Camcorder Masterclass Index

The Hot Tips Planning and Structure | Camerawork | Location Sound | Post-Production - Editing Planning and Structure A good movie requires a great deal of thought, preferably before shooting commences. Even the simplest "Baby on the lawn" or holiday movie will be that much better if it tells a story which has an appealing beginning, a logical interesting progression and a satisfactory conclusion. Whenever possible set out on paper your storyline , develop it into a shooting script and maybe , a storyboard. If a written storyline and script is impractical or is not your forte, at least develop and retain one in your mind before shooting commences. Camerawork Wobbly pictures are a huge turn-off so avoid them by using some form of support, A sturdy tripod is best but where this is impracticable consider a monopod or a chest-brace. In-situ supports such as walls, gates, car bonnets etc. or leaning against a wall whilst shooting with the arms braced and the legs slightly splayed can also greatly assist. Be sparing with pans tilts and zooms. They should have have a purpose. Manual focussing is better than automatic because in certain circumstances the latter is indecisive whilst the mechanism attempts to correctly focus on the required subject. This is called "Hunting". 'To manually focus switch to that mok)de, set the zoom lens to maximum telephoto and then rotate the focal lens clockwise or anti-clockwise (or manipulate the focussing button) until the subject is at its sharpest. Now zoom out until the required picture is composed. Think sequences and shoot for editing. A potpourri of snapshots is not a movie. Shoot lots of cutaways and cut-ins. They will help to bridge gaps (jump cuts) and can be used to contract or expand time. Whilst establishing shots (normally long-shots) and medium or mid-shots will be needed to set a scene, to identify more clearly the subject matter and add variety always ensure that there are lots of close-ups. They will clearly show the detail and have considerable impact. Although the prime objective must be to follow the action; be careful with composition. Fussy cluttered backgrounds; things seemingly growing from people's heads; out of line horizontals and verticals should be avoided. In close-ups of faces the eyes should normally be set about two-thirds up the screen. Ensure that the chin doesn't rest upon the bottom of the frame. Similarly the frame shouldn't be allowed to cut through the joints of the body. Varying camera angles also adds variety to your camerawork. Looking up shots (low angle) can make the subject appear menacing whilst looking down ones (high angle) have the opposite effect. For normal viewpoints of children or animals set the camcorder at their eye level. This may mean lying down or kneeling on the floor. Start the camcorder rolling at least five seconds before the required start of the shot. This enables the tape to reach the right speed at the entry point, will avoid missing the opening words of any dialogue and allows the editor more leeway when selecting the start point of the shot. Location Sound Good sound is a vital ingredient of a good movie. whilst there are so many things which can go wrong on location most can be avoided or minimised with a little bit of care. Here's how: The onboard camcorder mic. is usually omni-directional (picks up sound from any direction) and the effective range for picking up audible speech is limited to a few feet. Therefore get in close or connect an external mic. perhaps of the tie-clip variety or a highly directional mic. which has a greater range. An off-camera external mic. also eliminates camcorder operating and handling noises. monitor sound using headphones, preferably of the closed back type. Apart from audibility listen carefully to ensure that there are no unwanted sounds. Where necessary change the position of the camcorder and/or fit an external mic. Many a sound track has been ruined by even the slightest breeze. The mufflers fitted to most mics. are virtually ineffective and we suggest you buy, or as a cheaper option make, and fit a superior one. Also attempt to shield the mic. Where speech is involved a tie-clip mic. usually offers the best solution. If the sequence has a musical background then beware of stopping the camcorder to record different shots. Sound continuity will be ruined. Instead, provided post-production editing is intended, record a continual passage to the desired length, reframing or moving the camcorder to obtain the required visuals, During post-production the continuous sound can be retained and the "rubbish" elements of the visuals substituted with other pictures using a VCR's insert edit facility. Remember a camcorder can be used as an audio recorder Post-Production - Editing Editing isn't just a case of discarding the poor material and putting the remainder into the right order. It's an art; a good movie being a blend of sound and vision which grabs the viewer from the opening frame and sustains interest and curiosity throughout. To even half achieve the above the editor obviously has to possess talent, have a feel for the subject and possess the right material. The editor is advantaged if the story and structure etc. of the movie was planned before shooting commenced. Unfortunately in the real world of amateur moviemaking pre--shoot planning tends to be the exception. All too often we sit down at the editing bench with a mass of material, wondering what to do with it. Here's some ideas which might help. Many of these steps will also be applicable even to a scripted shoot. To protect your valuable originals make a reference copy of your tapes and then prepare a log showing order, type of shot, brief description and quality. When stage 2 below has been completed the running order (Edit Decision List) for required shots can be entered on the log. After familiarising yourself with the material, if not already pre-planned, write the story outline and the treatment. You will need to take into consideration the likely audience (immediate family or much wider); the aim of the movie (to campaign, to stimulate discussion, to make a record of a holiday or event. or to create a vision and sound experience). The treatment involves considering how best to meet the aim and capture the interest of the prospective audience. Should it be humorous; is commentary or voice-over required; what about music etc.? When all this is decided then you can formulate the E.D.L. Be ruthless in selection. Anything which doesn't progress the movie should be discarded. incidentally, we think the overall shape and timing will be improved if any commentary is written in conjunction with preparing the E.D.L. The first stage of recording is to run a virgin tape in the record machine fast forward and back. This should ensure subsequent free-running and reduce the chance of possible tape-stretch problems. Black the tape for say 30 seconds, rewind for a few seconds and then record your title or or opening shot. Don't forget to compensate for any frames liable to be lost on account of pre-roll/backroll. Take particular care in creating titles. They can stimulate immediate audience interest. Poor ones have the opposite effect. As with camerawork the editor must think in sequences. The audience must be informed where the action is occurring, who is involved, what they are doing and why etc.. Usually this means the sequence will follow along the lines mentioned under camerawork, i.e. it starts with a long shot, or two, followed by one or more mid shots and then detailed close-ups. That order is not sacrosanct. You mustn't be predictable and may also wish to stimulate audience curiosity by introducing an air of mystery and suspense. A one-paced movie is likely to become boring. So be variable. For example, a busy street scene might well consist of lots of shots each lasting from, one to three seconds whereas those for a serene countryside sequence will be much longer. A shot should be on the screen sufficiently long for the audience to absorb it. Not a jot more. This involves judgement. Never unnecessarily leave a scene devoid of movement.Thus, whenever possible let the incoming point of a character or object entering an otherwise empty scene commence as it is just entering the frame, rather than start a couple of seconds previous. Similarly terminate the scene as, say, the back foot is about to leave the frame. Where possible try and commence a scene where movement is involved. It looks better as well as cutting out superfluous frames.