Digital Video Secrets - Tony Levelle

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      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      I wish to express my deep appreciation to the people who encouraged and supported me during the writing of this book.

      Thanks to Marsha, for her good humor, friendship and love. My family was constantly supportive, but especially Pete, whose cheerful friendship got me through some tough spots.

      Michael Wiese and Ken Lee were steadfastly supportive. Michael stood behind me through a string of extraordinary difficulties that no one could have anticipated when work began on Producing with Passion and Digital Video Secrets.

      An extraordinary group of people gave advice, read early drafts, and took me out for coffee when I needed it. Thanks to Jim Jackson, Tom and Gail Marquette, Gloria Hovde, Dianna Brooks, David L. Brown, Jack Barker, and Philip Rhodes.

      Barbara Clark volunteered to model for the photographs at the last minute. She was unfailingly cheerful, enthusiastic and a delight to work with. I am deeply indebted to her.

      Alan Siegel and his video production class at Carle High School in Lower Lake, California read early drafts, and gave me valuable feedback. Thanks to Ben Hopper, Jared Mills, Aaron Moore, Cy Matthew Passley, and Kurtis Pecchenino.

      Jon and Marcella Jost were unfailingly generous in answering questions and sharing their insights and knowledge of filmmaking in general and producing and editing digital video in particular.

      Thanks to Cinequest www.cinequest.org. Cinequest produces the annual Cinequest Film Festival and the Cinequest Distribution Label.

      Finally, thanks to Dorothy and Jim Fadiman, for their unfailing friendship and loving guidance in filmmaking, writing, and creativity.

      Any mistakes and omissions in this book are mine, and only mine.

      INTRODUCTION

      I want you to capture extraordinary images and create great videos.

      Whether you want to make a feature film, family video, or capture the first steps of your new son or daughter, I want you to be successful!

      None of the things in this book are really secret. They are the things that “everyone knows,” but nobody tells you. I’ve been bitten by every one of these “secrets.” Each one of them cost me precious time, money and effort to learn.

      I wrote this book because, after running a small local film festival for nearly ten years, and being a juror at an international film festival, I realized that I wasn’t alone in being “bitten.”

      When I researched this book, I tested all sorts of cameras, from a $149 Flip camera with one button (“Record”) to a $3,000 Panasonic prosumer camera with dozens of buttons and menus. I learned that everyone has the same problems. Whether you are shooting with a toy video camera or a prosumer camera, you have to solve these problems.

      This book will show you how to:

      • Shoot fluently and confidently

      • Shoot visually pleasing and compelling images

      • Record clear and vivid sound

      • Shoot footage that has continuity from shot to shot

      • Shoot footage that is editable

      • Choose the best camera for you

      Go to www.tonylevelle.com for more information and free Digital Video Secrets extras.

      Let’s start!

      QUICK START

Image

       Make sure you have everything you need

      1. Camera, two fully charged batteries and battery charger.

      2. Blank media.

      Depending on the type of storage your camcorder uses, make sure that you have either: two tapes, two flash-memory cards or two DVDs. If your camera uses a hard disk, check to see that you have adequate storage space on the disk.

      3. Tripod.

      4. Microphones including cables, and fresh batteries for the microphone (if your microphone uses them), and a wind screen.

      5. Headphones.

      6. Camera manual.

      1. If your camera has a diopter adjustment, adjust it for your eyes.

      2. Clean the lens. On these small cameras, every speck of dust will show up on the final image.

      3. Decide if you are going to shoot “full auto” mode or “manual mode.”

      • Shoot auto mode when you have to shoot quickly, or don’t yet understand the camera controls.

      • Shoot manual mode when you have time to set up the camera and want the best possible image.

      1. Turn ON: auto focus, auto exposure, auto white balance and automatic gain control (AGC).

      • Many camcorders have a single button that will engage full auto operation. It may be called something like “Easy” or “Auto.”

      • Use a tripod whenever possible.

      • When shooting people, open the lens wide and get close to the person.

      • Keep your subject in the middle of the frame.

      • Keep the distance between the subject and the camcorder about the same while you are recording. (If the distance changes, the image will go out of focus momentarily while the camera’s auto-focus circuits “hunt” for new focus.)

Image

      Not all cameras will have all of these settings. (Settings are explained in chapter 9, Choosing Camera Settings.)

      1. Format to HD or SD.

      2. Screen ratio to 16x9 or 4x3.

      3. Frame rate. (NTSC=60. PAL= 50. Film look=24.)

      4. Shutter in manual mode (auto iris OFF)

      5. Shutter speed to normal (NTSC=1/60, PAL=1/50, 24-frame film look= 1/48)

      6. Focus in manual mode (auto focus OFF)

      7. ND filter OFF

      8. Audio gain control OFF (AGC OFF)

      9. Audio to 16-bit 48 KHz

      10. Video gain OFF or ZERO

      11. White balance to manual

      1. Connect the microphones and headphones.

      2. Listen to the audio over the headphones.

      3. Shoot a short test.

      4. Play the test back on a monitor or TV. Compare the picture on the monitor or television to the picture on the LCD. Turn the LCD brightness down until it matches the image on the monitor or TV. Otherwise, the LCD image will mislead you when you are in the field.

      CHAPTER 1

      SHOOTING

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