video school

8/2/2019 Video School

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help supervise the set with the 1st AD.

The Script Supervisor's job is to keep track of what hasbeen shot in accordance with the script including what

changes has been made and how to prevent anycontinuity errors going forward.

The person who makes the chief lighting, framing, andcomposition decisions is the Cinematographer, oftenreferred to as the Director Of Photography (or DP).

The director will often tell the DP what they want the shotto look like and then they will work their magic, makingsure everything looks great to help achieve the director's

vision. On smaller sets, the DP will often double as thecamera operator.

The Camera Operator is the person in charge of workingthe camera to capture the scenes.

The 1st Assistant Camera is often the focus puller. Theirjob is to make sure the shot is always in focus. On smallerproductions, the camera operator will also handle this job.

The 2nd assistant camera is the person who writes all ofthe shot information on the slate and holds it in front ofthe camera before each shot. The slate (or clapboard) isthe device you write all of the shot information (shotnumber, take number, etc) as well as the clapper to helpsync sound.

It's the Production sound mixer's job to make sure thesound is being properly recorded and mixed on set. Theywill hold the sound mixer and listen with a pair ofheadphones to monitor the sound.

A Boom Operator is the person that holds the boommicrophone near the action. On smaller sets, theproduction sound mixer can also take on this roll.

The Key Grip is in charge of supervising camera cranes,dollies, platforms and all on set equipment on a set.


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The Gaffer is responsible for the design and execution ofthe lighting plan on set. They work closely with the DP tomake sure everything is lit correctly. Also referred at asthe Chief Lighting Technician.

The Special Effects Supervisor is in charge of thecreative and technical issues of visual effects on a project.

They take care of anything that will break, explode, burn,collapse, etc. and work with the director on blocking theactors' so they don't get in harm's way.

The Production Designer is responsible for creating thevisual appearance of the film. Working closely with the DP

and Director they are in charge of the look of all settings,costumes, character makeup, and more. Also known asthe Creative Director.

The Art Director develops, coordinates, and oversees theoverall design of the production and is responsible foreverything you see on screen. On a smaller crew, this isalso the Set Designer.

TheProps Master

is in charge of finding and managingall the props that appear on screen.

The Props Builder's job is to construct all custom propsthat are needed for production. Also referred to asPropsmaker

The Make-up Artist / Hairdresser is the person thatdresses and maintains the cast's hair and makeupthroughout the shoot.

It's the Costumer Designer / Supervisor's job to design,obtain, assemble, and maintain the costumes for aproduction.


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StoryboardingStoryboards are tiny drawings that show each scene ofyour film creating a blueprint for your movie. They canhelp you keep your budget down by knowing exactly whatyou need to shoot and help translate to your vision to therest of your crew. In the following video you will see someof the basic tips and rules for storyboarding. You'll learn

ways to draw motion, number your boards, and how toframe your actors.

You dont need any fancy art degree or high end computerto be a storyboarder. All you need is a pencil, piece ofpaper, and your imagination. There all kinds ofstoryboards, from simple stick figures to fully coloreddrawings cut to music. The important thing is that theyboth make a clear and concise plan for what you need to

shoot or animate. Here are some more video examples ofdifferent styles of storyboards:

Now lets start with the basics: The size of your boards canvary, depending on what you are shooting. If you knowthat your video is going to be in a wide screen formatdraw your board according to that size. The boards I drewbelow are pretty loose but it gets across what the shot willbe like but is vague enough for interpretation.

Its important when drawing your boards to number eachscene. Its a good idea to number your shots so you dontget confused later. When a shot is one motion thatrequires multiple boards, create a secondary numberingsystem. For example if your first shot requires threeboards of motion label them 1a, 1b, and 1c.


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Ex. 1


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Make sure you draw your actors in frame and have a clearand consistent background. Feel free to draw outside ofyour frame as well if you are feeling constricted. Look at

the example below, you'll notice that the scene extendsoutside the frame of the storyboard. This is a good way tonot make your image feel cluttered and help loosen upyour drawing.

Ex. 2

When showing a camera movement there are a number ofdifferent ways to draw motion.


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Ex 1. Arrows- these are a very standard way tocommunicate which way you want your camera to move.

Just follow the arrow!

Ex 2. Motion Lines- motion lines are little more subtle butcan emphasize velocity towards an object.


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Ex 3. Multiple Frames- this can be a great way to present aslow creeping zoom, or a fast paced one depending onwhat you are going for.


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You can even try combining all three methods to createyour own way of showing motion.


