With today's DSLRs rapidly expanding their video capabilities, here are some tips on how even a still-camerea photographer can become the next Scorsese.
Video seems like a hot topic these days, but there’s nothing really new about it. Video has been around since the first days of television. What is new is the increased demand for video due to broadband and mobile devices — and that means opportunity.
YouTube gets 100 million hits a day. In our digital society, people interact and communicate more and more via the web and social media sites. Due to faster internet connections, we are able to watch videos without the painful process of waiting for them to download. Marketers, corporations, institutions and publishers have all taken notice of the power of online video sharing and realize the potential it has to get their message out.
Why shoot video?
Prompted in part by our culture’s seemingly insatiable appetite for online videos, camera manufacturers have started to incorporate video features into their DSLRs. As a result, more still photographers have started to shoot video. With the introduction of these new “hybrid” cameras that shoot both still images and video, technology has lowered the bar on the entry into video production.
However, just having the capability of shooting video with a still camera does not necessarily mean that this kinetic medium is always the best way to tell your story. We must now make a conscious decision when choosing our camera: Which format will best deliver the message we want to convey?
Video is a great way to market yourself and your business online. It has become relatively easy to upload or embed video to your website or blog (kellymooneyminutes.wordpress.com). Video host sites like YouTube or Vimeo allow you to share your videos and even give you the option of setting up your own TV channel (see vimeo.com/kellymooney/videos).
More than just a camera
One big mistake I see still photographers make when they first consider getting into video is that they think only about the shooting aspect of video production. Video production has many facets, the shoot being just one part.
I think differently when shooting video than when shooting still images. Still images are “moments in time,” but video is “time in motion.” I need to think in terms of sequences when I’m shooting video, with each sequence having a beginning, middle and end. I also need to think about how these independent “clips” will be edited together in postproduction, and I always keep that in mind when shooting. I’m constantly thinking about how I am going to get into and out of a particular shot. In other words, I’m thinking in terms of the big picture and about what will come next in the story line.
When shooting video, you need to shoot a lot of material, or “B-roll,” as it is known. B-roll is a term for the visual footage that illustrates the narrative of the story. I tell myself to “shoot and move,” which means exploring and shooting each situation from different camera angles and with various focal lengths from those camera angles. Before I get in the editing room and start putting the pieces together, I know that I will need a variety of wide, medium and tight shots as well as close-ups.
Good audio is critical to shooting a video. Without the right sound, you’ve got nothing. People can’t tolerate watching something they can’t hear or understand. In order to capture good, clean audio, you must use independent external microphones, so keep that in mind when choosing a camera. Look for one that will accept auxiliary microphones, preferably via XLR inputs rather than a mini-jack. Audio is one area in which the DSLR hybrid cameras are weak. While their images are gorgeous, you need to rely on third-party add-ons such as JuicedLink (juicedlink.com) to capture good audio, or use a separate digital audio recorder like the Samson Zoom H4N (samsontech.com).
Editing is another big part of video production. You can either embark on the long, steep learning curve that comes with learning how to edit, or you can collaborate with people who already know how. I encourage everyone to learn these techniques because editing your own footage will make you a much better shooter. You quickly realize after you get into the editing room what you should have captured in the field.
Finally, there’s the output part of the process, which is a lot more complicated than exporting still images. In video, there are numerous formats and hundreds of file-compressing codecs to choose from. The standard formats are Quicktime (.mov), Windows Media (.wmv) and Flash (.flv and .swf). Each one of those formats can be compressed in a variety of ways, using different codecs depending on what your end-viewing platform is. H.264 is quickly becoming a standard codec for a web video. Ultimately, compression and output are areas that require testing and coming up with the right “recipe” for your videos.
Some thoughts on ‘hybrid’ cameras
The Nikon D90 (nikonusa.com), shooting 720p, was the first DSLR camera to shoot video in high definition (HD). Canon (usa.canon.com) followed with its impressive 5D Mark II, which raised the bar by shooting full-frame 1080p with an external microphone input, and the company recently rolled out the Canon 7D with variable frame rates for under $2,000.
The most attractive feature of these hybrid cameras, besides the price, is the ability to change lenses, control the depth of field and work phenomenally well in low-light situations. However, the hybrids come with limitations that traditional video cameras don’t have. Camera instability, for one, is a problem caused by the way the shooter must hold the camera. Because camera operators must see and focus using the LCD monitor instead of steadying their eyes up against the viewfinder, it’s harder to stabilize the camera. Audio capture is very basic as well and must be supplemented in some way. Because of these limitations, third-party manufacturers have gotten in the game by designing add-ons. (See more on these issues in my blog entry “More Convergence — DSLRs + Video = VSLR,” which also links to some of these products.)
Point-and-shoot options
These days, even point-and-shoot still cameras come with the capability of shooting video. Gizmodo.com did a 2009 year-end review and mentions the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 (www2.panasonic.com) as the “Best Video Crossover Camera.” The Canon Powershot SX200 is another option that’s affordable and shoots HD video.
