Video Production Guide: a simple guide for beginner video/film enthusiast

PRODUCTION
VIDEO
NEW CORELLA NHS
Prepared by: Cee Jae Q. Darunday
ADOPTED FROM:
Smithsonian Center for
Folklife & Cultural
Heritage
GUIDE

VISUAL STORYTELLING
INTRODUCTION
Video production is a powerful form of visual
storytelling. You can tell your own stories,
from your own perspectives, using your own
filmmaking style. Your aim is to convey a
story through visual means.
Prepared by: Cee Jae Darunday
01
NEW CORELLA NHS

PLANNING
PRE PRODUCTION
Before you begin production (shooting
video), it is helpful to organize your project
so that you know what shots you will need,
who you will need to interview, and what
events or activities you want to record.
Spending some time in pre-production, or
the planning stage, will save you time
during production and the post-
production (editing) process.
02 Prepared by: Cee Jae Darunday
NEW CORELLA NHS

Planning Stage of Film Production
STORYLINE
EVENTS/ACTION
SUBJECT
THEME/MESSAGE SHOT LIST
B-ROLL
STORYBOARD
PRE-PRODUCTION
01 04 07
02 05
03 06
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
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Pre-Production Planning
ANSWER THE QUESTION "WHAT?"
STORYLINE
What is the plot or main story
that you want to tell?
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ANSWER THE QUESTION
"WHERE/WHEN?"
EVENTS/ACTION
What activities or events will you need to
include in your video?
How will this action add to your story?
What information will it tell the viewer
about the people in the video?
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ANSWER THE QUESTION "WHO?"
SUBJECT
Who are the people who will be in the
video?
Why are they important to the story?
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ANSWER THE QUESTION "WHY?"
THEME/MESSAGE
Why is it important to tell this story?
What will the viewer learn from watching
this video?
Why is it important to you as the
filmmaker to tell this particular story?
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WHAT IS A B-ROLL?
B-ROLL
B-roll is also referred to as cutaway
shots.
B-roll includes shots that you will need
to use in the editing room to mask the
cuts that you make in your
interviews/films.
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EXAMPLE OF A B-ROLL:
B-ROLL
include establishing shots, images taken
of items in the environment where the
interview took place, shots of the person
doing activities, photographs, or signs.
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IN GENERAL B-ROLL...
B-ROLL
helps to give the viewer a sense of the
scene where action is taking place or
provide additional information about
the person being interviewed.
When you are filming, you will want to
make sure to get b-roll shots after
filming your interviews.
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11
WHAT IS A STORYBOARD?
STORYBOARD
a visual representation of the shots that
will make up your video.
You can sketch out the people and
action in your video and which camera
angles you will use for each.
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13
WHAT IS A SHOT LIST?
SHOT LIST
writes out every shot you anticipate
needing for your production.
This can serve as a checklist for you
while you’re in production to ensure you
get all the shots you need for the project.
(Refer to the Topic about COMPOSITION
for types of shots)
STUDIO SHODWE
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Video Making and Recording...
FRAMING
RULE OF THIRDS
HEADROOM
NOSE ROOM CAMERA SHOTS
DIAGONAL OR Z-AXIS
CAMERA HEIGHT
COMPOSITION
01 04 07
02 05
03 06
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
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15
Composition
WHAT IS A FRAMING?
FRAMING
Relates to how you will compose each
shot, giving consideration to the people
and activities within the scene.
You will want to compose each shot so
that you draw the viewer’s attention and
create an active frame for your video
subject.
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Composition
WHY APPLY THE RULE OF THIRDS?
RULE OF THIRDS
In order to draw the viewer’s attention,
divide the screen into a grid and using
the “rule of thirds,” position your object
or person of interest slightly away from
the center of the frame.
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Composition
PURPOSE OF HEADROOM...
HEADROOM
People’s heads should be positioned
about a third of the way down the frame
and to the left or right of center.
Avoid too much or too little headroom.
TOO LITTLE HEAD ROOM
TOO LITTLE HEAD ROOM
GOOD HEADROOM
GOOD HEADROOM
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Composition
WHY APPLY THE NOSE ROOM?
NOSE ROOM
Think about the gaze of the person you
are filming.
You want more space in front of the
person than behind, so they have room
to interact with the people or
environment before them.
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Composition
WHAT IS DIAGONAL OR Z-AXIS?
DIAGONAL OR Z-AXIS
Look for lines that are diagonal instead
of horizontal or vertical.
Think about the z-axis as the axis that
goes “into” the shot, or the depth of the
shot.
Lines on the z-axis are dynamic and
provide more energy and interesting
framing on screen.
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Composition
WHEN TO APPLY CAMERA HEIGHT?
CAMERA HEIGHT
Camera height and angle can
dramatically affect the viewer’s
impression of the person on screen.
If the camera towers above and looks
