Camera Technique Notes

INTERVIEWING:
• What seven items should you bring with you when you are shooting an interview?
(Clocks Tick Tock Making Heads Pound Loudly)
Camera
Tape
Tripod
Microphone
Headphones
Power source
Light

• Shooting into a light source = silhouette
Button to adjust = backlight button (takes light from background and dims it)


• Where do you want your light source?
Behind the camera


• On what object should you focus the camera?
the nose


• No tripod=BAD


• Date and Time=never have it!


• What's the difference between SP/EP? SP is the standard play on tape, EP is extended play on tape (SP is better quality, so that's what we use)

• Camera shoots in __SP______________.
 
• Pre-Roll-rolling the camera 2-3 sconds before you start your interview


• Post-Roll-rolling camera 2-3 second after your interview finishes, so nothing gets cut off


CAMERA SHOTS:

***BACKGROUND: should be dynamic, have some depth, not just plain (6-8 ft away from wall)

• 1 Shot= middle of the chest to above the head

• 1 Shot with graphic= traditional 1 shot with space on the side for a graphic

• 2 Shot= two people framed in a shot (only at beginning or end of the show)

• CU-close up, zoomed in on an object to show fine detail

• MS-medium shot, inbetween a close up and long shot

• LS-long shot, somebody's entire body is framed

• ECU-extreme close up, very much zoomed in on something

• Rule of thirds-vision split into three parts


CAMERA MOVEMENTS:
• Tilt- moving camera up and down


• Pan- moving camera left and right


• Zoom-getting closer and farther away from an object by changing focal length


• Dolly- physically moving the camera, usually on wheels

LIGHTS
• Key- about 45 degree angle on subject, bright main light that lights up subject


• Fill- fills in the shadows


• Back- separates the subject matter from the background, provides depth


MICROPHONES:
• Unidirectional-only picks up audio from one direction
• Omnidirectional-picks up audio from every direction (internal mics on cameras use this)
• Cardiod-are unidirectional, but have a little width around them (most studio mics are this)
• Lav/Lapel Microphone-clips on to a shirt, used in the tv studio a lot
• Boom Microphone- on a pole that can be dropped into an area to pick up sound (usually unidirectional)