DIGITAL VIDEO SHOOTING THEORY

First published by www.oxdv.co.uk

Oxford Digital Video

Now printed by www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk

29 Swallow Street Iver Heath SL0 0ER

Copyright © www.oxdv.co.uk 2006

All rights reserved.

This document is supplied FREE to the whole of the UK, Commonwealth and Irish
education systems in reparation of the shortfall in the UK National Curriculum, and is
subject to the condition that the copyright notice in the foot of this document is kept
and displayed on all copies.

ISBN 10 1-905415-17-6
ISBN 13 978-1-905415-17-5

© Copyright of and Published by oxford digital video - updated 21st Sept 2006 FREE to all with this copyright notice 1
DIGITAL VIDEO SHOOTING THEORY
Composition
Activity
Use your hands to make a picture frame.
You now have a camera operator's point of view.
Practise viewing through your camera of hands:
1] A person standing at the front of the class
2] A small object, say a pen on your desk
3] A building in the distance, through the window.
Shot 1. Standard Frame Composition
Keep action on the left, with space on the right to move into.
Here the screen is divided into thirds,
with room for the action to move into.
Thirds
The audience is expecting
the action to move right.
Note most shots are
taken at eye level, with
the eyes on the top third line.
A tight close up will put the
mouth on the bottom third line.
Safe
Thirds
Imagine the screen is divided into thirds.
With Sky news, the bottom third usually runs a tick-a-tape news bulletin.
The weather presenter usually stands in the left third,
with the weather chart filling the remainder.
Normally the left side of the composition is considered to be the lead area.
Quite often the good guy or lead role is on the left,
talking to the actors on the right.
Action is more frequently played out left to right than in any other direction.
Cropping
All televisions crop off the outer edges of the picture.
So that titles and heads are not cropped, camera operators need to keep their
subjects at least 10% away from the edge of the frame.
SHOOTING AD-0011 Composition
AD-0012 Viewpoint
Some cameras and most editing software THEORY AD-0050 Starting point observation
FRAMING AD-0058 Investigating materials/methods/approaches
have markings around the edge of their AD-0059 Collecting visual & other information
AD-0065 Recording information/data using ICT
monitors. AD-0071 Creative/making potential of tools and equipment
AD-0072 Visual communication of ideas and concept
Everything inside the markings is called the AD-0073 Meaning and messages
AD-0075 Digital Photography
safe area. AD-0077 Photomontage
AD-0080 Balance - even distribution of composition/structure
AD-0083 Rhythm - harmonious correlation of parts
ICT-0062 New technologies and tools
Next time you watch the news or a sporting ICT-0065 Recording information/data using ICT
ICT-5043 Still image photographs
event, sketch how the broadcasters shoot. ICT-5075 Digital camera
Sc-0014 Recording observation / measurements
Standard AD-0016 Photography/film/video
AD-0050 Starting point observation
Composition AD-0044 Symbols, codes & conventions - practise
Wide Mid Close AD-0016 Photography/film/video
AD-0050 Starting point observation

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 Camera Techniques

Wide, Mid and Close

Shot 2
Move further back until the person appears like
this in your viewer - it is called a Wide shot.

The whole person.

Shot 3
Move closer until the person appears like
this in your viewer - it is called a Mid shot.

Waist to head.

Shot 4
When a person appears like this in
your viewer - it is called a Close shot.

A head and shoulder shot.

Please appreciate that many books on Digital Video when they discuss wide
mid and close are only referring to people.
The weather shot of the earth from space is a "close in" of our planet.
However, with regard to people the following are reasonable interpretations
Extreme close in = one eye, or just the eyes,
or just one finger or toe, or one ear
Close in tight = the whole head, or head and shoulders
Close in [2 people] = both heads
Mid shot = head to waist of one person
or two seated newsreaders
Full shot = presenter standing in shot from head to toe
The presenter can be on the left third or central.
AD-0016 Photography/film/video
Wide No Zoom = the whole studio Wide means the whole scene. AD-0059 Collecting visual & other information
AD-0011 Composition
AD-0080 Balance - even distribution of composition/structure
AD-0044 Symbols, codes & conventions - practise
ICT-0002 Relationships and rules
KSC-0012 Using different forms/styles to suit situation
TSRG-0005 Using precise language to reason

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Shot 5 Panning
Stand against one wall and frame the left edge of opposite wall.
Now turn slowly, keeping your arms steady,
so that your camera view moves across the wall.
This is called a pan shot.