down on the person, this can have a
diminishing effect; if the camera angle
looks up at the person on screen, it can
give the impression that the person has
a lot of power.
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21
Composition
WHAT ARE DIFFERENT CAMERA
SHOTS?
CAMERA SHOTS
Aim for using several different camera
shots within your video so that you give
yourself a variety of camera angles and
shots to work with in the editing room.
You will find that different shots will be
appropriate depending on the context
in which you are filming.
CLOSE-UP
CLOSE-UP
WIDE SHOT
WIDE SHOT
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Composition
WHAT ARE DIFFERENT CAMERA
SHOTS?
CAMERA SHOTS
Aim for using several different camera
shots within your video so that you give
yourself a variety of camera angles and
shots to work with in the editing room.
You will find that different shots will be
appropriate depending on the context
in which you are filming.
MEDIUM SHOT
MEDIUM SHOT
ESTABLISHING SHOT
ESTABLISHING SHOT
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Video Shooting Technique
LONG SHOT TECHNIQUE
LONG SHOT
taking pictures from a far enough distance,
its function is to show the subject against
the background.
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FULL SHOT TECHNIQUE
FULL SHOT
A capture object in full from head to feet or
can also call
Full shot, this shot purposes to introduce the
object and show what is
He is doing.
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KNEE SHOT TECHNIQUE
KNEE SHOT
a shot that shows the head to the knee,
that's why this shot is called a knee
shot/knee shot.
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MEDIUM SHOOT TECHNIQUE
MEDIUM SHOOT
taking pictures that show the waist to the tip
of the head, this shot is usually used to show
the subject's figure clearly, this type of shot is
a shot that is very commonly used, usually
used also during interviews
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MEDIUM CLOSE UP TECHNIQUE
MEDIUM CLOSE UP
taking pictures that show the chest to the
tip of the head, in this shot the object is
more emotional, but the movement is still
visible
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CLOSE-UP TECHNIQUE
CLOSE-UP
close-up shots that highlight the shoulders
to the top of the head, this shot emphasizes
the expression of objects
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BIG CLOSE UP TECHNIQUE
BIG CLOSE UP
taking pictures in the head region, usually
between the shoulder to the top of the head.
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EXTREME CLOSE UP TECHNIQUE
EXTREME CLOSE UP
very close shots that show details of objects,
it can also detail body parts such as eyes and
mouth
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OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT TECHNIQUE
OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT
taking pictures for 2 objects, usually in
dialogue where the picture is taken from
behind the shoulder of one object
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Video Making and Recording...
PAN
TILT
FOCUS
ZOOM
HAND-HELD
IMAGE CONTROL
01 04
02 05
03
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
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33
Image Control
WHAT IS PAN SHOTS?
PAN SHOTS
Camera moves left to right or right to
left to follow the action on screen.
This can be good to use to convey events
or activity within a scene.
Keep the knob on the tripod loose in
order to move the camera smoothly.
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Image Control
WHAT IS TILT SHOTS?
TILT SHOTS
Camera moves up and down to reveal
action within the frame.
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Image Control
WHAT IS FOCUS SHOTS?
FOCUS SHOTS
Focus is important for getting crisp
images.
When in automatic mode, the camera
will focus for you.
In manual mode, you control the focus.
This gives you more control over image
quality.
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Image Control
WHAT IS FOCUS SHOTS?
FOCUS SHOTS
To ensure that images stay in focus
throughout filming, first zoom the lens
all the way in and focus the camera.
(It’s helpful to use something with
lettering. Zoom all the way in and make
sure the letters are in focus.)
Then zoom the lens out.
The camera should stay in focus as you
continue to film.
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Image Control
WHAT IS ZOOM SHOTS?
ZOOM SHOTS
Lens moves in and out to zoom closer to
or farther away from people, objects, or
action.
When zooming, start with a static shot
and hold that shot for several seconds.
Then gradually zoom in or out and end
on a static shot.
Hold that shot for several seconds.
This will give you some extra footage
when editing.
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Image Control
WHAT IS ZOOM SHOTS?
ZOOM SHOTS
Warning! Avoid overusing the zoom.
You can also physically move the
camera closer to the person and/or
object you are filming.
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39
Image Control
WHAT IS HAND-HELD SHOTS?
HAND-HELD SHOTS
When shooting hand-held, leave the
camera in the widest angle possible for
steadier shots.
If you zoom in while shooting hand-held,
the image will be shaky.
Many cameras have a steady shot option
which should be used when shooting
hand-held.
You will see a hand icon on the LCD
screen when the steady shot option is
turned on.
NEW CORELLA NHS