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Behind the Glass Part 1: An

Introduction to Lenses

A camera without a lens is like macaroni without cheese, aship without sails, Simon without Garfunkel... you get thepoint. Your lens is an important, multitasking gadget,allowing you full control over a variety of aspects to yourshot. Aperture, focus, and focal length are all dictated bythis handy device. But don't take our word for it! Camera

guru, Vincent LaForet is here with Blake to show us thebasics on what lenses do and how to pick one that is bestfor your project. Check out the video below!Aperture

The aperture is the diameter of the lens opening. Thelarger the diameter of the aperture, the more lightreaches the film or image sensor. The aperture alsoperforms a critical function for focus. As the aperturedecreases in size, the background and foreground gainsharpness. This zone of sharpness is called the depth of

field.Aperture is expressed as F-stop and will be indicatedon your camera in abbreviations that look like this: F2.8 orf/2.8.

The "F" stands for the focal length of your lens, and thenumber indicates the diameter of the iris opening. (For amore in-depth explanation, head over to this lesson!)

Focus RingLocated around the barrel of your lens, this helps you

focus the image. Some lenses will also have an auto focusswitch, which means that your lens can do the focusing foryou on those days that your eyes are feeling a little tired.

Prime or Fixed Lens vs Zoom LensA prime lens has a fixed focal length, whereas a zoom lenshas a handy ring that allows you to switch to different lensequivalents within the single lens. But don't knock primelenses entirely! They may be less versatile than a zoom,but they often have superior optical quality, are lighterweight, smaller bulk and cheaper.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperturehttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperture


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Pro tip...

No matter what kind of lens you're using, always try to

zoom by foot (aka- walk yourself closer) to get near to thesubject. This will always provide superior quality asopposed to trying to zoom in with the lens.

A Lens for Every Occasion!Various lenses are suited for specific applications. Letshave a look at some common lenses and what they do.

16mm- An ultra wide lens, this bad boy distorts heavily,emphasizing objects in the foreground by making themlook a lot larger than the background. Dynamic, but usewith caution!28mm- Standard for documentary and photojournalism toshoot cowboy shots, otherwise known as medium shots.35mm- Another standard for documentary filming, alsotight enough to shoot portraits.50mm- Standard for cinema/video, it approximates thehuman eye's typical focal length.85mm- A popular portrait, or "beauty" lens. Capable ofmaking everyone look lovely!200mm- The top of the scale for most people, this is atelephoto lens. Their inherent shallow depth of field makesthem useful in eliminating unwanted foreground andbackground objects by simply throwing them out of focus.Great for sports photography!

Now that we've had a friendly overview, let's take a closerlook at the wonders of focal length and what that means

for your video.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/8/framing-and-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/8/framing-and-composition


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Behind the Glass Part 2: Focal LengthFocal length is an important aspect to keep in mind whenyou're deciding which lens to use to shoot your video.Different focal lengths will affect how your subjects appearin the shot and can even sway a viewer's opinion of yoursubjects. Watch the video to see how!

When you use different lenses, you'll notice that even if

you don't move the camera, the subjects in that image getlarger or smaller. The longer the lens, the morecompressed your image gets meaning things in thebackground will appear much larger than if you were usinga wide-angle lens.

Wide angle lens - 16mm emphasizes theforeground and de-emphasizes the background. Becareful of image distortion while using this lens.

Standard lens - 50mm shows the foreground andbackground subjects as just about the same sizes.

Telephoto lens - 200mm has very little depth offield and highly compresses your image.

Shooting a dialoge scen can be tricky if you don't knowwhich lens to use. To get a natural feel in your dialogescenes, it's best to stick to mid-range lenses that don'tdistort or compress your subjects too much.

A 11mm lens is very wide and will distort the edgesof your shot. Parts of your subjects will appearexaggerated and might look cartoony.

A 200mm lens will make your subjects appear veryclose isolate them in the shot.

A 50mm lens shows gives your subjects room sothey can be easily placed in their scene. A 50 mmlens also won't distort your subjects, so they'll stay

natural looking.


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Pro tip...

If you want to make someone look really good, use alonger focal length. The longer the lens, the more subtlesomeone's facial features become and that makes for aflattering portrait.

In conclusion, not every lens is equal, but each of themcan help you tell a story visually if you know how to usethem. Still hungering for more lens know-how? In the finalepisode, Vincent and Blake teach you all about depth offield.


