Camera Movement Techniques

Aperture WHAT IS IT? TIPS: This is the opening within the camera lens that controls the amount of • Keep aperture between 2.8 light entering the camera. The wider the aperture is open, the more light - 6 for best results the camera receives. The more you close the aperture, the less light the camera receives. • Set your aperture and leave it, unless you absolutely need Each lens has specific max aperture. The wider the aperture can go, the to adjust more expensive the lens (typically). The aperture is printed on the lens. • Use a larger aperture (2 - 4) This is the max (widest) aperture of the lens. For some of my Canon for a shallow depth of field lenses, this number is 1.8. The lower the number, the wider the aperture. So as I adjust the aperture as I’m using the camera, the numbers will go • Use medium aperture (3 - 6) for filming people/faces from 1.8 to 16 or something higher. The higher number indicates less light entering the camera.

CONTROLLING DEPTH OF FIELD Have you seen video where the subject is in focus and everything else in the background is out of focus? We like this because our eyes work in similar fashion and cinema cameras provide this look for movies. We call this “depth of field.” Aperture controls the depth of field we get in the camera. The more light entering the camera through a wider aperture (1.8) provides a smaller depth of field.

For example, if you take a video of someone with the aperture completely open (1.8), then you could focus on the tip of their nose and their eyes will be slight blurry because of the depth of field is narrow. If you close the aperture (5.6), your depth of field then becomes larger, thus the same shot focused on someone’s nose will also capture their eyes in focus as well because your depth of field is now larger.

03 Shutter Speed TIPS: WHAT IS IT? The shutter exists behind the lens and is responsible for fast or blurred • Whatever your frame rate motion. In most cases, you will always maintain the same shutter speed is, double your shutter speed: 60 fps - 1/125 depending upon your frame rate. The shutter speed will only increase or shutter speed. decrease based on your frame rate.

• Don’t worry about the Example: if your frame rate is 24fps then your shutter speed should be a fraction (1/50). Always look at the denominator. minimum of 1/50. Do not slow the shutter to 1/40. You can increase shutter to 1/60 or a little higher if you need to darken your video. • You can increase your shutter speed to reduce Shutter speed is measured in fractions of seconds, when under a second, light such as the 1/50 above. This means the shutter will fire at 1/50 of a second. • Increase your shutter If you increase the shutter to 1/60 of a second, then the shutter is firing at a speed if you want to reduce quicker rate, which means it has less exposure to light, thus making your motion blur video darker. This is another technique for decreasing light in your camera, although you won’t use this technique as often.

05 ISO WHAT IS IT? TIPS:

The image sensor (ISO) is the level of sensitivity of your camera to • Lock in aperture and available light. In particular, you use ISO to increase or decrease the shutter speed, then use amount of light in your video or image. The lower the number, the less your ISO setting to let more light in or reduce light in the sensitive the camera is to the light. A higher number increases sensitivity. camera

For example, in daylight you wouldn’t increase the sensitivity from 100 ISO • Aim for using ISO because there’s enough available light. However, let’s say you go outside at between 100 and 1,000 8pm and the sun has set, now you have very little light. You need to • Try not to go beyond 3200 increase the ISO to at least 1,000 to see anything. ISO, otherwise the image quality will decrease and Example: You want to film inside your office where there’s some natural become grainy light but you’re also using your continuous lights. You set your aperture to 4.0 and leave it there. Your shutter speed is 1/50 because you’re filming at 24fps. But maybe it’s still a tad dark. Instead of turning your continuous lights up more and blinding yourself, you could increase the ISO to let more light into the camera.

07 White Balance TIPS: WHAT IS IT? This is the main setting that controls the color of your video. The white • Use the appropriate white balance preset for your balance is set based on main light source of your scene. If the camera’s environment. If it still white balance isn’t set appropriately, then you will either get more orange doesn’t look right, then use or blue in your shot. the Kelvin scale to fine tune. Example: If you have tungsten lights in your office and you don’t adjust • Watch for more orange or blue tints - this means the your white balance for tungsten light, then you’ll probably have very orange white balance isn’t correct tinted video. If you have fluorescent lights, and you don’t adjust appropriately, then you will have more blue tinted video. • Use color to create mood - warmer tones can be Cameras come with preset white balance settings for environments like the inviting and cooler tones can be more corporate following: daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, etc. The Canon 5D feeling Mark IV also has a Kelvin scale, which is handy. With the Kelvin scale option, you can adjust the temperature manually. This can be used if you have two different light sources, such as daylight and tungsten, or if you just want to adjust the color to your needs.

