My First Real Shoot

[Brock Burwell]

Thanks a lot.

Having just started I'm really not sure what all I need, but I have a good start with some of the tripods, lights and mics I have. I guess I am now realizing a shotgun mic will be imporant to these videos. The one you posted is very cheap and I may actually order that today. It'll be a big upgrade from my the internal mic I'm sure. Thanks!

You say you are impressed with the consistent quality of my work. Can you elaborate on that? It may seem like I'm fishing for compliments, but I don't mean it to sound that way. I am always trying to figure out what I'm doing right and wrong and this may give me an idea of what I practices I'm doing that I need to keep instead of changing.

Also one more question. I was curious where you get your music from? There are places that may charge $1 a song with most of the tracks being a bit lower quality and places, like premium beat, where they charge $40 a track. Where do you find your music? I don't mind paying $40 for a song, but I'm not currently getting paid for these jobs so I need to find places that have cheap music lol.

[Brock Burwell]

Also, the reason for this thread was to talk about my first shoot for someone outside my church.

Well it had to get cancelled because of the amount of snow that came the night before. Going to make it up maybe next month.

So this Saturday I'm going to be shooting a video on our "Praise Team" (the musicians and singers in our church). Gonna make it with the same type of formula (interviews/b-roll) unless you guys had any other ideas.

I probably do need to get that shotgun mic as I do want audio of them singing. I probably will try to order that tonight.

[John DuMontelle]

Music...

I have all three of the Music Box collection from Digital Juice.

Music & Sound FX by Digital Juice

All royalty free and the best part for me is each "song" is made so you can delete different tracks so the same song can actually sound a little different.

Don't want drums? Delete them and use song without them.

It might be a bit pricey for you...but that's what I use mostly.

I did get music from the guy.

http://www.facebook.com/TheSoundTraxxMusicLibrary

Just straight songs but I liked the quality selection and the price was great.

He even offers some for free.

Your shots were all steady.

Not a mish-mash of hand-held and tripod shots.

There are times to go hand-held and there are times for rock steady.

If I had to offer a suggestion on this part of your work...try to shoot more sequences.

Wide, medium and tight of the same action. Then edit them together.

Example.

Wide shot of guy who switches your church show.

Medium shot of his hands on switcher...or whatever he touches to change the shots from different cameras.

Tight shot of his eyes watching monitors.

Medium shot over his shoulder of the monitors he's looking at.

You can do that with a lot of situations.

Wide shot of camera man shooting service.

Medium shot of his hand on the lens.

...I think you get the idea.

Now it'a all about practice and playing with how you sequence it in editing.

Much better than single shots with constantly changing subject matter...though there are times you have to do that too.

Watch tv commercials. Turn the sound down and see how they sequence their shots to send a message.

Do the same thing with your favorite tv show.

See how the shoot and sequence shots to tell a story.

Now you try to do the same...but with good audio! ;)

Last thought for the moment....

When you shoot...always ask yourself...how would the average person told to shoot a shot of what you want to shoot do it.

They'd stand there with the camera, probably hand held, and squeeze off a wide shot.

Now, every time, instead of doing that, take one or more extra steps to make your shot better.

You're basically competing with yourself in your head to do better.

Thinking of how it should be done...then taking that extra step...or two...to make your shot better than the average person.

Don't always shoot from the same level.

Shoot low angle.

Think about foreground...and use it to enhance your images.

Every image is more than just the main subject.

There's the subject of the image.

The background.

The foreground...if any.

Sometimes you may want to work to make sure there IS foreground to deal with in the shot.

Maybe the leaves of the trees outside used as foreground to frame the top of the church...or a flag.

Consider all three...foreground, background and subject every time you compose a shot.

Not just the subject of the image alone.

By the way...that Digital Juice site...

Digital Juice - The Best Products and Prices for Video & Graphics Professionals

...is one of many places you can buy extra stuff to help make your edited product look better.

But...wait for sales. They run a lot of them and if you're patient...you can get them much cheaper than the list price. Plus watching their tutorials of their products can give you ideas...even if you never buy a product from them.

I get stuff from them because they are not far from Miami, but I've been very happy with their products.

Got to go...hope this helps.

[Brock Burwell]

Again, amazing advice.

I'll look into the Digital Juice music collection. Looks pretty good.

