Glossary of Helpful Terms, Concepts & Advice
Related to the Camera:
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Camera Parts & Features - these are standard or basic features
on a camera. Your camera may have different features. If you have any questions,
please e-mail me.
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View Finder - A small eyepiece or screen on the camera that allows
you to see the image you're recording. (The camera also acts as a VCR,
so you can play back and watch what you have already recorded through the
view finder).
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White Balance - If you ever ended up with yellow-tinted video, chances
are you forgot to white balance. It's worthwhile to white balance every
time you use your camera to get the highest quality video. If your camera
doesn't have this feature, it may have an automatic or internal system.
What white balancing does is adjust the intensity of the colors being recorded
according to the existing light. Make sure you white balance every time
the lighting conditions change; if you record video inside and then go
outside, your lighting conditions have changed and you need to instruct
the camera on how to "see" the colors. How do you white balance? You can
place a piece of white paper under the light you will shoot under for reference
- focus on the paper in the view finder, and press the "White Balance"
button. Or you can focus on someone's white T-shirt (make sure it's all
white). Or, your camera may have an automatic white balance setting you
can use by simply adjusting a switch or pressing a button.
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Battery - power source. Make certain you charge them!
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Fade - a gradual increase or decrease of the image and sound. You
can fade an image to black, or do the reverse.
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Focus - There are two ways to focus - auto and manual. When you
focus in "manual", you control the focus. To make sure your shots are in
focus, zoom in and focus up close first, then zoom back. This insures that
what you are shooting is focused to the greatest extent possible. Manual
focus is good to use when there is a lot of movement of dominant figures.
When the camera is in "auto focus" it will automatically focus on the dominant
figure in the center of the view finder. Because it focuses automatically
on the dominant figure, it will adjust to whatever becomes dominant. For
example, if you are focused on a person several feet away, and someone
walks in between the camera and the other person, the camera will adjust
to focus on the new dominant figure - the person who walked in front of
the camera.
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High Shutter Speed - this feature, usually a button on your camera,
allows you to capture objects that are moving at a high speed when you
use this feature.
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Boost (gain)(back light) - this increases light sensitivity for
recording in dim conditions. Often results in "grainy" video.
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Stand by - the equivalent of a "pause" button. This is often faster
than "stop," because the camera does not have to completely restart the
movement of the video tape.
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Time Code - this is a number (could be seconds or frames) that helps
you determine where scenes are located on a video tape. You will see this
when you look through your view finder. You can use this, or the counter,
when logging your tape and editing.
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Frame - a single, complete video image that lasts 1/30th of a second.
There are 30 frames in a second. If your camera or editing system can measure
frames, you can use this as a counter to log your video tape.
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Date/Clock - generally much easier than setting your VCR! This will
show the date and time - sometimes the date and time will not only appear
through the view finder, but also on the video (which you may not want).
You can use it as a time reference for logging if your camera does not
have time code - just turn it on and then off at the beginning of each
shot, or let it stay on.
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B-roll - this refers to certain video you collect. B-roll is any
video that isn't the main action, that illustrates or shows examples. You
might think of it as Background-roll. For example, if you are interviewing
someone and they're talking about the Golden Gate Bridge, you might then
show video of the Golden Gate Bridge (after they are talking, or while
they are talking). This is called B-roll. (And no, there is no A-roll).
Microphone - there are several types of microphones that you can
use to gather sound depending on your purposes. Generally speaking, the
longer the microphone, the more powerful it is in one direction.
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On Camera Mic - this is built on the camera. This small microphone
is about 1.5 inches long and it is "omni-directional," meaning it will
pick up sounds from all directions. This is good to use to capture general
audio from an event, but nothing very specific. Since the microphone is
closer to you than to your subject, be careful - if you're talking, your
voice will dominate.
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Lavaliere Mic - this is a small microphone, about one inch tall,
that can be clipped onto a piece of clothing about four inches below the
speaker's mouth. A thin cord attaches the microphone to a battery pack
that the speaker can put in their pocket or clip onto their clothing. Because
it is not directly attached to the camera it is called a "wireless" microphone.
