FILMING TECHNIQUES
By Bill Bohlen
EYES v CAMERA
Cameras don’t work like human eyes. For example if you walk into a room, your eyes including your head will move around the room to take in all the details.
You can’t do that with a camera.
HAVE A GOAL
Start with a goal and an audience in mind.
When planning a video, think about what you want to accomplish with your video and what message you want to convey.
Really try to envisage your audience and think about how your video might affect them.
THE PROJECT
It is better to produce a series of shorter videos
rather than one long one.
If you’ve been on an exciting trip and have captured lots
of raw footage, create a series of videos of different
places, or shot on different days.
Decide what your target audience is going to be. That will determine the length of your video production.
If you want to upload it onto You Tube or Vimeo, the video
should not be longer than 1 – 5 minutes. If you are going
to show it to family and friends, it should most certainly be
less than 30 minutes. 20 minutes is about right.
Video Aspect
First rule, especially for smart phone and iPad users. Video format is ALWAYS in landscape format.
You frequently see people taking video in portrait mode.
The result is a narrow video with black on both sides. So it is important to get into the habit to hold the phone sideways.
However, if you accidentally shoot a scene in portrait mode, and you really like the scene, all is not lost.
There is a method of editing portrait footage in post production. We’ll talk about it at in the next lesson – Editing.
TAKE LOTS OF FOOTAGE
In this digital age, you don’t need to worry about how much footage you can afford. Memory cards are getting cheaper and bigger so don’t skimp timing stuff.
You probably won’t go back there and take more shots if you find you haven’t got enough.
The sequence of clips doesn’t matter. You’ll compile the sequence in postproduction.
The importance is to get as many clips as possible.
SCENE PRIORITY
Best Option
With video, it’s best to have movement in the shot. Let motion dominate your scene.
Second Best Option
Camera moves over scene
LATEST FILMING TECHNIQUES
Different filmmakers use different filming techniques.
Traditionalists believe good video can only be produced by cameras mounted
on tripods, monopods or steady cams.
But some filmmakers these days believe that is a boring method.
They now shoot mainly with hand-held cameras or smart phones, purposely taking advantage of shaky footage. BUT and that’s a big BUT,
There is an art in using hand-held footage combined with certain editing techniques.
MODERN TECHNIQUES
Let’s look at cinematic techniques that have become
more popular over time, particularly the 21st Century.
Starting with the fact that the camera and the story will
often interact like the camera shaking after an explosion.
Another trait is the use of wide-angle lenses, thus putting
the viewer into the scene.
Another method is montage sequences with a very rapid
succession of individual shots.
EMBRACING IMPERFECTION
Decades ago you would have avoided camera mishaps, like camera shake, light leaks, sun flares or out of focus shots or grainy shots. But in recent movies, directors have used these, stylistically.
Especially sun flares and light leaks are being used all the time in film and television.
You may have also noticed kind of awkward composition being used, such as emptiness in the frame, or excessive headroom in the scenes.
TRADITIONAL FILMIMG
Keep camera steady by using
· Monopod
· Fencepost
· Folded towel
· Mini Beanbag
But if you haven’t any of those things with you, learn how to hold your camera very steady by:
Holding the camera in both hands with elbows anchored against your body. Take a deep breath before you ‘Button On’ andhold your breath until you ‘Button Off’.
Lean against a wall, tree, fence, anything to keep your camera steady.
FRAME RATES
Frame rate is expressed in frames per second or fps and is the frequency at which consecutive images called frames appear on the screen. The term applies equally to film, television and video.
ZOOM
The zoom function is provided by thecamera manufacturer to assist the user in framing a shot.
A lot of amateurs, when they first get a camera, use the zoom like they would play a trombone, constantly zooming in and out, then in and out again, just because the camera has this function.
DON’T! Chances are you’ll make the viewer feel seasick if youthe zoom function.
Hold your shot for 2-3 sec before you zoom.
PAN
Panning refers to the rotation in a horizontal plane.
Panning a camera results in a motion similar to that of moving you head from one side to the other.
Like zooming, use it sparingly and if you pan, do it very slowly unless you desire and special effect.
TILT
Tilting refers to a technique in which the camera is stationary and rotates in a vertical plane, similar to moving your head from top to bottom or bottom to top.
Like zooming, use it sparingly and if you tilt, do it very slowly unless you desire and special effect.
GLIDE
Gliding is similar to panning but instead of rotating the camera from one side to the other,
the camera is moved sideways in one direction.
