Digital Video Shooting Theory 1905415176

DIGITAL VIDEO SHOOTING THEORY First published by www.oxdv.co.uk Oxford Digital Video Now printed by www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk 29 Swallow Street Iver Heath SL0 0ER

Copyright © www.oxdv.co.uk 2006 All rights reserved. This document is supplied FREE to the whole of the UK, Commonwealth and Irish education systems in reparation of the shortfall in the UK National Curriculum, and is subject to the condition that the copyright notice in the foot of this document is kept and displayed on all copies.

ISBN 10 1-905415-17-6 ISBN 13 978-1-905415-17-5

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DIGITAL VIDEO SHOOTING THEORY Composition Activity Use your hands to make a picture frame. You now have a camera operator's point of view. Practise viewing through your camera of hands: 1] A person standing at the front of the class 2] A small object, say a pen on your desk 3] A building in the distance, through the window. Shot 1. Standard Frame Composition Keep action on the left, with space on the right to move into. Here the screen is divided into thirds, with room for the action to move into. Thirds

The audience is expecting the action to move right. Note most shots are taken at eye level, with the eyes on the top third line. A tight close up will put the mouth on the bottom third line.

Safe

Thirds Imagine the screen is divided into thirds. With Sky news, the bottom third usually runs a tick-a-tape news bulletin. The weather presenter usually stands in the left third, with the weather chart filling the remainder. Normally the left side of the composition is considered to be the lead area. Quite often the good guy or lead role is on the left, talking to the actors on the right. Action is more frequently played out left to right than in any other direction. Cropping All televisions crop off the outer edges of the picture. So that titles and heads are not cropped, camera operators need to keep their subjects at least 10% away from the edge of the frame. Some cameras and most editing software have markings around the edge of their monitors. Everything inside the markings is called the safe area.

SHOOTING THEORY FRAMING

Next time you watch the news or a sporting event, sketch how the broadcasters shoot. Standard Composition Wide Mid Close

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AD-0011 AD-0012 AD-0050 AD-0058 AD-0059 AD-0065 AD-0071 AD-0072 AD-0073 AD-0075 AD-0077 AD-0080 AD-0083 ICT-0062 ICT-0065 ICT-5043 ICT-5075 Sc-0014 AD-0016 AD-0050 AD-0044 AD-0016 AD-0050

Composition Viewpoint Starting point observation Investigating materials/methods/approaches Collecting visual & other information Recording information/data using ICT Creative/making potential of tools and equipment Visual communication of ideas and concept Meaning and messages Digital Photography Photomontage Balance - even distribution of composition/structure Rhythm - harmonious correlation of parts New technologies and tools Recording information/data using ICT Still image photographs Digital camera

Recording observation / measurements Photography/film/video Starting point observation Symbols, codes & conventions - practise Photography/film/video Starting point observation

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Camera Techniques Wide, Mid and Close Shot 2 Move further back until the person appears like this in your viewer - it is called a Wide shot. The whole person.

Shot 3 Move closer until the person appears like this in your viewer - it is called a Mid shot. Waist to head.

Shot 4 When a person appears like this in your viewer - it is called a Close shot. A head and shoulder shot. Please appreciate that many books on Digital Video when they discuss wide mid and close are only referring to people. The weather shot of the earth from space is a "close in" of our planet. However, with regard to people the following are reasonable interpretations Extreme close in

=

one eye, or just the eyes, or just one finger or toe, or one ear

Close in tight = Close in [2 people] =

the whole head, or head and shoulders both heads

Mid shot

=

Full shot

=

head to waist of one person or two seated newsreaders presenter standing in shot from head to toe The presenter can be on the left third or central.

Wide No Zoom

=

the whole studio Wide means the whole scene.

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Photography/film/video Collecting visual & other information Composition Balance - even distribution of composition/structure Symbols, codes & conventions - practise Relationships and rules Using different forms/styles to suit situation Using precise language to reason

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Shot 5 Panning Stand against one wall and frame the left edge of opposite wall. Now turn slowly, keeping your arms steady, so that your camera view moves across the wall. This is called a pan shot.

Shot 6 Tracking You can follow a person that is moving away from you by zooming. You can follow a person moving across the background by panning. If you [the camera] move with the subject [at the same speed and in the same direction] then, this is called tracking. Safety note: Before walking backwards, please ensure the area is clear of obstruction, [professional's use guides who look were they are walking].

I am the safety guide for the camera operator, who is walking backwards

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Tracking The camera needs to be held steady for 95% of the time. But that doesn't mean that it has to be stationary. Cameras can be on trolleys so as to track the action, or bolted onto a car, to keep the actors steady in a moving scene. These photos are of a three-man camera crew using a dolly to smoothly track the action, across the curb and into a car park.