This is good to use to capture the sound of the speaker. It is generally
used when the speaker is moving around, versus sitting still or standing
at a podium.
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Hand Held Mic - this is a microphone, often attached to the camera
by a long cable, that picks up sound very close to it. (It can also be
"wireless," meaning it has a battery pack and it not directly attached
to the camera). It looks like a ball of ice cream sitting on a sugar cone.
As the name implies, you usually hold this in your hand (while interviewing
someone, for instance). You can also put in on a table or floor stand.
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Shotgun Mic - This long, narrow microphone is designed to pick up
sound that is far away. For example, if some people are 30 feet away, and
you want to hear what they are saying, point this microphone directly at
them. The range of the microphone will vary. You may see this type of microphone
used in sports. For example, trying to pick up what the coach is saying
to the quarterback on the other side of the field.
Camera Shots -There are three basic camera shots
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Wide shot
(also known as Establishing Shot or Long Shot) This shows the whole
scene. Frequently you'll see video pieces begin with a wide shot. It's
helpful because it sets the stage - the viewer knows where s/he is. These
shots are also good if there's a lot of movement. This might show a person
from head to toe.
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Medium Shot
This shot shows less of a scene that the wide shot. The camera seems closer
to the subject (although it may not be if you use your zoom lens). For
example, if you were interviewing someone, this shot would show them from
about the waist up in a medium shot. Use this when you want a closer look
at your subject, or when you need to transition between wide shots and
close up shots (it is difficult for the viewer to follow what you are doing
if you go straight from a wide shot to a close up shot).
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Close Up Shot This shot shows an even smaller part of the subject
or scene. Great for showing detail, like a person's emotional face or individual
leaves on a tree. If you were interviewing someone, this shot would show
the person from the top of the chest or shoulders up. An Extreme
Close Up Shot is even closer than a Close Up. For example, it is
just of the person's eyes, or of a bug gnawing on a leaf.
Other concepts for gathering video
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Over the
Shoulder or Cutaway Shot. A Cutaway is usually a shot of the interviewer,
who can be listening, nodding, or responding to the guest. This is used
a lot in interviews to show the person who's asking the questions. It's
called "over the shoulder" because the photographer is literally shooting
video of the interviewer over the shoulder of the person being interviewed.
(An over the shoulder shot is a type of cutaway). These are very useful
when editing because it gives you an easy way to transition.
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Two Shot/Three
Shot - a two shot has two people in the frame. A three shot has
three people in the frame. Because you have to be some distance from the
people to get them all in the frame, this is usually a medium or wide shot.
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Sequence - a term used in gathering video and editing. It refers
to a series of related shots. For example, a sequence could be a wide shot
of the Bay, followed by a medium shot of a few wind surfers, followed by
a single wind surfer zipping through the water.
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Length of shot - How long you show each shot depends on what's going
on in the shot, and what you're trying to accomplish. If there's a lot
of action or movement in a shot, you may use 20 seconds of it or more.
If nothing is happening in the shot and you're showing a still scene, you
may only use three seconds. When deciding how long to make a shot, keep
in mind that your goal is to gain and hold the audience's attention and
understanding.
Composition/Framing Your Shots
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Composition - There are many ways to compose a shot, depending on
your goals. You want to be aware of what is in the shot and what isn't.
Can you clearly see what you intend for the viewer to see?
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Rule of Thirds - this classic rule suggests that the center of the
camera's attention is one-third of the way down from the top of the shot.
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Headroom - A term used with shots of people. This refers to the
space above the subject's head. You'll see different amounts of headroom,
depending on the intent of the creator of the video. In general, if you're
standing right in front of someone, you'll see that they have space all
around them - they aren't cut off by a frame. By leaving headroom, or space
beside them, you are imitating what you see in real life.