Shot 6 Tracking
You can follow a person that is moving away from you by zooming.
You can follow a person moving across the background by panning.
If you [the camera] move with the subject
[at the same speed and in the same direction] then,
this is called tracking.

Safety note: Before walking backwards, please ensure the area is clear of
obstruction, [professional's use guides who look were they are walking].

I am the safety guide

for the camera operator,
who is walking backwards

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Tracking
The camera needs to be held steady for 95% of the time.

But that doesn't mean that

it has to be stationary.

Cameras can be on trolleys so as to track the action,

or bolted onto a car, to keep the actors steady in a moving scene.

These photos are of a three-man camera crew using a dolly to smoothly track the
action, across the curb and into a car park.

Trolleys and cameras

range in price and
complexity.

Below is a Lego camera on a trolley, tracking the action.

A camera CLAMPED to a bicycle can record action

equally as smoothly as the two above.

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Shooting 7 A conversation
Here the yellow and blue actors are 2m apart
and you [the camera] are 2m from both of them.

This creates a 60 degree triangle,

which is often used for shooting
a conversation.

First you frame the lead actor

[yellow] on the left, and they then
deliver his or her lines.

Note: Convention requires the

lead actor to be on the left of shot,
and they usually deliver his or her lines first.

Next you frame the blue actor on the right, and they
then deliver his or her reply.

By shooting this way, the viewing audience feel as though they are there,
with the camera position letting them feel involved with the conversation.

When viewed from the camera viewpoint, remember to frame the actors at the outer
edge of the frame, facing into the centre.

What really looks un-natural is an actor who is framed with their face close to the
"wrong" edge of the picture. Try this for yourselves.

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Over the Shoulder Shot [8]

Here is another commonly used shot

that you can practise even without a
camera.

Two people stand facing each other, and

you [the camera]
stand behind one of the
conversationalists and
look over his or her shoulder.

The lead actor should be on the left,

whilst the secondary actor forms part of
the frame. Strictly speaking it is the back
of his or her head and shoulder that are
used to frame the shot.

Two-camera shooting of a conversation [9]

This is a more advanced technique that is can often be seen on television.
Frost Report is based around this common method of shooting.

In a two-camera shoot there is a master shot;

the grey camera operator can see both
conversationlists at all times.
Again the lead subject [the interviewee in
yellow] should be in the left of frame, with
the interviewer [blue] on the right.
The second camera must be out
of the master shot view- finder,
and often takes an over the
shoulder shot, so that the
audience will get the interviewer's
viewpoint.
This gives a strong impression
that the viewing audience is
quizzing the subject, and the
subject appears to be directly
addressing the audience.
When cutting the two shots together the master shot lays on the main timeline with
the secondary shot on an overlay track.
The master shot is used for the question and at that time,
the secondary shot is cut away.
The top track is the master shot.
The second track is the over the shoulder camera.
Spikes in the waveforms on audio tracks help with alignment.
This is the quick and easy way clips are synchronised from the clapperboard.

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NEVER CROSS the LINE [10]
Another golden Rule:

Imagine there is a line between the two actors.

Never shoot consecutive shots from

opposite sides of the line.

When assembled in the edit stage,

the two shots will be very confusing to the audience;
because in the first shot the lead actor will be on the left.

In the next shot the lead will be on the right.

In the following shot the lead will be back on the left.