Love the suggestion of having a competition with the "average" person. That is very good advice.

Thanks for everything! You are awesome!

[John DuMontelle]

Thanks for the kind words Brock.

I forgot to add one thing on the subject of music.

Don't overlook the music right in front of you.

It's a church.

They must have a choir...or some kind of music.

Shoot a choir practice.

A few hymns as the choir or audience sings.

Tell the folks you're NOT doing it for video of their faces...though they may go for that...and that could be good too.

You're just going for good clean music.

Make sure it's a complete song from first note to last.

Try using that sometime for a music bed.

It may not work for every piece you do...but the price is right and it's "real".

Right from the place you are trying to profile with your videos.

Then, when you use it, do your best to back-time the music so it ends at the very end of your edited piece.

Be sure to keep all of your raw video, even after you've used it to edit a finished product.

That archive can come in handy in the future and help you turn out more projects faster without having to re-shoot. There's nothing wrong reusing a shot in a future product...or have a shot that didn't work before...but now it does.

Just something to think about. :)

See you around!

[Tim Lewis]

Thanks for all that info as well, John. There used to be an online course that the BBC had on camera techniques that covered a lot of that, but unfortunately they took it down. Sound Traxx looks good.

[John DuMontelle]

Just my way of helping others with their own "journey" as others helped me...too long ago for me to admit.

It's one reason I really like dvinfo.net.

There are a lot of quality people here who help when they can.

Wanted to do my little part in that effort. ;)

[Brock Burwell]

This is what I have as my "finished product."

I know I didn't do all the advice that was given here, though I plan on using that advice for future videos. I just needed to get this one finished so I can move forward with a couple other projects. What do you think? Better?

The Open Door Broadcast/TV Ministry on Vimeo

[Jody Arnott]

I haven't been involved with this thread, but my 2c anyway...

I personally think it's great. Good audio, perfect music choice, on-screen graphics work well. My only tiny criticism would be the framing in the interview is a little off, he's a bit too far off the right-hand side of the frame for my liking (just my opinion). But the eye-line looks good.

Also did you zoom into the frame in post? The CU looks a little blurry.

But otherwise, really great work for your first real shoot :)

[Brock Burwell]

OK So I finally got around to filming this video for my uncles auction house. I think I got everything I needed, but I had one hiccup.

I filmed his interview in the place where his auction is. It has metal roofs, cement floor and nothing to "absorb" the sound. Anyway, once I completed the interview I took it to my computer to test the audio (I had forgotten my headphones at home) and it sounded very echoey. Basically unusable.

So I reinterviewed him in a different location (in his home). Once I got home and on my home speakers and not listening through iPhone headphones, I realized that the audio was perfect in the original interview. So I have two interviews of him, which isn't bad, but he is wearing the same shirt and hat in both. I would like to use footage from both interviews, but I don't know if that is acceptable to have him in two different locations wearing the same shirt and hat in a 3 minute video. I can probably get by with just using the original footage, but he said a few cool things in the second interview. I don't know is proper in this situation. What do you think?

[John Nantz]

For an auction video - Going once! ..... Going twice! ....

A thought about John's suggestion:

Originally Posted by John DuMontelle

Something else...think about what will be your opening and closing shot BEFORE you get to the point you want to edit. Do it while you're on the shoot and make them BOTH good. A good open and close shot are the bookends that set the tone for the entire story and make or break a quality product.

It appears the video may be be for an advertising spot, or something on his business web site?

One thought I'd have is to open with a shot of the business followed by a shot of the auctioneer rattling off the beginning of the auction - not the description of the item but, say, as the bid is being ante'd up.

The shot of the business should have the audio of the auctioneer and then it segues into the auctioneer clip. At this point, your uncle's interview kicks in.

During the course of the interview, at some break point, go back to the auctioneer as he is a little further along in the bid process. A shot of the auctioneer and another shot of the audience/bidders, total maybe only 3 seconds.

Back to the Uncle interview.

End with the last bid, then " going once, going twice, SOLD!"

Another shot of the business with a bit of the auctioneering in the audio and fade out.

The beginning and ending could be reused on future ads.

In the course of the 2 or three minutes, maybe one could revisit the auction twice instead of once.

I remember a song called, I think, "The Auctioneer".

Sounds like fun!