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Talking/Walking Room - If you are interviewing someone or have video
of someone talking, you generally do not want them looking directly at
the camera (again, it depends on your goals - certain situations may call
for that). Generally you want the person to be looking off to the left
or right of the camera a bit. When you do this, frame your shot so that
there is some talking room. That is, you want to leave some extra space
in front of their face as if you were going to draw a dialogue box in for
them. This space is "talking room." If the person is talking to another
person, this shows space between them. Walking room, if the person in motion,
gives them space to walk to. Talking/Walking Room leaves space in the shot
for the action, whether it be words or movement.
Shot Angles
Your shot angle is the level from which you look at your subject.
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Eye-level angle - One of the most commonly used shots is the eye-level
shot. Why? Because it's the perspective most familiar to us - we usually
see things from our own eye-level. This angle also causes the least discomfort
because we're used to it. If you're shooting a person, make sure you shoot
at their eye-level, not yours.
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Low Angle - In this shot the camera looks up at the subject, making
it seem important, powerful, or perhaps larger than it is to the viewer.
For example, you might be sitting on the ground looking up at someone who
is standing. Click here
for an example.
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High Angle - In this shot the camera looks down on the subject,
decreasing its importance. The subject looks smaller. It often gives the
audience a sense of power, or the subject a sense of helplessness. In this
case, you'd be higher than the other person (maybe they're sitting, or
maybe you're standing on a desk) looking down on that person.
Shot Movement
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Pan - A shot taken moving on a horizontal plane (from left to right,
right to left). If you want to show a frisbee flying across a field, you
might use this shot to follow the frisbee from one person to another.
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Tilt - Camera movement in a vertical plane. (up or down) If you
want to show a tall building but you can't get it all in your shot, you
might start at the bottom of the building and go up to the top.
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Zoom - This shot brings you closer to the subject. For example,
from a Wide Shot to a Medium Shot or Close Shot. If you are looking at
the Golden Gate Bridge, and you want to see individual people walking across
it, you might zoom in.
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Reverse Zoom - This shot moves you farther away from the subject.
For example, from a Close Shot to Medium Shot or a Wide Shot. If you have
a Close Up shot of a flower, and want to see the entire field that the
flower is in, you can reverse zoom.
Three notes about shot movement:
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A note about photographer responsibility: you owe it to your viewers not
to make them motion sick, unless, of course, that is your goal! Rapid pans,
tilts, repeated zooms can make a person feel woozy, and may also prevent
them from clearly seeing the video you collected.
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The standard rule with moving shots is this: whenever possible, start your
sequence stationary on a subject, then pan/tilt/zoom/reverse zoom, then
hold stationary again. This helps enormously for editing purposes. For
example, if you want to move your camera from one end of a mountain range
to another, start while focused on one side of the mountain range and hold
that shot for three seconds (stationary position), then pan to the other
side (slowly enough so the video won't be a blur), then stay focused on
the other end of the mountain range for three seconds (stationary position).
If you edit or cut away in the middle of a pan/zoom/tilt/reverse zoom,
you may make your viewer disoriented.
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In general, use shot movement(s) sparingly. Try to put a still shot (no
pan, tilt, or zooming) in between two pans/tilts/zooms. This gives the
viewer a moment to get their bearings.
To use a Tripod, or not to use a Tripod? that is the question
And the answer depends on what you are trying to do. If you're chasing
your subject or want to imitate an earthquake you probably won't use a
tripod because you need to be moving. Or if you want to give the viewer
the impression of walking or running, then you may not want to use a tripod.
Basically, if you want a stable, smooth shot, use a tripod whenever
possible. If you do not have a tripod, invent one. Your body is a natural
tripod. You can also lean up against a tree or wall or sit on a chair for
stability.
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Proper set up - use a wide footprint (the legs of the tripod should be
as far apart as possible for the height you want it set at).
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Tripod Motion - when you use a tripod, you securely attach the camera to
the top of it. The camera can now be moved in two ways - pan (side to side)
or tilt (up or down).
