Top Ten (Plus One!) Do’s of Good Video Scrapbooking
Taking any video is better than leaving your camera at home. None of the following ten tips will cost you much, if anything, in new equipment. Fact is, taking movies has never been the fun part of movie making. Watching your family’s reactions to your camera work and editing is what it’s really all about.
The movies and photos you take today may well be seen a thousand years from now, so take a little extra time to do a good job. Keep your movies and photos organized. Document the ‘who, what, when and where’ for future generations.
Pictures and movies become more valuable and appreciated as the years pass. When you’re capturing your child’s birth and first steps, think about the impact of this memory on your future grandchildren as they watch event decades from now. Make copies, keep them in safe places, and share your movies with family members living at different addresses.
GETTING THE SHOTS
1. Hold Steady. If you’re running around, it’ll show in your shots. Jiggling cameras make your audience seasick and uncomfortable. Keep your elbows close to your sides to steady the camera, use two hands if possible, and concentrate on holding the camera steady. Better yet, use a tripod or monopod to help you steady the camera. A good monopod can be purchased for about $50.
Don’t keep the camera on one subject for too long. (Obviously there are exceptions: interviews, chronicles). Steady motion adds interest to your shots. Pan slowly and smoothly. When you zoom in, even the slightest camera movement will be exaggerated on the screen so don’t over-use the zoom feature.
2. Capturing good audio is very important. All built-in microphones are omni-directional (receive sound from every direction). This is what you will use most of the time because it’s convenient. But consider using a remote or a handheld microphone for special occasions like interviews or when you want to capture narration in a bustling environment. Directional mics won’t eliminate all of the surrounding noise but your subject’s voice will stand out from the rest of the chatter.
A stereo headset is a small item and easy to leave at home or leave behind accidentally, but having the ability to hear what you’ve recorded is a huge advantage. Most video cameras have a stereo out jack to monitor your taping.
3. Take short clips (sequences of filming). 8mm movie film from yesterday lasted just 3 minutes. Today’s videotapes last up to six hours. 8mm filmmakers pulled the record trigger sparingly, knowing they had just three minutes before they would have to swap out (inside a dark room) and get another. A typical 8mm shot lasted about three seconds. These days, moviemakers can hit RECORD and walk away – for hours if they decide to. The problem with this is that today’s videotapes, when viewed, are often very B-O-R-I-N-G. There, I’ve said it, and it’s true. If you plan to edit your movies (or have us edit them) no harm, no foul. If you don’t plan to edit them, keep your clips short. When you do, you’ll quickly see that they’re a lot more enjoyable and watchable. Watch how TV shows are made. Short clips, pieced together into a wonderful tapestry, make scenes memorable.
4. Take Establishing shots. These are wide shots that include scope and location. They identify where you are. And they’re critical in helping you tell your story. Think about it. If all the shots are interior, who will remember where you were in l0 years?
So shoot the establishing shot. Shoot signage. Shoot exteriors. Set up your story. Set the scene for your audience.
Think Digitally Different. Digital still and movie cameras differ technically from older forms of image gathering and offer new opportunities for picture and video taking. With an older, film camera you had up to 36 exposures or 3 minutes of movies before you needed to change film. Film processing and printing could cost up to 50¢ per photo or several dollars for movie film.
For these and other reasons most people didn’t take lots of establishing shots (scenery, signs, non-family people shots, etc.) The new digital cameras allow a photographer to take multiple shots of the same subject and establishing shots without much additional expense.
But the primary difference between old and new is how you will probably be viewing the
Images you capture. Video Scrapbooks are a new media for viewing still photos. You can show a photo for a split second or for a minute depending on your need or desire.
When telling a video story, the more photos you have, the more interesting your story. The next time you watch a familiar Hollywood movie, notice how many times the camera focuses on location shots, mood shots, glamour shots, and other non-character shots. Most movie scripts, if continuously watched without establishing shots, would take about 20% less running time, and be far less engaging, too.
