A few months ago, I did a video series for Gibraltar, an insurance/risk management company here in town. They launched a new rebranding of the company. It was an awesome team to work with.
I did most of the videos on a green screen. As you can see below, the room that I had to deal with was very small. I used 4 lights for everything, had an assistant to roll the teleprompter, and I held the boom-mic and watched the camera. Simple setup. That’s how I like it.
Here’s a video I made showing the setup. Read More →
In our college ministry at First Lubbock, we have done alot of baptism testimony videos. Students would decide that they wanted to be baptized, and we would record a short testimony about how they got to this decision. Very powerful videos.
Last year, I started a new setup. Basically, 2 people having a conversation in a black/dark room with emotional lighting. Not too dramatic, but still emotional. We usually used 3 cameras, sometimes 4. A couple of Sony EX3′s and a Canon 5D mkII.
I usually set up 4 lights on the 2 subjects. One overhead, 2 in front, and 1 behind (which is visible and creates cool looking flares in the camera). There is a rough sketch-up of the setup below.
Sketch of lighting setup. Click the image to enlarge.
Simple, a shotgun mic is a microphone that has a directional pick-up pattern. The microphone itself is known as a shotgun microphone, due to the “shotgun” type of polar pattern. They can also have cardioid and super-cardioid polar patterns. They are the most common type of mic on a film or tv set.
A boom mic is any microphone that is at the end of a long, extended pole, also known as a “boom pole.” It doesn’t matter what type of microphone you use, if it’s on an extended pole, it is a boom mic. It is the technique of using the microphone, rather than the microphone itself. A boom pole is used to get the microphone in as close as possible to a subject, without getting in the camera shot. Most boom mics are used with shotgun mics.
So, if you have a shotgun mic, and you put it on a boom pole, it becomes a boom mic, as well as a shotgun mic. Kapeesh?
We recently set up a new green screen in our studio up at the church. Last week, I decided to put it to use. There’s still some kinks that need to be ironed out, but I think it turned out pretty good.
I shot this with a couple of Sony EX3′s. When shooting on a green screen, it’s all about the lighting. And you want to have your subject pretty far away from the green screen. I am limited to a fairly small studio, so I managed what I could. Some of the shadows were a problem with the couch being so low to the ground, so to hide the bad key at their feet, I put a dark shadow under them in After Effects.
The shadows around the feet did not key very well.
Zacuto continues their “Great Camera Shootout” today by releasing part 2 of the extensive camera comparison. These tests and comparisons are super informative and really in depth. They have more information on their website.
Here’s episode 1 below. Episode is on their site. Click the link below the video.
One of the best things about the film and video industry, is that there are so many free and cheap recourses on the internet. All you have to do is look. One thing I love to do is watch the on-set behind the scenes, or “BTS,” footage of upcoming movies. It’s a great way to learn from watching the pros work. It’s crazy to think about how much goes into a movie. Acting, Directing, Producing, Lighting, Wardrobe, Props, Location Scouting, Extras….the list is nearly endless. Watching these “on-set” videos is a great way to learn your craft.
Whatever specific job you want, just look into what all of it entails in just a simple scene. If you’re an aspiring AC (assistant cameraman), watch the focus puller. Does he look at the talent, or the monitor primarily? Does he even have a monitor, or just rely on the distance meters? Watch the director, does he constantly interveen during a scene, or does he let it play out naturally. How much freedom do the actors get on improv in a dialogue scene?
There is tons of tips that can be found just by watching these BTS clips. Below is on-set footage from the new Harry Potter. Watch and enjoy.
Norman Hollyn mentions something interesting in an episode of “2 Reel Guys,” about a production triangle. There are 3 components to the production triangle: GOOD, FAST, and CHEAP. You can, and should, only deliver 2.
The final product of a film might be GOOD and CHEAP, but with the sacrifice of speediness.
Or a film may be completed FAST, and turn GOOD, but be very expensive.
Or a film may be completed FAST, and cost very CHEAP, but turn out bad.
The production triangle is something to keep in mind. Are you charging enough for a speedy delivery of a great final product? Or maybe you’re expected to deliver sooner than you should be, if your product is good and they’re paying you cheap.