Professionals use tracking devices to create these
shots. You can however do it using a monopod if you have a steady hand.
FRAMING SHOTS
In the EWS, the view is so far from the subject that he isn’t even visible. This is sometimes used as an establishment shot. The first shot of a sequence to show the audience where the action is taking place.
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| EWS (Extra Wide Shot) |
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| VWS (Very Wide Shot) |
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| WS (Wide Shot) |
In the WS, the subject takes the full frame. In this case, the subject’s feet are almost at the bottom of the frame.
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| MS (Mid Shot) |
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| MCU (Medium Close Up Shot) |
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| CU (Close Up) |
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| ECU (Extreme Close Up) |
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| CA (Cutaway Shot) |
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UNCONVENTIONAL FRAMING
In a lot of movies and TV shows, they use from time to time unconventional framed shots.
This is perfectly acceptable and gives character to you as a filmmaker.
ANGLES OF SHOTS
The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene.
The convention is that in 'factual' scenes subjects should be shot from eye-level only. In a high angle the camera looks down at a character, making the viewer feel more powerful than the subject, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low angle shot places camera below the character, exaggerating the subjects’ importance. An overhead shot is one made from a position directly above the action.
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ANGLES OF SHOTS
The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene.
The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene.
When choosing a shot, think of what information you want to convey. Then chose your shot.
The convention is that in 'factual' scenes subjects should be shot from eye-level only. In a high angle the camera looks down at a character, making the viewer feel more powerful than the subject, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low angle shot places camera below the character, exaggerating the subjects’ importance. An overhead shot is one made from a position directly above the action.
Try to have each of the shots convey more information than the last. This improves your storytelling and it keeps the audience interested.
Don’t use too many shots of the same subject or object. If you like an object, study it and determine which is the best angle to shoot it. A well framed shot says much more that lots shots of the same thing.
Make your movies look interesting. Film action in your scenes rather than move the camera. You could for instance do the following:
Have one of your friends or travel companion walk right up into your camera. Then, in the next shot,get the person to stand in front of you facing away. Place the camera against their back and make them walk away, thus opening your new scene.
Think up new ways to do similar things yourself.
VARY THE SHOTS
Film as many of differently framed shots as possible.
In the editing process you’ll be glad you did.
Some years ago I completed a training period with a Chanel 10 cameraman. He instilled in us the importance of varying the shots ready for post production.
BUTTON ON – BUTTON OFF
A term used by camera operators when camera is capturing footage and when it stops.
If you are shooting hand held, breath in, hold your breath before button on until after button off.
INTERVIEWS
If you’re making a travel or holiday movie, don’t be afraid to hand your camera to someone else and get him or her to film you telling the viewers where you are. If you’re too shy, film your travel companion answering your question, “Where are we?”
Whenever we travel in a group, I pick someone I know is not shy and explain to them that I’ll be asking them questions ‘on camera’. Most are fine with this and will be prepared. It makes a travel video much more interesting.
TALKING HEAD
Show us why you like the place where you are, tell us your story. This not only makes the video interesting, but it helps you to remember exactly where you were during the editing process.
INTRO / OUTRO
Record on-camera intros and outros. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will make your video pop.
Tell your viewers what they will see, tell them how you feel about the place. Be natural, and talk as if you were telling your best friend.
Intro: “We’re here at the Eiffel Tower. Let’s go up and have a look over Paris.”
Outro: “Wow wasn’t that spectacular. I always wanted to see that.”
180°RULE
If you decide to do an on-camera interview, there is one rule you must observe.
When shooting people interacting with each other, imagine an invisible line between the people’s eyes. Place the camera on one side of the line only. Don’t shoot from the other side or viewers will be confused because both people will look in the same direction
BACKGROUND MUSIC
Think about the background music you will use in your movie. It’s best to use music that feels right with your music. Maybe purchase a local CD while you’re on location.
DON’T use a CD that’s been in you collection for many years just because it’s handy.
SFX
Consider using special sound effects in your video. Maybe an emergency vehicle in Paris or New York. (But don’t mix them up, they’ll sound quite different). If you can, film a local sound source, then only use the sound track when editing.
REMEMBER
- Plan your shots beforehand
- Shoot plenty of various framed shots
- Button on 2 seconds before and after each shot
- Apply composition rules
- Take lots of cutaway shots
- Before leaving the location, check your footage
- Allow establishing shots
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