09 Frame Rate WHAT IS IT? TIPS: The frame rate is the amount of frames per second that the camera • Keep your frame rate at 24 captures. Most cinema movies you watch are filmed in 24 frames per or 30 fps. Personal second (fps). Most sports are filmed in 30fps. Why the difference? Well, recommendation is to consider that sports are faster moving so we want more frames to capture always use 24fps. the action. When we bump down to 24 frames per second, it appears a bit slower and more cinematic. I prefer 24fps because I like the style more. • Only use 60fps if you plan to do slow motion. Do not use this frame rate for Research suggests that our brains perceive reality at 40fps. Going above interviews or anyone talking this without slowing anything done makes a viewer feel uncomfortable on camera. because it doesn’t feel like reality. • Use 30fps if you want to reduce motion blur There are faster frame rates at 60, 120 and beyond. Many cameras can do 60 and 120fps. These frame rates are reserved for slow motion use. You capture double or triple the amount of frames you need so you can slow the footage down and there aren’t dropped frames. You couldn’t slow 24fps because it produces choppy video (not enough frames). However, you can slow 60fps to 40% and be at 24fps but achieve smooth slow motion.

Frame rate and shutter speed both determine motion blur. If you film something fast moving, such as a speeding car, at 24fps and 1/50 shutter speed then you will get some motion blur. However, many of us have come to see this as normal because of the films we watch. If you want to reduce motion blur, then you can increase your frame rate and your shutter speed.

11 Setting your scene & composition Good Lighting

Lighting

Mixed Temperature Lighting Poor Lighting STEP 1 Assess the room you want to film within. What is the primary light source? If the majority of your light is coming from a window, then you don’t want to put your back to the window otherwise you will have a large silhouette.

STEP 2 If you have a window with adequate natural light, either sit facing it (3-5ft from the window) or use the natural light to fill from one side and fill the other side with a continuous LED light set to daylight temperature. If you don’t have a window, then you will need at least two continuous LED lights.

STEP 3 Always set up your continuous lights at a 25-30˚ left or right of the direction you’re facing. You need two light sources, either natural light + 1 LED light or 2 LED lights, to properly light your subject and not cast awkward shadows.

STEP 4 Balance your color. If you’re using natural light + 1 LED light, then set your LED light to daylight Kelvin (4600-6500K) to balance color. If you’re using 2 LED lights, then set the temperature of each to match, otherwise you will end up with strange color tones.

STEP 5 Have your camera set to the desired aperture and shutter speed you need. With your ISO, don’t go beyond 1,000 if you’re setting up and using professional lights. At this point, if your subject and scene are too dark then you need to increase the intensity of the LED light(s). Never use the light(s) at full intensity - you shouldn’t need to do this. Then if you need to increase or decrease light in the camera, I recommend adjusting the ISO up or down by 100 in either direction.

14 Positioning Use the following guidelines to position your subject for on-camera talking or interviews.

• Stand or sit at least 2-3ft off the nearest wall

• If sitting, select a stool or low-profile chair. If you use a swivel stool or chair, be aware that the subject is tempted to move side-to-side. Make it a point to sit still.

• If speaking directly into the camera, feel free to lean forward a bit to be more personable with the audience.

• Avoid leaning back in all instances - this shows you’re scared of talking or less engaged

• Position the camera to be at eye-level so you aren’t looking down into the camera or looking up into the camera.

16 Composition Similar to positioning, composition is all about getting the subject positioned (composed) within the frame of the shot. Now, composition is specific based on what you want to tell. In this case, you will be composing the same way for most of your shots because you’re going to be speaking into the camera - sharing information or demonstrating a procedure.