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Behind the Glass Part 3: Depth of Field

Depth of Field refers to the part of the image that is infocus. A deep DOF allows both the foreground and

background to appear in focus, while a shallow DOF willonly allow focus on a single area or subject.

F-stopDescribes the size of the aperture opening. The lower thef-stop number, the bigger the aperture and the more lightis able to reach the image sensor.A low f-stop (large aperture) results in a shallow DOF. Ahigh f-stop (smaller aperture) gives a deep DOF. To diveinto this further, take a look at our lesson on f-stop andaperture here.

Shallow vs. DeepShallow depth of field means that a subject is in focus butobjects in front and behind it appear out of focus. LessDOF is often desired when shooting portrait, close-up andmacro shots.

Deep depth of field means that all or most of the picture isin focus from front to back. It is often used for capturingsubjects in the distance. This is also preferable fordocumentary work, as you don't know how the subject willmove and it is easier to pull focus.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/54/image-sensorshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperturehttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperturehttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/54/image-sensorshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperturehttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/61/f-stops-and-aperture


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Tripod Tricks

The world of video production can be a pricey place.Luckily, there are tons of quick tips and tricks that canhelp you create professional looking shots for practicallynothing! This lesson focuses on the secrets a plain oldtripod holds deep within those magical extending legs thatcan help take your videos to the next level.

Tripod as dolly slider- If you retract one of the legs on atripod you can use the remaining two legs as pivot pointsto smoothly move your camera back and forth. This effectcan help add motion to a static shot, suspense to a blandscene, or to help emphasize an object. Just remember tocarefully pitch your camera forward and back as you leanthe the camera. This will help keep your shot level whilestill giving you that smooth slider effect we all love.

Tripod as crane- Just like the dolly slider trick you againretract one leg and lean the camera on the remaining two.Since you're trying to emulate a crane shot though, you'llwant to lean the camera far forward, almost to the groundand back. This effect can be exaggerated by extendingthe tripod to its maximum height. These types of shots aregreat for revealing moments in a scene or inverselymoving from high to low to help emphasize a character orobject.

Tripod as steadicam- The weight of your tripod can

actually help smooth out your shots. Just open up the legs


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and grip the tripod from below the camera mount. Theextra weight displacement should help keep small shakesto a minimum. This technique takes some practice to getright but with a nice smooth shot your video will look

better. If you are unsatisfied with your footage, feel free toadd some image stabilization during post. We used FinalCut Pro's 'Smoothcam' filter!

Rubber band for pans- If you take an everyday rubberband and place it on the handle of your tripod you cansmooth out your panning shots. The extra tensionprovided by the rubber band will help make your panshots smooth instead of jumpy. Just make sure to grip thecamera firmly with your other hand as you lead themovement by pulling on the rubber band carefully.

Remember that all tripods are different. Some of youmight own a top of the line model while others might bestuck with your family's old handy-cam tripod. Make dowith what you have and keep in mind that making videosis about being creative and solving problems, it's half thefun! Learning to shoot video isn't an easy task and thesedifferent tricks took us a few times to get just right sopractice before using them on a serious video project.Give them a shot though and who knows, maybe you'llcome up with your own tripod tricks.


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5 Summer Vacation Video Tips

Here in the States, summer is still in full swing, andeveryone knows that the warm months go hand-in-handwith prime vacation season. As video lovers, it's onlynatural to want to preserve those holiday memories toshare with our pals and family members back home, butlet's face it, sometimes our vacay recaps can turn into abit of a snoozefest.

1. Let the location speak for itself!Show, don't tell. Think of the setting as one of the subjectsof your video. You can still be the star, but let the scenehave it's camera time, too.

2. Show us your friends.Video allows for candid moments. Try to capture yourfellow travelers being themselves as opposed to herdingthem in front of notable landmarks and forcing them tosay "Cheese!" (Though a little cheesiness never hurtanyone, see the Pro Tip below!) Take a look at Escape byScott Foley for a good example of this.

3. Think in shots.
http://vimeo.com/26034762http://vimeo.com/scottbfoleyhttp://vimeo.com/26034762http://vimeo.com/scottbfoley


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It's easy to get carried away and film everything you see,but this can make editing a bit of a headache. Have thefinal video in mind when you're shooting, and be selective.

Try to shoot clips that vary in length. It's hard to edit down

really long clips.

4. Document the "moments" you want to remember.Sometimes little things like a bottle of beer sweating inthe sun can bring back the strongest memories. Try tonotice the little things and give those moments some timein your video. If you watch a performance, there's no needto document the whole thing, just show a moment from it,and that's all you need. Think of your video as a highlight

reel!

