Tims tips

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TIM'S TIPS FOR VIVACIOUS VIDEO DR. TIM BAJKIEWICZ SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Last update March 13, 2010

The Pro-Sumer Version I. Remember 1. Be respectful, not afraid: Cameras are meant to be used. You'd be amazed at what cameras can do when you get them performing at their best. 2. All digital is not created equal: Don't be impressed with something being digital— everything's digital these days. Find out specifics and if it'll do what you need. 3. Be a control freak: Most cameras have auto settings, and most of the time we don't want to use them. Control is the key to great video. 4. This stuff is complicated and time-consuming: Keep your expectations reasonable. For example, five minutes of well-shot, well-edited video is A LOT of work. Ken Burns didn't produce "The Civil War" his first time out. 5. Shoot now, edit later: After you shoot video you'll be digitizing Goading) it into a non-linear digital video editor, where you'll edit and move sound and video around as you want them. This means don't worry about shooting in the same order as in the final program. When you're in the field worry about shooting technically solid and content-compelling video. 6. Get it right the first time: Even the best video editing software isn't "Photoshop for Video" and you often can't "fix it in post (production)." If it's too dark or too bright it's possible to adjust it later, but it doesn't look quite right. If it's out of focus—forget about it. If the audio is too quiet you can turn it up, but you're also turning up noise, which sounds bad. If the audio is too loud and over-modulated—forget about it.

II. Picking up the camera 1. Check and know your gear: A few minutes checking your camera and other equipment before you head out in the field can save hours later (and maybe the entire shoot). Spend some time getting to know your gear before you really need to use it. Do some test recordings to check your gear and your shooting expertise. 2. Power it up: Load up the battery. Make sure it's charged up. Grab one more, at least.


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