ICT-0002 Relationships and rules

AD-0044 Symbols, codes & conventions - practise

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Movement between shots is standard practise, the most common sequence moves
the camera from centre, to 45 degrees left of centre. The next shot moves back onto
the centre line. Shot three will move 45 degrees off centre to the right.
At all times the actors must remain in the exact same location.
Heavy sticks or bean bags are placed hard against the actor's feet for this purpose.

STANDARD SHOT SEQUENCE COMPOSITION

By convention
Shot 1 is a WIDE SHOT 'Establishing Shot'
No zoom; as wide as possible, this shot establishes the stage on which the actors
will perform, and should aim to visually explain the context in which the scene will
take place.
Actors will appear at their full height in the camera's view finder.
Standard stage position for the lead actor is on the Left Third line.
Frame the shot with actor's eyes on the top third line.
The wide shot introduces the audience to the whole scene. For the viewers to absorb
this opening shot the duration should be long and not static.
Wide shots cover ALL the action, and are combined with other shots keeping the
audience orientated, and to remind them of the plot.

Shot 2 is a MID SHOT 'Waist to Head Shot'

A mid shot comes after a wide shot, before the close shot, and is used
to introduce individual actors in more detail.
Shot 3 is a CLOSE SHOT [of Hand or Eye] 'Head & Shoulders Shot'
Frame the shot with the actor's eyes on the top third line.
Normally, a close shot comes after a mid shot, to pick out even more detail of the
actors. Mainly so the audience will be able to clearly see the eyes and to see how
this actor's face changes when they hear the words of other actors.
Key details or the crucial lines of the script need to be shot in close.
Standard Lighting. It is import to use a spotlight to pick out the actor's eyes,
and to add the 'sparkle' in the iris. Backlight will separate the subject from the
background. Fill lighting will even out the shadows.
This is the STANDARD SHOT SEQUENCE COMPOSITION and is aimed at drawing
the audience into the story.
Shot 1 = Wide || Establish Scene ||
Shot 2 = Mid || Introduce Actor ||
Shot 3 = Close || Pick out Detail ||

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 Stop Motion Animation
Stop motion is a series of pictures of a model, or scene, that the video creator
changes slightly between shots, to produce the illusion of movement.
If the movement is too much (or not enough) delete the picture and
re-capture when setup correctly.
For very smooth action set the project settings to 15 frames per second or more.
A jerky 5, 7 or 10 frames per second may be desirable.
An animated model that moves too smoothly may not be as realistic,
as the audience expect animations to be a little jerky.

Stop Motion Photography

This is also used to depict the fast passage of time. Here the video creator collects
shots separated by several seconds/minutes.
A common example is the view of a motorway leaving a city,
with the camera capturing the time around dusk, as car lights illuminate, street lights
then come on, followed by the lights in the high rise buildings.
All this time the sky turns darker making the lights of the cars,
road and buildings appear brighter. Finally, a blur filter is
applied to make the car lights merge into coloured trails. To
achieve this effect the camera is locked down at a fixed
location, and a picture is taken every minute for
3 hours 20 minutes say, giving 200 frames; which at
25 frames per second, will play back in 8 seconds.

Taking one shot every 3 minutes at the sea's edge will take
12.5hours and a lot of patience to capture the 250 frames
needed to make a 10 second movie of one cycle of the tide.
Warning! Mapping the sun across the sky needs special filters
to protect the camera, and special sunglasses have to be worn
by the camera operator. However, a safer way is to project the
image of the sun onto paper, and photograph the image. Here
is an image of Venus travelling across the sun on the 8th June
2004
Broadcasters
Note how the professionals shoot.
¾ A tennis match, usually wide from behind one end.
¾ A football match, wide from high above the sideline.

See CD for Project notes and more

on Stop Motion for Foundation Stage

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Production
Whether recording in a theatre, hall or on location, like this large team... or
working as a duo, commentator and camera crew, the basic rules still apply.
Watching a large crew at work, makes it is easier to identify the different roles
and skills required.
[Pictures taken with the kind permission of Bentley Productions]

Focus Op
Boom
O Lighting Op
Director Sound
Engineer

Camera Op

Director's PROJECT
Plan & Log Our Video
ACT SCENE TAKE
Clapper 1 1 1

CAMERA WORK
[GOLDEN RULE - ALWAYS USE A TRIPOD]

The steadier
the camera,
the better
the pictures.