5. If you're having fun, chances are it's going to befun to watch!If you're having a blast on your vacation, taking somevideo while you're in the midst of your happiness willpreserve that time for the future! Sometimes it doesn'thurt to let one of your trusted travel companions to takesome video of you, too.

Pro tip...

A fun alternative to those classic group vacation shots iswhat we call a 'fauxtograph', where you tell your subjectsyou are taking a picture but it's actually a video. Geteveryone set up and then see how long you can get themto sit still. Trust us, it's a hoot!
http://vimeo.com/groups/weekendproject/album/1618http://vimeo.com/groups/weekendproject/album/1618


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POV (Point of View)

Point of View (POV) is a shooting technique that shows theperspective of a scene literally from a character or objectsposition in the setting. That's just a technical way ofsaying that it enables you to experience a scene firsthand, by putting you in someone else's shoes. Let's diginto some examples to get a sense of what POV is andwhy it's used.

Point of View (POV) is a shooting technique that shows theperspective of a scene literally from a character or objectsposition in the setting. That's just a technical way ofsaying that it enables you to experience a scene firsthand, by putting you in someone else's shoes. Let's dig

into some examples to get a sense of what POV is and


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why it's used.

First off, we'll start with a classic example, the music videofor the Cinnamon Chasers, Luv Deluxe by director Saman

Keshavarz. (Fun fact: This video was shortlisted in the2010 Vimeo Festival and Awards!)

Cinnamon Chasers, Luv Deluxe is shot entirely from theperspective of the protagonist. To do this, a custom madeDSLR rig was attached to the main actor's head. Prettycrazy right? This gives you access to all of the action,emotion, movement, and overall insane drama from themain character's POV. In a sense, it limits your overall

knowledge of the story, since you're only seeing one sideof it, but it also helps you empathize with that character'sexperience.

Again, these types of shots are used to help the audiencestep into the story and see it from a character's eyes. Ifyou're trying to build your character's story, it can be auseful technique. Now let's look at some otherapplications.

In recent years, we've seen a visual explosion from theaction sports community with the use of helmet mountedPOV cameras. It's now possible to experience everythingfrom skydiving to race car driving from the athlete's POV,or this hypnotizing perspective from a surfer.

Awesome, right? It's hard not to get caught up in themoment when you watch from this unique perspective, as

we get to ride along with the biker, wrapped up in theaction of every jump and landing.

It's important to note that POV doesn't strictly apply to theperspective from a person's head. You can have a POVshot from a foot, shoulder, etc. It doesn't even have to bea person! Any object with a camera attached to it will givea POV shot. Here's a great example of object based POVby Chuck Patterson, who attached a camera to a paddle

and was able to record sharks circling his surf board offthe coast of southern California-Chuck is providing us with
http://vimeo.com/6540668http://vimeo.com/samankeshavarzhttp://vimeo.com/samankeshavarzhttp://vimeo.com/awards/shortlisthttp://vimeo.com/6540668http://vimeo.com/5416158http://vimeo.com/1378530http://vimeo.com/11714524http://vimeo.com/user1677461http://vimeo.com/6540668http://vimeo.com/samankeshavarzhttp://vimeo.com/samankeshavarzhttp://vimeo.com/awards/shortlisthttp://vimeo.com/6540668http://vimeo.com/5416158http://vimeo.com/1378530http://vimeo.com/11714524http://vimeo.com/user1677461


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the paddles' POV and because of that, we're able to peerinto the water and get an eyeful of those huge and(hopefully) friendly shark visitors. Just to illustrate objectbased POV a bit more, here's a still image of a mailbox

interior's POV-Not only can POV provide a uniqueperspective, it's also a great way to increase your shotvariety, which generally helps to keep your audienceengaged. POV is a powerful technique used often by manyvideo creators, both amateur and professional alike, andit's absolutely worth exploring with your own filming.

Glossary of Common Video Terms

Here is a list of terms that are helpful to know when you'remaking or editing videos. Memorize them, there will be aquiz at the end of the list.

After Affects is a software primarily used for creatingmotion graphics and visual effects. For more information,check out our lesson Getting Started with Adobe After

Effects.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/7/getting-started-with-adobe-after-effectshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/7/getting-started-with-adobe-after-effectshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/7/getting-started-with-adobe-after-effectshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/7/getting-started-with-adobe-after-effects


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Aperture is the size of the opening within your lens thatallows light onto the image sensor. Aperture is measuredby f-number or f-stops.

