media workshop

Because until now I have had no prior filming experience, I found this media workshop particularly helpful. Below are some reminders of tips, terms, settings etc. I understand that there are no 'rules' for filming and that certain settings can be well manipulated for certain effects although writing all this down will help me remember the basics.

General tips I learnt:

- Ask open questions (specific to project)
- Ask questions in pairs
- Use eye piece
- Never record over a tape
- Clean camera head with cotton not alcohol
- When a mic has no battery, turn phantom (+48) on
- Lock tape after use
- Label tapes properly
- Rephrase question when something interesting arises and film the subject closer up
- Shutter speed: auto when outside, manual when inside or when there is flickering
- “Nose room”
- Consider vector lines
- Be safe- still shot as well as panning shots
- 10am, 3pm and cloudy weather are the best times to shoot
- If things look too white = overexposure
- Panning = slow, “swush” = fast
- Hold establishing shots for around 15 seconds
- “Clapper board”
- Colour bar- 20 secs
- Guide frames eg zebras
- Don’t zoom

Technical camera stuff/settings-

- White balance- use auto when filming in different lights
- Shutter speed- auto unless fluro, flickering lights (manual 90-100)
- Exposure = how open/close shutter is
Under exposure = close shutter = less light, darker
Auto unless dark person in front of window etc
- Sharpness- middle OK
- Cam colour- middle
- Cinema tone off (type 1 lighter, type 2 more contrast between black and white)
- White balance shift 0
- BS off
- SF off
- Histogram- measures balance of visual signs- off
- Steady shot- on
- Conv lens- off (unless wide lense wide conversion)
NB: People don’t look good wide lense
- Rec format 16:9
DV Set DVSP
Audio FS48K (richer sond) but 32K (kok)
- Mic level
Auto- wireless, changing voices, picks up all ambient noise
Manual- boom mic, wireless outside, reduces ambient sound
- Gun mike- very sensitive therefore manual setting
May need +48V/phantom power on with battery even though it has a battery
- Cannon jack: Ch1: 2 mics
Ch1 +2: 1 mic

How to digitize:

1) Connect camera to computer (play mode)
Then open Final Cut Pro

2) System settings
Set
Desktop
New folder- project

3) Easy setup
NTSC
DV NTSC
Setup

4) Save project as
Choose same file
New folder- “timelinefiles date”
(will join 3 other files)

5) Log and capture
Check VTR OK at bottom- if so, the connection is all OK
Name reels and give description

*terms- non-linear editing uses mata data file, the original data is not ruined
*notes- it’s OK if the sound and quality of the video while digitzing is bad- you do not get audio which it is digitizing

How to edit:

- Double click reel/footage
- Use arrows I (input) and O (output)
- Drag selected footage from left screen (original footage screen) to right screen (editing screen)- insert
- Regularly used features: pen button, razor
- Layout of screen- browser, viewer, canvas
Lower section: timeline