Trolleys and cameras range in price and complexity.

Below is a Lego camera on a trolley, tracking the action.

A camera CLAMPED to a bicycle can record action equally as smoothly as the two above.

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Shooting 7 A conversation Here the yellow and blue actors are 2m apart and you [the camera] are 2m from both of them. This creates a 60 degree triangle, which is often used for shooting a conversation. First you frame the lead actor [yellow] on the left, and they then deliver his or her lines. Note: Convention requires the lead actor to be on the left of shot, and they usually deliver his or her lines first. Next you frame the blue actor on the right, and they then deliver his or her reply. By shooting this way, the viewing audience feel as though they are there, with the camera position letting them feel involved with the conversation.

When viewed from the camera viewpoint, remember to frame the actors at the outer edge of the frame, facing into the centre.

What really looks un-natural is an actor who is framed with their face close to the "wrong" edge of the picture. Try this for yourselves.

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Over the Shoulder Shot [8] Here is another commonly used shot that you can practise even without a camera. Two people stand facing each other, and you [the camera] stand behind one of the conversationalists and look over his or her shoulder. The lead actor should be on the left, whilst the secondary actor forms part of the frame. Strictly speaking it is the back of his or her head and shoulder that are used to frame the shot.

Two-camera shooting of a conversation [9] This is a more advanced technique that is can often be seen on television. Frost Report is based around this common method of shooting. In a two-camera shoot there is a master shot; the grey camera operator can see both conversationlists at all times. Again the lead subject [the interviewee in yellow] should be in the left of frame, with the interviewer [blue] on the right. The second camera must be out of the master shot view- finder, and often takes an over the shoulder shot, so that the audience will get the interviewer's viewpoint. This gives a strong impression that the viewing audience is quizzing the subject, and the subject appears to be directly addressing the audience. When cutting the two shots together the master shot lays on the main timeline with the secondary shot on an overlay track. The master shot is used for the question and at that time, the secondary shot is cut away. The top track is the master shot. The second track is the over the shoulder camera. Spikes in the waveforms on audio tracks help with alignment. This is the quick and easy way clips are synchronised from the clapperboard. © Copyright of and Published by oxford digital video - updated

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NEVER CROSS the LINE [10] Another golden Rule: Imagine there is a line between the two actors. Never shoot consecutive shots from opposite sides of the line.

When assembled in the edit stage, the two shots will be very confusing to the audience; because in the first shot the lead actor will be on the left.

In the next shot the lead will be on the right.

In the following shot the lead will be back on the left.

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Relationships and rules Symbols, codes & conventions - practise

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Movement between shots is standard practise, the most common sequence moves the camera from centre, to 45 degrees left of centre. The next shot moves back onto the centre line. Shot three will move 45 degrees off centre to the right. At all times the actors must remain in the exact same location. Heavy sticks or bean bags are placed hard against the actor's feet for this purpose.

STANDARD SHOT SEQUENCE COMPOSITION By convention Shot 1 is a WIDE SHOT

'Establishing Shot'

No zoom; as wide as possible, this shot establishes the stage on which the actors will perform, and should aim to visually explain the context in which the scene will take place. Actors will appear at their full height in the camera's view finder. Standard stage position for the lead actor is on the Left Third line. Frame the shot with actor's eyes on the top third line. The wide shot introduces the audience to the whole scene. For the viewers to absorb this opening shot the duration should be long and not static. Wide shots cover ALL the action, and are combined with other shots keeping the audience orientated, and to remind them of the plot. Shot 2 is a

MID SHOT

'Waist to Head Shot'

A mid shot comes after a wide shot, before the close shot, and is used to introduce individual actors in more detail. Shot 3 is a

CLOSE SHOT [of Hand or Eye]

'Head & Shoulders Shot'

Frame the shot with the actor's eyes on the top third line. Normally, a close shot comes after a mid shot, to pick out even more detail of the actors. Mainly so the audience will be able to clearly see the eyes and to see how this actor's face changes when they hear the words of other actors. Key details or the crucial lines of the script need to be shot in close. Standard Lighting. It is import to use a spotlight to pick out the actor's eyes, and to add the 'sparkle' in the iris. Backlight will separate the subject from the background. Fill lighting will even out the shadows. This is the STANDARD SHOT SEQUENCE COMPOSITION and is aimed at drawing the audience into the story. Shot 1 = Wide || Establish Scene || Shot 2 = Mid || Introduce Actor || Shot 3 = Close || Pick out Detail ||

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Stop Motion Animation Stop motion is a series of pictures of a model, or scene, that the video creator changes slightly between shots, to produce the illusion of movement. If the movement is too much (or not enough) delete the picture and re-capture when setup correctly. For very smooth action set the project settings to 15 frames per second or more. A jerky 5, 7 or 10 frames per second may be desirable. An animated model that moves too smoothly may not be as realistic, as the audience expect animations to be a little jerky.