TIP! When using a tripod…

TURN OFF THE ANTI-SHAKE
as this default feature may introduce shake to an otherwise clear picture.

Most DV cameras have two controls that professionals regard as essential for quality
recording are: White Balance and Manual Focus.

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White Balance
White Balance adjustments make white subjects appear white. Filling the screen
with a white subject, such as a blank piece of paper, and then pressing the white
balance control will achieve this calibration. When lighting conditions change for
instance, from sunny to cloudy, or as sun reddens on an evening, then a re-
calibration of the white balance would be advisable.
To be of any use you must do your white balance in the specific place you are
filming - this is particularly important in locations with mixed light, where the mix
of light may be totally different in one corner of the room to another.
Auto white balance [TIP]
Set the camera on tripod, in the lighting situation for the shoot;
and remove lens cover.
Hold white paper 1 to 0.75m from the lens.
The white paper should completely fill the viewfinder.
NOW switch on the camera.
As the camera performs its auto set-up,
it will do a white balance.
When moving to different lighting conditions, either switch the camera Auto
off, then at the new location switch on using the white paper trick, or Focus
Zone
perform a Manual White Balance.
White Balance controls are model specific, so consult the manual.
The white balance and auto focus controls are usually just under the
lens; and should not be covered if ever hand held shots are taken.

Manual Focus
Auto Focus is fine for normal work, whilst manual focus is for Auto Focus.
advanced level students wanting greater expression. Wall sharp - Subjects soft

Auto / Manual Focus [TIP]

Camera auto focus will focus on whatever is in the centre of Auto
shot. So if two conversationalists are positioned at the edges Focus
Zone
of the shot, then the auto focus will focus on what is in the
centre, in this case the wall. If the auto focus sensor is set on
a wall some distance behind the people, then the wall is what Auto Focus. Zoom in on subject
will be in 'sharp focus', with the people in 'soft focus'. Switch to Manual Focus

To correct the focus.

Zoom in on the primary subject, [using Auto Focus]. Manual
Focus
Now switch to Manual Focus. Set to subjects

Next, Zoom out and centre the shot. [Keeping in Manual Focus]
The actors will now be in sharp focus with the wall in softer of focus.

Tutorial Videos on digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk or on our CD

Manual Focus. [Zoom out]

Subjects Sharp - Wall Soft

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Lighting Background

Reflect - Fill
Key
Spot lighting highlights the actors.
[Eye Sparkle]

Fill Backlight

Reduces the shadows.

Reflectors [position out of shot] are
often used to balance the light.
[Try an A2 sheet of white card]

Back
Separates the subject from the background. Key-Spot
Very important when using a ‘Green Screen’ for chroma-keying.

Tutorial Video at oxdv.co.uk or on our CD

Sound
Direct sound is sound that is recorded in the camera.
Indirect sound is sound dialogue or sound effects out of camera view.

These pictures demonstrate the use

of:
1. An external microphone
2. The importance of logging audio
3. Importance of rehearsing a shot
4. Safe shot rehearsal

The boom operator has to walk backwards,

whilst keeping the sound of the actors'
voices constant, keeping the boom out of
shot, and must not make a noise by
bumping into anything, or anyone.

