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DIY: shooting promotions and events
Modern camcorders produce good quality pictures in almost any lighting situation, they are much the same as a broadcast cameraman uses, except that broadcast cameras don't have gizmos and gimmicks like steady shot, fader and effects. They don't need them as these effects can be added later in the edit suite.
The biggest problem with camcorders is in recording the sound as they have a built in mike which is fine for picking up sounds close to the camera but useless for recording voices even a short distance away.
If possible use an external microphone but please check BEFORE shooting that the microphone is matched to the camcorder. Most camcorders do not have a record volume control and the sound may be too loud and distorted or too quiet and hissy, and you may pick up hum or buzzing.
Apart from news gathering, where the cameraman has to shoot whatever he can as it happens, you should shoot to a plan. A shooting script.
Where possible each scene will have been been worked out, timed, planned and rehearsed before you press the record button, and that's what you will need to do if you intend to get suitable footage for us to edit. So here are some rules.
Shooting for editing
1. Make sure the date reference is turned off. It records onto the tape and will cause continuity problems when editing as well as looking amateurish.
2. Check that the camera is set to SP (standard play) mode. Tape is cheap and picture quality is seriously reduced if you record on long play.
3. White balance the camera for each different lighting situation, eg. indoors, outdoors, fluorescent lights etc. This is important to make sure that the colours recorded are correct. Check the manual for details.
4. Set the camera on a tripod. Stable pictures make for better viewing and provide more options during editing. Avoid using zooms and pans unless they have a specific purpose and always rehearse them first so that you know where to start and stop. Don't rush. Let the action take place within the frame of the shot. Use the zoom button to adjust the frame for wide angle, mid or close up BEFORE you record the shot, then try to leave it alone!
5. Let the camera run for at least 10 seconds before any action starts and leave it running for a few seconds after the shot to allow for flexibility.
6. Do not talk or have radios or mobile phones on during the shot. Background sound is very important in a video but it needs to be consistent. When editing, you are cutting together shots taken at different times so any unwanted music or voices would be disjointed.
Good luck - we look forward to editing it for you
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