Use the following guidelines to compose your shot:

• Make sure there is nothing distracting in your shot, such as photos or objects on the wall that take away from what you’re sharing

• Compose your subject from waistline to top-of-head (with a little bit of room) for shots where you want to show and describe something

• Compose your subject from chest to top-of-head for shots where you’re speaking more directly or more intimately with the audience, such as sharing about yourself or telling a story

• Do not show your light sources - compose your shot so windows and LED lights can’t be seen

18 Focus This seems like a no-brainer, but let’s not forget about the importance of focus. There might be a time when you accidentally start filming a segment but forget to set the focus appropriately. With the Canon 5D Mark IV camera you can easily set the camera to lock focus on your subject, such as locking onto your face.

Since this camera doesn’t have an articulating screen (to see yourself), the best way to set and monitor focus on your own is by connecting to the camera via the Canon app and having a tablet or smartphone nearby to be your monitor.

Before you start filming, make sure you lock focus to your subject. This camera has great autofocus technology, so it shouldn’t stop focusing on your subject once you’ve locked in the focus.

How to achieve better focus:

• Tap and hold to lock on autofocus to a face or object

• Also use wide autofocus or centered autofocus

• When shooting b-roll, use wide, centered or switch to manual

• When using manual, be careful to not focus too fast

20 Producing video content What & How Much To Share

Knowing what to share and how much to share in each video helps set a good pace for you and the viewer. Yes, attention spans are much shorter these days, so we need to keep things organized and concise.

Here are guidelines for what to share and how much to share:

• Start by sharing answers to the most popular questions you receive - such as, “will drinking wine stain my teeth?” Tackle topics that people really want to know about.

• Aim for a maximum of 3 minutes per video. For most topical videos, I recommend aiming for 2 minutes in length. If you’re answering a question, make sure you put the answer at the beginning and then go into further details. Some viewers want the 15 second answer. Some want the full explanation. If you put the answer at the front, then you can satisfy everyone.

• Use visual props within your videos. If you’re talking about staining from wine, have a glass of wine you can hold and use as a prop. Then you could use a mold and describe how it stains teeth over time.

22 Preparing On-Camera Talks

STEP 1 Write down what you want to share. If it helps, write questions and then answer them with talking points, which is the content you will share on-camera. This doesn’t need to be formal. Write quick points to help you know what to include and what to exclude.

STEP 2 Read your talking points aloud. Doing so will help you identify any awkward wording or points that don’t make sense. You won’t know until you hear yourself say it aloud. Make edits according to what you hear.

STEP 3 Set up your camera in the area you’re going to film (don’t turn it on) and practice your talk or interview. Bring your tablet, computer or paper with you for reference. Do not hold your tablet, computer or paper. Put it on the ground or next to you on a table so you aren’t tempted to always look at it. Rehearse a section at a time until you can share everything together. The key is to keep everything natural and conversational. Perfection never happens. So don’t let that hinder you.

STEP 4 Now begin lighting and composing your shot correctly.

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Example Script

“Hey everybody, Dr. Will here. I get this question a lot: if I drink red wine on a regular basis will it stain my teeth?

The short answer is yes. But why is that? Well, the enamel on our teeth isn’t perfectly smooth. There are actually small cracks within your enamel. So the pigmentation from red wine will settle within the enamel.

Wine is an acidic beverage so it does cause enamel erosion, weakening the enamel and allowing stains to occur. While this does happen, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a glass of red wine on a regular basis.

Here are 3 ways to lessen staining from wine:

First, brush and floss before pouring a glass of wine. This will remove plaque on your teeth, which stain clings to.

Second, rinse your mouth afterward with water. Or as you drink wine also have a glass of water nearby.

Third, eat as you drink. Foods that aren’t high in sugar will help stimulate saliva flow and naturally scrub away stains.

So, does red wine stain teeth? Yes it does. But you can take some crucial steps to minimize staining and still enjoy wine.”

25 Capturing B-Roll Footage What To Capture

The most powerful b-roll footage is the kind that shows what is being described. If you’re talking about teeth cleaning, then the b-roll footage needs to be of someone getting their teeth cleaned. This is why you need to think ahead of time. If you can film your on-camera talk first, then you will have a better sense of the b-roll footage you need to capture to supplement your talk.