5. Take More Close ups. A close up is generally a shot from the chest to just above the top of the head. If someone is talking – use a close up. In order to capture emotion, viewers need to be close to the subject. If you want your pictures and videoscrapbook to have heart, get lots of close ups.
Zoom with your feet! When you want to get a close up, move in to the subject before you start taping again. If you keep the camera on as you move in closer, you will most likely need to edit out your approach because it’s almost impossible to tape and walk at the same time.
6. Plan Action shots. Variety is the spice of life. Use medium shots to catch the action. While filming, move in on the shot. Pan with the camera—but not too wide. They’re called action shots because they allow us to focus on the action-don’t worry about the background. Catch that in your establishing shots.
7. Take Extreme Closeups. -ECU stands for extreme closeup. In the biz, ECUs, are called the “money shots.” The camera moves in extremely close to the subject capturing emotion you might not have even known existed. Don’t be afraid. They’re extreme – move in tight – sometimes the entire head isn’t even in the shot.
8. Take Narrations. On-camera Storytelling is a great way help your story along. How you shoot them makes all the difference. Try to maintain the same line of sight for all interviewees so the segments can be edited together aesthetically.
Have everyone you interview look slightly off camera. For variety, you can switch from side to side between subjects – but not with a single subject!
Have someone stand close to you while you shoot – the subject must MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT with this person—no wandering eyes.
9. Remain Silent Please! Yeah, I know it’s hard to do, but it’s important. Do NOT talk to your subjects while you’re filming them. If you’re running sound, your voice will interrupt the action. The subject will also want to look directly at you when you speak. If you’re talking over your subject, your voice can’t be edited out later. Imagine how you’d feel if your voice overshadowed your baby’s very first, “I love you, Daddy.” It can be that devastating at times.
10. Lighting. Consumer-grade movie cameras are not very goos in low-light situations. Use as many lights as you can to brighten up your environment. Many times your viewer shows a brighter picture than what you’ll experience from the tape and TV. Use an on-camera light if you have one. And backlighting of a subject works fine if you can bounce some light back into the subject with a white card. Some movie cameras and still digital cameras have a Backlight setting to- help out, too.
11. Be Prepared – always have backup film, memory card and/or spare tape. Tapes jam, film gets ruined, cards get full.
BONUS ROUND
Don’t expect to out-perform Steven Spielberg. But there is absolutely nothing stopping you from becoming an engaging storyteller with just a little thought and some careful preparation.
- Start with a theme – a roadmap – know what you want to capture. (50th anniversary, graduation, new baby’s arrival, family reunion. Etc.) Decide on a theme that will package and put a ribbon on what you want to express.
- Develop and outline. On Mom and Dda’s 50th wedding anniversary, for example, a great theme might be, “A Day in the Life.” Start off with Mom and Dad enjoying morning coffee, then preparing for the big day, then, dinner, then going off to bed hand-in-hand.
- Create a shot list – think about the pictures you’ll need to tell your story. It can include pre-existing video, stills and other things). Be sure you get all the shots you’ll need to tell the story you want to tell.
- Establish a look. This will be that certain style, flavor or ambiance you want to capture and project. Exterior visuals can often help with this. Use graphics if need be. Get a photo or a film clip of a poodle skirt if you’re going back to the 50’s.
- Music. Nothing else captures our emotions or our eras as well as the right piece of music does when set to a compelling video montage. Perhaps it’s the song that played at your wedding, or an island tune that captures your visit to Aruba or Hawaii. Well-matched music puts the finishing touches on most exemplary video events.
- Ask a Specialist. Find video specialists who can put your raw footage together and create an heirloom video masterpiece. If you’ve done all of the above, this is not the time to skimp on the final product. Find a professional who can catch your vision and bring it to life with top-notch editing, special effects, and other state-of-the-art embellishments. After all, this video will outlive you. Be sure it reflects your best efforts.