Aspect Ratio is the relationship between the width andthe height of your video dimensions expressed as afraction. The most common aspect ratios for video are 4:3,16:9 and 1.85:1. Check out the diagram below for anapproximation of those ratios.

Boom microphones are long, highly directionalmicrophones. They are normally attached to boom polesto capture dialogue in a scene. They also can be mounteddirectly on cameras to capture long distance sound. Formore information, check out our lesson on Capturing GoodSound
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-sound


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Close up is a shot composition where the frame is filledalmost entirely with the subject's face. For moreinformation, check out our lesson on Varying Your ShotComposition.

Color Correction is when an editor digitally manipulatescolors in post-production. For more information, check outour lesson An Introduction to Color Correction.

Compression as it relates to video refers to reducing theamount of data in a video file. While it can take time tocompress a video, it will upload faster, and also downloadquicker for anyone you choose to share the original filewith. We strongly recommend you compress the videosyou upload to Vimeo. You'll be able to upload more videosthat way! Check out our recommended compressionsettings here.

Cut-in also known as insert shots, typically show objectsor props that a character is manipulating. For moreinformation, check out our lesson on Varying Your ShotComposition.

Depth of Field (DOF) refers to the part of your image

that is in focus. A deep DOF will show nearly everything inthe frame sharply in focus. If you have a shallow DOF, a
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/47/an-introduction-to-color-correctionhttp://www.vimeo.com/help/compressionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/47/an-introduction-to-color-correctionhttp://www.vimeo.com/help/compressionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/101/varying-your-shot-composition


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narrow range within your video image will be in focus. Ashallow depth of field allows for greater emphasis to beplaced on your main subject.

Diegetic sound refers to the sound that is present and/orcaptured during the recording of the video. For moreinformation, check out our lesson on Capturing GoodSound.

Digital Zoom is a method of giving an appearance of

zooming without an actual optical lens change. This isaccomplished by cropping the image to a centered areawhile maintaining the same aspect ratio.

A Dolly is a piece of film equipment that runs on a trackto create smooth camera movements. For moreinformation, check out our lesson Do-It-Yourself Dolly andShoulder Rig.

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) This is a type of camerathat uses a mirror to reflect the light coming through the
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/21/do-it-yourself-dolly-and-shoulder-righttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/21/do-it-yourself-dolly-and-shoulder-righttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/2/capturing-good-soundhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/21/do-it-yourself-dolly-and-shoulder-righttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/21/do-it-yourself-dolly-and-shoulder-rig


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lens onto the viewfinder. When you press the shutterbutton on the camera, this mirror swings out of the way toallow light to reach the image sensor. For moreinformation, check out our lesson on DSLR Mechanics.

Export refers to the process of assembling your editedvideo project into a single file that can then be playedback on its own, shared, or uploaded.

Exposure is the amount of time light is allowed to hit thesensor. The longer your exposure, the more light will getin and the brighter your image will be.Fade is the dissolve transition between a normal imageand a black screen. When you dissolve from an image to

black, its a fade out. When you dissolve from black to animage its called a fade in.

Focal length is the distance from the lens to the imagefocus point inside the camera. A high focal length makesdistance objects appear magnified while a low focal lengthgive a wide view of the scenery facing the lens.

Foley is the art of reproducing and creating sounds for

film. For more information, check out our lesson on FoleyArtistry.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/69/dslr-mechanicshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/66/foley-artistryhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/66/foley-artistryhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/69/dslr-mechanicshttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/66/foley-artistryhttp://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/66/foley-artistry


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I.S.O is a camera setting in the digital cameras thatchanges how sensitive the sensor is to light. The higherthe ISO, the more sensitive the sensor is to light, allowing

you to shoot video in low light conditions. Low ISOs areused to shoot video in daylight and bright light conditionsand provide more detail in the image.

Here is a list of terms that are helpful to know when you'remaking or editing videos. Memorize them, there will be aquiz at the end of the list.


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Varying Your Shot Composition

A fundamental part of visual storytelling is variety. If your

entire video consists of one single shot, it's going to behard to keep the audience engaged for the duration of thestory. That's why in most videos and movies there are avariety of shots or compositions that are used to enhancethe storytelling. Keeping in mind the tips from our lessonFraming and Composition, check out the most commontypes of these shots below.

To help illustrate these various shots, we have taken still

images from two recent Vimeo HQ videos, Vimeo Man andTexas Intern. Let's dive into these examples!

