Every time you write something, an e-mail, a blog post, a script or something longer you use words. Those words usually come from your memory and experience. You think about what you want to say and then you select the right words and put them in the right order to communicate your thoughts. Another way […]
Can you e-mail me the video? I often get asked this question and my answer is usually ‘no – because it’s a video file and therefore too big’. I thought it might be helpful to set out the following explanation and then suggest some solutions. The growth of Smartphones with built in cameras has seen […]
The world of digital video is full of strange names, numbers and abbreviations. Things like ‘mpeg’, ‘avi’, ‘mov’ and ‘m4v’. Then there are numbers like 1080i or 720p. What do they all mean and which ones do you need to know? Film formats. When movie film first came out it also came with a set […]
Getting the paper work right It might seem a bit unusual to be talking about paper work when it comes to shooting video, but getting the paper work right before you start always means a better shoot. Essentially it’s about planning – even if you don’t use paper but make notes on your Smart phone […]
So what about sound? 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 […]
In my last post I set out the three easy steps towards shooting an event so that you had the right shots to edit into a sequence. Regardless of how you see the finished product, getting these three types of shots is crucial. Getting arty Now you’ve ticked off your shopping list of wide shots, […]
One of the things that makes a great documentary cameraman or woman is the ability to ‘cover an event’ with a single camera so that when it’s edited, it looks as if it was filmed from lots of cameras from lots of different angles. The secret is to shoot these three types of shots so […]
After 40 years working in TV, you might be asking why I’ve decided to start writing a blog? 1. Sharing After 40 years behind the camera, I decided it was time to share some of what I have learned over all those years in the business. Interestingly, the principles of shooting video haven’t changed a […]