Once upon a time, interviews were generally filmed without too much happening in the background. This meant that the audience would not be distracted by either movement or activity behind the person being interviewed, nor would they hear any distracting noise. Both these principles are still worth considering of course, but for web videos, more […]
In a recent post I talked about shooting interviews on the ‘shop floor’. In other words, in the middle of where the story was happening. If done well, these can be very effective but managing the lighting and sound become even more critical, compared to shooting in a studio or quiet office. Sound Getting the […]
This week I’ve had a couple of emails asking what sort of microphone to use with a DSLR camera. So I thought this post would look at some of the answers. Camera Mic All DSLR cameras have an in-built microphone, but it’s not something you should ever use for any serious sound recording. Its best […]
Voice overs or narration are often used in video production. Most TV news stories use voice over, as well as live or ‘sync’ sound from an interviewee or on-camera host. But when and where do you record these? There are two options: On location at the time of the shoot, or As part of the […]
Framing is one of the key skills to learn if you’re planning on shooting video. Whether it’s on your Smartphone or the latest high-end production camera, it’s important to get framing correct. Here’s a quick tutorial video which will help. Check it out. Check out my previous video on recording good sound on your Smartphone.
Smartphones have revolutionised how we take still and moving images. However the biggest drawback of Smartphones is their sound quality. To be specific, it’s more the location of the microphone which is the problem. Check out this video for some tips and suggestions on how to overcome this problem. Check out my other video on […]
Lighting is one of the key skills for any cameraman. Directors of Photography in the world of feature films, earn the big bucks because they know how to light. In features, lighting is crucial to the story. Happy scenes need to look happy and tragic scenes need to look tragic. Lighting goes a long way […]
After the shooting stops … (the cutting begins) This is a wonderful book by Ralph Rosenblum, who edited six Woody Allen films. He also edited The Pawnbroker, The Producers, and Goodbye, Columbus. The book is a great insight into the world of feature film editing. It’s unlikely you’ll be editing a feature film, but once you’ve […]
Working with your clients One of the most important relationships you have when you’re shooting corporate video is the one you have with your client. After all, they’re the one who has contracted you to produce the video, so you need to get along with them and ideally involve them in the process. Now that […]
How much do I charge? Working out how much to charge for your services is not always easy. Whilst you may want to keep your prices low, so businesses will contract you to shoot their video, low prices can put some potential clients off. “If it’s that low, then it can’t be any good,” can […]