There are a few things you can do to
always ensure high-quality images in
your video footage:
MANUAL CONTROLS
TRIPOD
EXTERNAL MIC
WHITE BALANCE
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
EXPOSURE PROFILE SHOTS
SHOOTING TIPS
01 04
08
02 05
03
07
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
WARNING!!! AVOID
THESE SHOTS....
LONG SHOTS
06
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SHOOTING TIPS:
MANUAL CONTROL
Your camera can adjust for everything
in automatic mode, but the more you
can control the variables of the image
manually, the better your images will
look.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
TRIPOD
Always shoot on a tripod when you
can as this leads to steadier shots.
This is especially true for interviews
and film shooting.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
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EXTERNAL MICROPHONES
This will give you better audio, so use
it whenever possible.

44
SHOOTING TIPS:
WHITE BALANCE
Different kinds of light have different
color temperatures.
Indoor light tends to be orange, while
outdoor light tends to have bluer tones.
It is important to white balance your
camera before filming.
White balancing is essentially telling
your camera “this is white” under these
lighting conditions.
The camera will automatically white
balance when in automatic mode.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
WHITE BALANCE
To get the best image possible, you
should manually set the white balance.
To do so, first set up your lighting
conditions.
Without white balancing, the color will
be off in your video footage.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
EXPOSURE
Exposure deals with how much light is
let into the camera.
If the image is underexposed, your
image will be too dark;
if overexposed, it will be too bright.
In automatic mode, your camera will
set the exposure for you.
In manual mode, you control the
exposure with the iris function.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
LONG SHOTS
Getting nice, long steady shots will
greatly help in editing.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
PROFILE SHOTS
This flattens the frame and is
unsettling for the viewer to see only
one of the person’s eyes on screen.
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SHOOTING TIPS:
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
This frame often feels too personal
and reveals a lot of emotional
information, so should be used
sparingly.
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GET GOOD SOURCE OF AUDIO
HEADPHONES
GET MICROPHONES CLOSE TO
YOUR AUDIO SOURCE
AUDIO
Good audio can make or break a video.
A few things to remember:
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51
GET GOOD SOURCE AUDIO
AUDIO
When filming, you will need to respond
to the acoustics of the space you are in.
Scout the location for audio conditions
prior to filming.
If there is noticeable ambient noise, it
often helps to turn off refrigerators,
computer monitors, televisions, etc.
To that point, never have audible music
in the background when recording an
interview! It will make it difficult to edit.
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52
HEADPHONES
AUDIO
Always wear headphones and monitor
audio from the camera.
Be consistent about recording levels.
If you need a stronger signal, it is ideal
to get closer to your source than
increase level setting, but always
carefully monitor your audio.
The camera audio levels should be near
the middle but not showing red bars.
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AUDIO
Be sure to assess the best microphone
setup for your filming needs.
Place the microphone close to your
sound source, and make sure your
microphones are turned on.
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AUDIO
Whenever possible, always use external
microphones.
Generally, cameras have one plug-in for
an external mic.
The onboard microphone in the
camera does not record very good
audio.
The external mic will give you a higher
audio quality.
There are three external microphones
to choose from.
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LAVALIER MICROPHONES (WIRED)
This microphone is primarily for seated
one-person interviews.
This wired microphone will clip to a
person’s collar or some place close to
their neckline, and will connect directly
into the camera so whoever you are
interviewing will be attached to the
camera through the microphone cord.
