E-mail this pageDigital Video: Shooting Better Video
This document is not calculated to make a cinematographer out of anyone, but it may serve to help you to shoot more effective video.
Video cameras and video tapes
How good your video turns out is, in part, a function of the sort of camera and tape on which it is shot. Assuming that there is no difference in the lenses, lighting, or other capabilities of the video cameras, you'll find that VHS video cameras will not produce as good a video signal as SVHS video cameras; 8mm and Hi-8 cameras will produce better signals still; and Digital-8mm and mini-DV cameras will do even better. If you have a choice as you go into a video project, start with a Digital-8mm or a mini-DV camera. (Instructional Technology has a pair of mini-DV cameras for loan to faculty members.)
Find some extra hands
Almost any video you shoot will benefit substantially from the use of a tripod. A tripod will not only keep the image from bouncing wildly on the screen, but it also lets you get into your own video. Besides, it's so much more elegant to use a tripod than to prop the camera up on a stack of books and papers. Useful, too, is a second person--someone who can wave you back into the frame if you happen to walk out of it, someone who can make sure that the camera is running when it should be running, someone who can let you know that your tape ran out before your lecture was over, etc.
Size up your subject
While you want to get as much of your subject into the video frame as possible, it is important to consider a couple of things about how that video will actually appear in its final incarnation. If you're thinking of streaming the video from a web site or from the media server, you should remember that the image will be very, very small--no greater than 320X240 pixels.
The illustration above represents a 320X240 window, for your reference. You'll note that it's a pretty small space, and you'd probably not want to have altogether too many teensy images crowding around for attention within it. If you're looking at incorporating a clip into a web site or into a window of a PowerPoint presentation, you'll want to ensure that you've got as close a focus on your subject matter as your subject will bear.
But even if you were shooting the video for a full screen DVD video, you'd have to take some pains to ensure that the action of the video takes place within the center of the frame. The two central rectangles in the image above represent the "safe" area for action, meaning that video action within them is not likely to get clipped on the sides, the top, or the bottom when it is displayed on a TV screen. (The inner rectangle represents the "safe" area for titles, meaning that titles displayed in this area will be visible even if the playback monitor clips the edges of the video.) Portions of the video that appear beyond the "safe" areas always risk being clipped away by the vast majority of analog video display monitors.
Lights and Focus
Most consumer video cameras will automatically adjust for varying levels of light, just as they will generally also feature a fairly broad focal range. The result is usually that everything looks pretty flat and undistinguished. If your subject matter allows it, a little bit of focused lighting can help the subject stand out against the background, and a little work with the AE settings and manual focus over-rides can bring your subject to the foreground.
Planning Ahead
All of the points above are part of a planning process that, presumably, also includes sorting out the object of the video (why are you making it?), a storyboard or outline (how will it proceed and what will it include?), and a recognition of your target audience (who are you making it for?). These questions have little to do with the technical aspects of shooting video, but you will probably be happiest with your video results if you deal with them at some length before you find yourself with hours of odd clips in desperate need of editing.