Video Project Info:
Our Vision
Camera Tactics for Dummies
-- Page 2 - Composing a shot
-- Page 3 - Camera Movement
Our Equipment
Links
Composing Shots
Well, if you've braved it this far, you really should consider being a major part of the crew. Besides that, let's get into composing shots. The Rule of Thirds: The easiest way to
shoot video is to shoot the
Talking Room: When filming an interview,
leave space for talking room. You usually do not want the person to talk
straight to the camera. Set it up so the person talks to the interviewer,
and your shot of them is at an angle. Watch professional newcasts and you'll
find that they do this often. Again, if you use the rule of thirds, it
allows for talking room on the side of a "Talking Head."
|
| Walking/Running Room: Always allow room at the edge of
the screen to keep the person in the camera's view. This is especially
of concern in live sports broadcasts. In a closeup, always use the rule
of thirds to keep the player with 2/3 of the screen to run to. That way
you have a little lee-way if you can't keep up.
Now on to camera movement
...
|
main object in the picture in the center of the viewing screen, kind of
like a camera for photos. But, in the world of video, this makes a shot
look boring or unoriginal. So, mentally divide the screen into 9 equal
squares, kind of like a tic-tac-toe board. Your subject should lie on one
of those lines. Watch some television and you'll notice that virtually
none of the shots show a person in the middle of the screen. All professional
cameramen usually follow the rule of thirds.
Headroom:
You've probably heard of the Wall of Shame in the Yearbook class. One
sure way to find yourself on the wall is to cut of a part of someone's
head. The same thing applies with video. Make sure to leave room around
a person's head when doing a close-up. Not everyone wants to be Anne Boleyn.
 |
 |