After you film your on-camera talk, review the video and write down a shot list for b-roll. For example, if you mentioned brushing techniques, then make a shot list for getting those b-roll shots. Here’s an example shot list for that situation:

WIDE DETAIL • Hygienist & patient in a room • Close up of toothbrush • Hygienist showing patient how to brush • Close up hand moving • Close up of teeth MEDIUM • Close up of hygienist teaching • Patient getting a toothbrush • Patient looking into mirror as they brush • Hygienist instructing patient

Now you have a whole scene of b-roll footage to go with your on-camera talk and it pairs wonderfully for what you’re discussing.

27 Camera Movement Techniques

PAN Movement of the camera to the left or right along the horizontal axis

TILT Movement of the camera up or down along the vertical access

DOLLY Movement of the camera body forward or backward

Those are three of the most important camera movement techniques to know. You can certainly combine them, such as a tilt pan or dolly pan. These are important for capturing b-roll footage. To achieve smooth camera movements, you can use your tripod to pan or tilt. This is a great way to learn how to tilt and pan, and when it’s appropriate to add camera movement.

28 B-Roll Scenes I like to think of b-roll in terms of scenes. When you enter a room to TIPS: capture footage, there’s an order in which you can capture footage that will help you: • Capture a minimum of 5 seconds at each angle you select. It’s ALWAYS better to ESTABLISHING SHOTS capture more than too little. Get the shots that establish the setting. For this, use a wider angle lens or • Watch your lighting. Each zoom all the way out on your lens. Maybe the subject is a patient in the room is going to be different chair. Enter the room, stand at the angle to the chair and tilt from top to so make sure you check your bottom to set the scene. Or pan side-to-side to set the scene as well. white balance. If you’re worried, then set your white balance to auto (AWB). MEDIUM SHOTS move in for some tighter shots. These aren’t going to be as tight as your • Look for windows because next shot (detail shots) but will help bring the viewer closer to the subject. they can add too much light to your shot, so avoid For a patient in the chair, get a shot of him/her and the hygienist. Move shooting directly toward the around to at least 3 different angles. This could be going to the other side window. You can use the of the room or it could be filming over the shoulder of the hygienist. window to your advantage by allowing it to light your subject from the sides or DETAIL SHOTS front. now you’re moving in for the details. This could include close ups on the instruments being used. Brushing of the patient’s teeth. The patient • Check your focus. Make sure the subject of your shot smiling. The hygienist adjusting the light. Again, move around to get various is in focus. You don’t want the angles and don’t keep the camera at the same height. Go high and go low. patient to be taking up most of the shot but your focus is accidentally on the cabinet in EXTRA MOVEMENT SHOTS the background. these are some extra movement shots for more dynamic video that can be used, but aren’t absolutely crucial. These could include moving with the hygienist as he/she picks up different instruments or following the patient as they enter the room.

30 Most Common Mistakes To Avoid INCORRECT WHITE BALANCE It’s easy to fire up the camera and forget about the white balance setting. You may not think about this when you hit record but when you review the footage you will notice it’s either too orange (warm) or blue (cool). Make sure you set the correct white balance or at least use auto white balance.

OUT OF FOCUS You might hit record and completely forget about the focus of the camera and then review your best take to find out you weren’t even in focus. Make sure you set the camera to autofocus and if you’re filming yourself, use the app to lock focus to your face.

SHADOWS It’s easy to cast shadows with your lighting. If you only have one continuous LED light on you, then behind on the wall you will have a shadow. If you only light with natural light to the side, then you will have a shadow across half of your face. You need to either fill those shadows with another LED light or face the window.

MIC TURNED OFF Most shotgun mics attached to a camera use their own power sources. It’s easy to turn the camera on but forget to turn the mic on. Make sure everything is on before you start recording.

NOT WRITING/READING A SCRIPT There are times when you can get on camera and film a perfect segment without much practice. This doesn’t happen often. You waste an hour or more if you don’t write a short script and you don’t read it aloud first. Make everything go smooth and make your message concise by writing/reading before you hit record. It will make everything better.

TOO LITTLE B-ROLL FOOTAGE If you capture footage around the office, the biggest mistake new videographers make is not capturing enough footage. Make sure you capture at least 5 seconds of good footage per shot. Don’t rush yourself. 32