Related to Editing
There are two ways to edit analog video:
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Assemble Edit - Used to copy an entire video, or pieces of a video, onto
a new master video tape (one which does not already have a recorded signal
or control track (black)). This process records the video and audio together
as one signal (which cannot be divided) and combines them on to another
tape. This is often used to make complete copies of programs.
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Insert Edit - This process allows you to edit audio and video, separately
or together, onto a master tape with control track (black). This process
requires a master tape with control track.
Terms and concepts related to editing:
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Control Track (or "black") - An area on a video tape where magnetic
impulses have been recorded. The magnetic impulses act like glue, holding
down the new video you record there. This is necessary for insert editing,
however may not be for assemble editing.
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In Point (Inset Point) - The place on the tape where you want to
start your edit.
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Out Point (Outset Point) - The place on the tape where you want
to finish your edit.
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Natural Sound or Nat Sound - just that, natural sound you pick up
through the camera microphone (versus sound captured through an interview
mic).
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Pre-roll - the amount of time (in frames or seconds) that it takes
for the camera to start rolling before you are actually recording or editing.
This allows the tape to come up to speed before the edit is made. How long
is this? It varies by editing system - could be from 2 -10 seconds.
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Voice Over - an off-camera narrator who puts their voice over the
video. The purpose of the voice over is to describe what is happening on
the video or provide information.
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Master - the original version of your raw footage tape. An original
edited tape is called an edited master.
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Dub - To copy. You can "dub" or "double" a tape. If you copy or
"dub" Tape B from Tape A, you have gone a "generation" of tape. That is
to say, Tape B is not the original. If you copy Tape C from Tape B, you
have gone down two generations in quality - it is a copy of a copy. In
general, to get the highest quality copies, try to make all of your copies
from Tape A, the master.
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Cut - The instantaneous, direct switch from one picture to another.
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Drop Out - video tape images and sound are recorded on magnetic
oxide on the tape. A drop out is a place in the tape where the oxide is
gone, so instead of video there will be a disturbance on the tape. Drop
outs occur over time and their chances increase with the number of times
the tape is used. That's why it's always a good idea to use good quality
new tapes to record something important, and to only reuse a tape 2 or
3 times.
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Monitor - A CRT (cathode ray tube) without a tuner (for receiving
broadcast TV signals) that accepts video and/or audio signals; basically
a TV that only accepts video from a source attached to it. The monitors
are hooked up to VCRs.
Miscellaneous Terms
There are several ways to make a rough or general representation of
your production before any video is gathered. The purpose of doing this
is to help you plan what you need to gather to create your production.
There are three types of this planning tool:
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The Storyboard - usually a series of drawings depicting what you
plan to do. See the Story Boarding Activity.
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The Shot List - a list of shots you want to gather
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The Script - a written description of the video and audio you want
to get.
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Check List - part of planning your video shoot is making sure you
have everything you're going to need (cables, lights, microphone, video
tape, tripod, camera, shot list, etc.). Test all equipment before you get
out in the field. Better to replace a dead battery before you leave for
a shoot, than have to cancel the shoot when you get there.
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Talent - this often refers to the main person on the screen, such
as a news anchor or an interview show host.
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Talking head - this refers to a full screen shot (usually medium
or close up) of a person talking. Often a derogatory term "just a bunch
of talking heads," meaning that it wasn't very interesting visually. Note:
Be careful when setting up an interview to make sure that there is nothing
in the background that might look odd. For example, if there is a tree
in the background, be sure that it doesn't look like it's growing out of
the subject's head.
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Tree full of owls - The crowd watching you work. Picture this -
you're interviewing someone for a story. Behind that person are a bunch
of people watching you interview this person. They are the owls. You're
bound to run into this - people are attracted to video cameras.
Point of View - the perspective from which you are shooting.
For example, you might be a neutral observer, recording events without
taking sides. Or you could be omniscient, showing all points of view. Or
perhaps personal, from one person's point of view.