EWS - Extremely Wide Shot (or Establishing)Establishing shots are shown towards the beginning or endof a scene, to set the stage and show the full environment.Here we show the exterior of Vimeo HQ, so the audience

knows where the story is about to take place.
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/8/framing-and-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/25717644http://vimeo.com/23156561http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/8/framing-and-compositionhttp://vimeo.com/25717644http://vimeo.com/23156561


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WS - Wide ShotWide shots show the whole subject and their surroundingenvironment. In this shot, we show Matt at his desk, butalso leave it enough room in the shot so that we can seethat others are present.


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MS - Mid ShotThe Mid Shot gets closer to the main subject, showingmore detailed gestures and body language. Here is Mattcoming upon Vimeo Man in disbelief.


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MCU - Medium Close UpMedium Close Ups are just a touch closer than Mid Shots,but give greater detail, in this case it's emphasizing Mattand his obsession with all things Vimeo.


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CU - Close UpClose Ups fill the frame almost entirely with the subject'sface. This emphasizes a character's facial expressions andhelps the audience understand their reactions. Here is aclose up shot of the Texan, blowing smoke from his pistolwhile squinting his eyes.


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ECU - Extreme Close UpExtreme Close Ups are super close to the subject, usuallydetailing just one part of their face, like the eyes or mouth.In this case, it's Vimeo Man's flashy glasses.


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Cut-InCut-Ins, also known as insert shots, typically show objectsor props that a character is manipulating. For example inthe shot above we see the Texan's pistol as he is firing it.


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Two-ShotTwo-Shots show two subjects in the frame and theirspatial relation to one another. Usually both are positionedto fill up roughly the same amount of space within theframe. Two shots are often used during dialogue sceneslike in the shot above where Andrea is explaining Vimeo toMatt.


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OTS - Over The Shoulder Shot

Over The Shoulder shots are also used in dialogue scenesto show conversations between two people but with anemphasis on a particular character's perspective. Here wesee Dan and the Texan discussing modes oftransportation.

All of these common shot types emphasize differentelements of your video. Whether it's the setting, a facialexpression, or an object in an insert shot, they all help totell the story by focusing the viewers attention. It's up toyou as a video maker to tell your story in a series of shots,so think of what you want to convey and emphasize that

with your shot selection. You'll find that a good dose ofshot variety helps keep your audience engaged andwatching, and that's a good thing!


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3-Point Lighting

Three-Point Lighting is the basic lighting setup to use

when you want to get great looking shots of people you'refilming. It seems self-explanitory -- you want to light thesubject so you can easily see them, but using a 3-pointlighting set up will make your subject look awesome andyou'll be instantly renowned as a professional.

Three-point lighting is exactly what it sounds like. Youlight your subject from three different sources in order tocontrol the shadows and balance the contrast.

Three Light Sources:

Key: This is the main light source. It shines directlyon the subject, usually from the front-right or front-left. It provides the overall look and feel of the shot.

Fill: The fill provides balance to the key by filling inthe rest of the subjects face with a softer light. Itcomes in from the front-side opposite the key light.

Back: The back light creates a nice rim of lightaround the back the subject, separating them fromthe background. It can also be called a "hairlight" or"rim-light".

For extra credit...

A light source can be something other than an actual lightwith a bulb. Try using a large window for a key, or use alarge piece of white cardboard to bounce for a fill. Usewhat's available!


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How to Setup 3-Point Lighting:

1. Start in the dark. Begin with all of your lights off,

and as little other ambient light as possible. This willhelp you differentiate between the three lights thatyou will be adding.

2. Add your key light. Your key light is the brightestlight in the scene and creates the overall feel of theshot. Adjust its brightness to your liking. It'srecommended to angle the key light about 30degrees the right or the left of the subject. Anothergood tip is to have the key light nice and high, to

reduce shadows on the face.3. Add your fill light. The fill light should be on theopposite side of the key, but still in the front. A goodtip is to not make the key and fill symmetrical. The fillshould be at face-level of the subject, and should fillin the remaining shadows. The intensity of the filllight should be about half of the key light.

4. Add your back light. And finally, the back light willseparate your subject from the background. It can beplaced anywhere behind the subject, but make sureto not get it in the shot! You'll want to angle it downfrom pretty high, so as to achieve a nice outline onthe edge of the subject.

5.

For extra credit...

Colored gels can be placed over your lights to change thetone of your shots with color. They are available in allsorts of colors and add some fun to your scene.


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