(Keep this in mind when using the
camera on a tripod!)
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WIRELESS MICROPHONES
This microphone is primarily for seated
one-person interviews.
This wired microphone will clip to a
person’s collar or some place close to
their neckline, and will connect directly
into the camera so whoever you are
interviewing will be attached to the
camera through the microphone cord.
(Keep this in mind when using the
camera on a tripod!)
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SHOTGUN MICROPHONES
This mic mounts on top of the camera
and is excellent for hand-held camera
work and can also work well for
impromptu “person on the street”
interviews.
It has a narrow pickup range, so make
sure it is relatively close to, and pointed
at, your subject.
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58
AUDIO
GET MICROPHONES CLOSE TO YOUR
AUDIO SOURCE
This greatly improves the sound quality
in your video footage.
NOTE: IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIX BAD AUDIO IN POST-
PRODUCTION, SO THE BEST RULE OF THUMB IS TO
ALWAYS GET THE BEST AUDIO POSSIBLE IN THE
FIELD!
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There are a few things you can do to
always ensure high-quality images in
your video footage:
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
BACKLIGHT
GAIN
LIGHTING
01
FILL LIGHT
02
02
03
KEY LIGHT
01
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
THREE-POINT LIGHTING
BACK LIGHT (OPTIONAL)
03
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60
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
LIGHTING
If it is too dark inside to do your
interview, consider setting up the
interview outside.
Natural light provides an excellent look,
and conducting an interview outside
can also convey information about the
environment and space in which the
interview is occurring.
If you choose to interview outside, make
sure the background doesn’t distract
from the subject.
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OUTDOOR LIGHTING
LIGHTING
If the light is too bright, you can
manually set the iris to control the
exposure.
Close down the iris in bright conditions.
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BACKLIGHT
LIGHTING
If you are filming your interview near a
window, your subject may end up being
backlit.
This means there is light behind the
person, but not enough light on their
face, so you end up having their face in
shadows.
There is a backlight compensation
feature on the camera that you can use
when the camera is in automatic mode.
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BACKLIGHT
LIGHTING
Another way to compensate for this is
to add additional light on the person’s
face.
You can bring over a lamp or use a
white piece of cardboard to bounce
light from the window onto the
person’s face to fill in the light on their
face.
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FILM GAIN
LIGHTING
The gain function on the camera will
digitally raise the light levels when you
are filming in low-light situations.
Be careful ! Too much gain will make
the image look grainy.
You can control the gain by manually
setting the iris and opening it up all the
way.
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KEYLIGHT
This is your principal source of light and
should have the strongest light.
It should be placed at a roughly 30 to
45-degree angle to the person seated
for the interview.
The closer you get the key light to the
person, the fewer shadows there will be
on their face.
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FILL LIGHT
Used to soften the sharp shadows
created by the key light, the fill light
should be less strong than the key light
and positioned opposite from where
the key light is placed.
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BACK LIGHT (OPTIONAL)
The back light is designed to light the
back of the head of the person being
interviewed to separate them from the
background.
Place this light behind and slightly to
the side of the person being
interviewed to light their head which
will separate them from the
background.
This will be the weakest of the light
sources.
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SET-UP
KEY LIGHT
FILL LIGHT
BACK LIGHT
CAMERA
SUBJECT

THANK
YOU PRESENTAION IS
ADOPTED FROM:
Smithsonian Center for
Folklife & Cultural
Heritage
Prepared by: Cee Jae Q. Darunday
NEW CORELLA NHS

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