Stop Motion Photography This is also used to depict the fast passage of time. Here the video creator collects shots separated by several seconds/minutes. A common example is the view of a motorway leaving a city, with the camera capturing the time around dusk, as car lights illuminate, street lights then come on, followed by the lights in the high rise buildings. All this time the sky turns darker making the lights of the cars, road and buildings appear brighter. Finally, a blur filter is applied to make the car lights merge into coloured trails. To achieve this effect the camera is locked down at a fixed location, and a picture is taken every minute for 3 hours 20 minutes say, giving 200 frames; which at 25 frames per second, will play back in 8 seconds. Taking one shot every 3 minutes at the sea's edge will take 12.5hours and a lot of patience to capture the 250 frames needed to make a 10 second movie of one cycle of the tide. Warning! Mapping the sun across the sky needs special filters to protect the camera, and special sunglasses have to be worn by the camera operator. However, a safer way is to project the image of the sun onto paper, and photograph the image. Here is an image of Venus travelling across the sun on the 8th June 2004 Broadcasters Note how the professionals shoot. ¾ A tennis match, usually wide from behind one end. ¾ A football match, wide from high above the sideline. See CD for Project notes and more on Stop Motion for Foundation Stage

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Production Whether recording in a theatre, hall or on location, like this large team... or working as a duo, commentator and camera crew, the basic rules still apply. Watching a large crew at work, makes it is easier to identify the different roles and skills required. [Pictures taken with the kind permission of Bentley Productions]

Focus Op

Boom O Director

Lighting Op

Sound Engineer Camera Op

PROJECT

Director's Plan & Log

Our Video Clapper

CAMERA WORK [GOLDEN RULE

-

ACT

SCENE

TAKE

1

1

1

ALWAYS USE A TRIPOD]

The steadier the camera, the better the pictures.

TIP! When using a tripod…

TURN OFF THE ANTI-SHAKE as this default feature may introduce shake to an otherwise clear picture.

Most DV cameras have two controls that professionals regard as essential for quality recording are: White Balance and Manual Focus.

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White Balance White Balance adjustments make white subjects appear white. Filling the screen with a white subject, such as a blank piece of paper, and then pressing the white balance control will achieve this calibration. When lighting conditions change for instance, from sunny to cloudy, or as sun reddens on an evening, then a recalibration of the white balance would be advisable. To be of any use you must do your white balance in the specific place you are filming - this is particularly important in locations with mixed light, where the mix of light may be totally different in one corner of the room to another. Auto white balance [TIP]

Set the camera on tripod, in the lighting situation for the shoot; and remove lens cover. Hold white paper 1 to 0.75m from the lens. The white paper should completely fill the viewfinder. NOW switch on the camera.

As the camera performs its auto set-up, it will do a white balance. When moving to different lighting conditions, either switch the camera off, then at the new location switch on using the white paper trick, or perform a Manual White Balance. White Balance controls are model specific, so consult the manual. The white balance and auto focus controls are usually just under the lens; and should not be covered if ever hand held shots are taken.

Auto Focus

Zone

Manual Focus Auto Focus is fine for normal work, whilst manual focus is for advanced level students wanting greater expression.

Auto Focus. Wall sharp - Subjects soft

Auto / Manual Focus [TIP] Camera auto focus will focus on whatever is in the centre of shot. So if two conversationalists are positioned at the edges of the shot, then the auto focus will focus on what is in the centre, in this case the wall. If the auto focus sensor is set on a wall some distance behind the people, then the wall is what will be in 'sharp focus', with the people in 'soft focus'. To correct the focus. Zoom in on the primary subject, [using Auto Focus]. Now switch to Manual Focus.

Auto Focus

Zone

Auto Focus. Zoom in on subject Switch to Manual Focus

Manual Focus Set to subjects

Next, Zoom out and centre the shot. [Keeping in Manual Focus] The actors will now be in sharp focus with the wall in softer of focus. Tutorial Videos on digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk or on our CD Manual Focus. [Zoom out] Subjects Sharp - Wall Soft

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Lighting

Background Reflect - Fill

Key Spot lighting highlights the actors. [Eye Sparkle] Fill Reduces the shadows. Reflectors [position out of shot] are often used to balance the light. [Try an A2 sheet of white card]

Backlight

Back Separates the subject from the background. Very important when using a ‘Green Screen’ for chroma-keying.

