FIELD OF VIEW

When composing a shot, four variables work in conjunction to determine your field of view.

1.) Camera Location: The term point of view refers to the position of the camera in relation to the subject and is determined by physical location and angle.

2.) Camera Angle: The way a shot is composed. eye- level camera shots are seemed to be the least biased view because it helps to maintain the viewer's perception of a level playing field. High and low angle shots are used often to intensify emotion and energy.

3.) Subject Location: Subject placement can be done to fix/ provide better aesthetics, lighting, and sound isolation.

4.) Focal Length: Found on most video camcorders, the focal length lens gives you latitude to fine tune your framing. It's the focal lens that determines what portion of the viewable area of a scene is included in a shot and what is left out.

Audio Monitoring

The two ways to properly monitor your recording levels

Monitoring using a VU Meter: The electrical signal produced by a microphone is very weak and must be amplified during the recording process. On professional systems, the preamp can be controlled manually using the volume-unit (VU) meter and the record level controls. The VU meter displays the strength of the microphone signal after it has passed through the preamp, a visual reference.

Monitoring with headphones or speakers: Monitoring a live recording using your ears to assess and evaluate, allows you to hear your subject and any associated background sounds or noise as it is being recorded. Doing this will help to assure nothing is wrong with your audio by giving a false impression of loudness and that your microphones is picking up the subject.

Microphones

Why should you use external microphones?

Although professional external microphones are relatively more expensive, they are made with better transducers and components. In most cases, the operator has little control over the positioning microphone to better the performance.

If you use external microphones, you :

• Can select the best type of microphone to fit the recording setting, subject, and application.
• Will have greater control over the placement of the microphone and its proximity to the subject.
• Will have equilibrium, professional external microphones have better sound recording specs than the built-in microphone attached to your device.
• Can have better reducing RF interference and other types of transmission noise from balanced XLR connector.

MICROPHONES

Microphone Polar Patterns:

Microphones are also classified according to their pattern. Polar pattern refers to how well a microphone picks up sound within 360 degrees of its central axis. The narrower the pickup pattern, the more directional the microphone will be.

SENARIOS:

OMNIDIRECTIONAL: If you have ever been to a rock band concert and wondered how the microphone was catching the singers sound through all the violent head bangs and dance moves? nondirectional picks up sounds from all directions.

BIDIRECTIONAL: In talk show such as Ellen, Oprah, Steve Harvey, etc.. you will notice that the quest stars sit on opposite side so that it is easier to use the shared microphone. Bidirectional works well from the front and the rear.

CARDIOID (UNIDIRECTIONAL): When in a recording studio, it is common for the vocalist to use cardioid mics because it work well with picking up the subjects voice without the extra background noise.

AUDIO PRODUCTION

AMPLITUDE:

A sound waves height indicates the intensity or magnitude of the pressure wave. Amplitude is defined as the distance from the crest of the wave to the trough. The louder the sound, the greater the altitude, and the taller it's waveform. Sound is greater at it's source and diminishes over distance and time.

WAVELEGNTH:

The distance traveled during one complete vibration cycle, wave of energy.

FREQUENCY:

Refers to a sound's low or high pitch. Measured in Hertz, cycles per second. A progression of a sound wave through one phase of rest, compression, and rarefaction is called a cycle, and the sound's frequency is based on it's numbers of cycles per second.

White Balance

How to manually set white balance on a video camera (if your camera allows)

• Locate the white balance settings on your camera and select the manual or custom WB option. On higher-end cameras, WB controls are often found on the exterior of the camera body. On les expensive cameras, be prepared to delve into the onboard menu system.
• Have the subject or assistant aim a white card or sheet of paper at the camera. The card should reflect the same light source hitting the subject.
• Zoom in on the card to fill 80%-100% of the frame with white. Be sure your exposure and focus settings are properly set. If the image is too dark or out of focus, the camera may not be able to perform the operation.
• Press and hold the set button until the camera confirms that WB has been acquired. If the color temperature has changed dramatically from the last time you performed a WB, you actually notice a color shift in viewfinder.

If You followed the procedure correctly, your camera is now set to reproduce the best color possible!

FOCUSING

Question And Answer

1.  Why should you avoid using autofocus when doing videography?

* AF may roll of shift as the subject moves with the frame. Manual focus (MF) mode will give a more satisfactory result.

2.  When is using the autofocus acceptable?

* Autofocusing is intended to make life easier, so as long as the lighting is good, the subject-camera distance is relatively stable, and there isn't a lot of visual complexity or movement within the frame, autofocus can yield acceptable results.

3.  What are the 4 steps to properly set your focus manually when shooting a static subject (such as an interview)?

1. Compose your shoot. Make sure the camera is set to MF mode.
2. Zoom in as far as you can on the subject's eyes.
3. Adjust the focus control until the eyes are sharply in focus. Moving quickly back and forth in smaller sweeps can help you identify the sweet spot more accurately.
4. Zoom back out to compose your shoot.

4.  What does the term "rack focus" mean?

* Rack focus is a popular technique that shooters use to rapidly shift the viewer's attention from one subject to another along the z-axis. A focus puller can change shallow depth of field to obtain noticeable contrast between sharply focused  to soft and blurry.