AD-0016 Photography/film/video
KJ.2 Film/Video/Television production
KJ.3 Audio and Visual Media
ICT-0054 Video

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Shooting Log
Rule 1. Log every tape and every shoot.
Rule 2. Label & number every tape & every shot on that tape.
Rule 3. Create a timecode on every blank tape,
BEFORE the shooting day.
All new tapes are supplied without a timecode.
A tape with many sections starting at zero will totally confuse a computer, and
waste hours in post-production.
Professionals prepare tapes with a timecode, this is sometimes called
"Blacking-Out", "Blanking" or "Striping".
To mark a timecode onto a new blank tape, put it in the camera and then:
# Put the lens cap ON
# Connect a microphone that is switched OFF
# Select camera mode, and press RECORD
The camera will then record "Black" silence over all the tape, whilst marking a
continuous timecode throughout the tape.
Rewind the tape.
Fix a label on the tape and mark it with a small "B" or some way that everyone
knows that this tape has a timecode and is ready for use. The tape is now ready
for the "Shoot" on another day. Always "Black" more tapes than are needed,
just to cover any extra shoots.
Computers pre-tension tapes, and so cannot capture the first few seconds, so
here is... Rule 4. Record a 30 seconds of black at the beginning of each tape.

Location Scene Time Start End Activity

Timecode Timecode
1 take 1

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Analyse TV - Advertisement - News Item - Documentary [1min]

Text document available on the web www.oxdv.co.uk and our CD Digital Video Skills
Denotes not in the UK
Comment on the advertisements National Curriculum

MOVING IMAGE THEORY

1 Pixels
2 RGB
C M W DURATION CONTENT 3 HSL
4 Frame Size
L I I ACTION - MUSIC – TEXT - 5 Frame Rate
O D D COMMENTARY 6 Time hr:min:sec:frame
S E 7 Interlacing
E 8 PAL TV system
9 Data Rates
..
Shot 1 PRODUCTION SKILLS
10 Analysis
11 Teamwork
Shot 2 12 Storyboarding
13 Shooting Plan/Log
14 Tripod use
15 Frame Wide Mid Close
Shot 3 16 Zoom Pan Tilt
17 Lighting
18 2-camera work
Shot 4 19 Continuity
21 Camera Transitions

Shot 5 POST-PRODUCTION
22 Project Settings
23 Preferences
Shot 6 24 File Management

Basic Editing Skills

Shot 7 25 Capture–DV Camera
26. Capture–USB Video
27 Capture–Still Images
28 Importing Clips
Shot 8 29 Stop Motion
30 Marking IN & OUT
31 Storyboards
32 Drag - ASSEMBLE
Shot 9
33 Drag to Re-Arrange
34 Scrubbing
35 Timelines
36 Zoom Timeline
Review and discuss how the professionals work. 37 Trim – HOW to
38 Trim – WHY to
###################################### 39 Cutting Split
40 Freeze Frame
42 Camera Transition
The side panel list 70 Digital Video Skills. The skills highlighted in Yellow are the 43 Overlapping Clips
44 Auto Ripple Edit
fundamentals that underpin Digital Video theory, but sadly these essential skills 45 Video from Stills
are currently missing from the UK National Curriculum. 46 Audio overlay
47 Audio Cross-fade
Hence Oxford Digital Video is making this document freely available to the whole 48 Mixing
49 CD stripping
of the UK, Commonwealth and Irish education systems in reparation. 50 Audio ‘rubber-band’
51 Title Overlaying
52 Title the Sick Rose
For more on Moving Image Theory - Digital Colour 53 Voiceover
54 Corrective Filters
Download our other FREE highly commended document 55 Expressive Filters
56 Speed change
[ISBN 10 1-905415-16-8 / ISBN 13 978-1-905415-16-8] 57 Speed Reverse
58 Creating AVI video
59 Record to Tape
For more on the 70 Digital Video Skills 60 CD MPEG-1
61 DVD MPEG-2
visit www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk ] 62 Chapter Points
63 Menus
64 First Play
65 Mobile Phone video
For FREE Digital Video Assessment and Evaluation documents
visit - ADVANCED EDITING SKILLS
66 Key-frames
www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk/ freeTextIndex.html 67 Layers
68 Transparency
69 Motion
We are currently working on a Digital Video Programme of Study. 70 Chroma-keying

Any comments on the draft would be appreciated, again it is linked to

www.digitalvideoforteachers.co.uk/ freeTextIndex.html

© Copyright of and Published by oxford digital video - updated 21st Sept 2006 FREE to all with this copyright notice 15