Key-Spot

Tutorial Video at oxdv.co.uk or on our CD

Sound Direct sound is sound that is recorded in the camera. Indirect sound is sound dialogue or sound effects out of camera view.

These pictures demonstrate the use of: 1. An external microphone 2. The importance of logging audio 3. Importance of rehearsing a shot 4. Safe shot rehearsal The boom operator has to walk backwards, whilst keeping the sound of the actors' voices constant, keeping the boom out of shot, and must not make a noise by bumping into anything, or anyone.

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Photography/film/video Film/Video/Television production Audio and Visual Media Video

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Shooting Log Rule 1. Log every tape and every shoot. Rule 2. Label & number every tape & every shot on that tape. Rule 3.

Create a timecode on every blank tape, BEFORE the shooting day.

All new tapes are supplied without a timecode. A tape with many sections starting at zero will totally confuse a computer, and waste hours in post-production. Professionals prepare tapes with a timecode, this is sometimes called "Blacking-Out", "Blanking" or "Striping". To mark a timecode onto a new blank tape, put it in the camera and then: # Put the lens cap ON # Connect a microphone that is switched OFF # Select camera mode, and press RECORD The camera will then record "Black" silence over all the tape, whilst marking a continuous timecode throughout the tape. Rewind the tape. Fix a label on the tape and mark it with a small "B" or some way that everyone knows that this tape has a timecode and is ready for use. The tape is now ready for the "Shoot" on another day. Always "Black" more tapes than are needed, just to cover any extra shoots. Computers pre-tension tapes, and so cannot capture the first few seconds, so here is... Rule 4. Record a 30 seconds of black at the beginning of each tape. Location

Scene

Time

Start Timecode

End Timecode

Activity

1 take 1

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Analyse TV - Advertisement - News Item - Documentary [1min] Text document available on the web www.oxdv.co.uk and our CD

Digital Video Skills Denotes not in the UK National Curriculum

Comment on the advertisements

C L O S E

M I D

W I D E

DURATION

CONTENT ACTION - MUSIC – TEXT COMMENTARY

MOVING IMAGE THEORY 1 Pixels 2 RGB 3 HSL 4 Frame Size 5 Frame Rate 6 Time hr:min:sec:frame 7 Interlacing 8 PAL TV system 9 Data Rates ..

PRODUCTION SKILLS 10 Analysis 11 Teamwork 12 Storyboarding 13 Shooting Plan/Log 14 Tripod use 15 Frame Wide Mid Close 16 Zoom Pan Tilt 17 Lighting 18 2-camera work 19 Continuity 21 Camera Transitions

Shot 1 Shot 2 Shot 3 Shot 4 Shot 5

POST-PRODUCTION 22 Project Settings 23 Preferences 24 File Management

Shot 6

Basic Editing Skills Shot 7 Shot 8 Shot 9

Review and discuss how the professionals work. ###################################### The side panel list 70 Digital Video Skills. The skills highlighted in Yellow are the fundamentals that underpin Digital Video theory, but sadly these essential skills are currently missing from the UK National Curriculum. Hence Oxford Digital Video is making this document freely available to the whole of the UK, Commonwealth and Irish education systems in reparation.

For more on Moving Image Theory - Digital Colour Download our other FREE highly commended document [ISBN 10 1-905415-16-8 / ISBN 13 978-1-905415-16-8]

For more on the 70 Digital Video Skills visit www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk ] For FREE Digital Video Assessment and Evaluation documents visit www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk/ freeTextIndex.html We are currently working on a Digital Video Programme of Study. Any comments on the draft would be appreciated, again it is linked to www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk/ freeTextIndex.html

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25 Capture–DV Camera 26. Capture–USB Video 27 Capture–Still Images 28 Importing Clips 29 Stop Motion 30 Marking IN & OUT 31 Storyboards 32 Drag - ASSEMBLE 33 Drag to Re-Arrange 34 Scrubbing 35 Timelines 36 Zoom Timeline 37 Trim – HOW to 38 Trim – WHY to 39 Cutting Split 40 Freeze Frame 42 Camera Transition 43 Overlapping Clips 44 Auto Ripple Edit 45 Video from Stills 46 Audio overlay 47 Audio Cross-fade 48 Mixing 49 CD stripping 50 Audio ‘rubber-band’ 51 Title Overlaying 52 Title the Sick Rose 53 Voiceover 54 Corrective Filters 55 Expressive Filters 56 Speed change 57 Speed Reverse 58 Creating AVI video 59 Record to Tape 60 CD MPEG-1 61 DVD MPEG-2 62 Chapter Points 63 Menus 64 First Play 65 Mobile Phone video ADVANCED EDITING SKILLS 66 Key-frames 67 Layers 68 Transparency 69 Motion 70 Chroma-keying

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