There are, of course, limitations to these cameras. One is their inability to use external microphones. Without this option, you really can’t capture high-quality audio in many situations. Some point-and-shoot cameras limit the clip durations, so don’t expect to record your kid’s entire two-hour school play. The Flip (theflip.com) is a great little pocket-size video camera that comes with its own editing software, which makes it easy to send video clips via e-mail; you just plug the camera into your computer via the USB connection. There are quite a few models to choose from in both standard definition (SD) or HD, and the price is right.
As far as editing your video, check out either iMovie (for Mac users) or Windows Media Maker (for PC owners), which come free (or almost free) with your computer. Also, take a look at Animoto.com, a company that does all the editing for you, quickly and in an innovative way, working with both your video and your still images.
Traditional video cameras
I am constantly asked the question “What camera should I buy?” That question is almost impossible to answer without getting more information. So I generally reply with my own onslaught of questions: “What are you going to be shooting?” “What editing software will you be using?” “Are you concerned about getting ‘natural sound,’ or will you just be using the video from the camera and not the audio?” And of course the big question: “What’s your budget?” One thing that complicates choosing the “right” video camera is that, unlike their still-camera cousins, video cameras shoot different types of files — MPEG-2, Native QuickTime MOV, HDV, AVCHD and AVI. On top of that, some cameras shoot to tape, some shoot to cards and some shoot to discs. Then there’s the basic consideration of choosing SD or HD, and HD is certainly where everything is headed. But not all HD files are alike.
Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? It can be, so my advice is to work backward in choosing a camera.
Start by identifying the type of shoots you’ll be doing. Will you be shooting corporate interviews where audio capture is critical, or beautiful motion imagery intended to be edited and accompanied by a music track? Where will the finished video be shown? Broadcast? Web? How will you edit it? On what platform, Mac or PC? What editing software application will you use?
To help guide you in selecting the right camera for the editing software you already have or intend to buy, both Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro provide links to compatibility charts. These are great places to start and to find out if that reasonably priced “prosumer” camera that outputs AVCHD files will work with the prosumer version of the editing program you have. I have encountered many people who find out that their editing software won’t accept the files from the new camera they just purchased.
My advice is to make a list of pros and cons before you even start to look at cameras. That way, you won’t be overwhelmed by the tools and will choose the right tool for the “means to your end.”
Collaboration and networking
Video is ideal for collaboration. While it’s possible to go it alone — shooting, capturing audio and editing the piece yourself — it can be extremely rewarding to collaborate with others, with each person bringing his or her own expertise to the project. Depending on where you are in your career, you may find, for example, that you are content to produce and direct videos, rather than be hands-on as a shooter or an editor.
I have positioned myself in my business as a producer/director who also shoots. I can edit as well, and do, but I frequently hand over my rough cut to a professional editor so that he or she can polish it off. The advantage that I have in assuming the role of a producer is that, for many of my projects where I deal directly with my client, I am able to maintain control and ownership of the work. Traditionally, camera operators in the motion world hand over their content to the production house at the end of the day.
If your clients are asking you now if you shoot video — and you don’t — don’t say no and let your client walk out the door. Collaborate with people you know who have these skills and take on the role of the producer. It will be a mutually beneficial decision for both you and your client.
Tips for Shooting Better Video
- Determine your story before you start shooting or editing.
- If interviews are needed to tell your story, make a list of good questions that will provoke insightful sound bites and will drive the narrative.
- Always think about your audio — listen to the room sound before you start shooting.
- Capture your audio with external microphones, not the camera’s internal microphone.
- Wear headphones. Camera meters indicate that you’re getting sound, but they don’t tell you if the audio you are capturing is the right quality.
- Get wide, medium and tight shots and close-ups from various angles so that you have enough B-roll to edit with.
- When shooting, anticipate what’s coming next and position yourself to get the shot.
- Think about how you will get into and out of a shot.
- Shoot from both the action and reaction points of view. For example, get shots of the instructor teaching, as well as the students’ reactions.
- Don’t talk when shooting video, even if you think you won’t be using the audio.
- Use a tripod as much as possible, especially for long-lens shots.
- Shoot lots of close-ups if the video is intended for the web.
- Have a plan, but be prepared to be spontaneous and allow for serendipity.
Editing Tips
- Be organized. Gather and import all of your assets into your editing system before you begin to edit: video, audio, still images, voiceover, music, logos and other graphics.
- Make transcripts of the interviews. I like exact paper transcripts with all the “ums” and “y’knows” included. That way, if I’m looking at the paper transcript, I get the true picture of what was said.
- When choosing your sound bites, be sure to watch the actual video — don’t just make decisions from the transcript. Words that look good on paper may not always be delivered well on camera.
- Start and end with your strongest visuals.
- Don’t always tell the story in a chronological or linear way.
- Avoid jump cuts. For example, if you are cutting a “talking head” clip and put the cuts back to back in the editing timeline without covering them up with B-roll, then the talking-head visual will jump abruptly where cuts were made.
- Cut on the action.
- Editing is all about pacing, and that’s something you have to feel — like a musical composition with highs and lows.
- Don’t use the same clips more than once.
- Always keep your focus on the story. Take out anything that’s not relevant.
