you, use additional supports such as monopods or tripods. These supports will not only reduce strain on your back and shoul- ders, but they will also provide steadier shots.

Figure 3.37 Some cameras feature peaking functions (the red lines on the subject) that aid in achieving focus.

Figure 3.38a The videographer is holding the camera too far away from her body. This will quickly cause her arms to fatigue.

Figure 3.38b The videographer is holding the camera close to her body. This will allow her to use her body.

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Figure 3.39 Use tripods and monopods to achieve steady footage, especially on long shoots.