since you already have the subject and all the necessary tools needed, i will give you 10 points on how to go about your documentary.
1. keep the camera steady. if possible, use a tripod. don?t constantly zoom in & out or pan right to left.
2. for every scene or event you?re shooting, make sure to get different angles so that you?ll have choices in the editing process.
3. when you?re shooting an interview or a speech, make sure to notice what's in the background. you can either move the camera to get the best angle, move the subject in front of a good background or create a new background. ask yourself, does this background "support" this story visually?" is it a good backdrop for what is being discussed?
4. before heading out for a shoot, think about whether the story could lend itself to a time-lapse shot.
5. always make sure your subjects are well lit
6. anticipate action ? this is one of those lessons that almost cannot be taught. It?s a skill that develops instinctively the more you shoot. Once you miss a few ?money shots?, you?ll learn to start paying attention. a simple example of this is a baseball game. If you want to capture a player hitting the ball, you will need to anticipate that moment and begin recording a few seconds or minutes before. once you realize the ball has been pitched, it?s too late. you've missed the moment.
7. this is where artistic expression and style come into play, but in general, utilize the standard framing styles and rule of thirds in photography.
8. many amateur videographers or budget filmmakers don?t have the luxury of having an audio tech to hold a boom mic for them. often the case in budget film making, you are relying on the mic on top of your camera for sound. if that is the case, you will need to always be conscious of where that mic is relative to the sound you are trying to capture. if someone is talking, you will need to have the camera very close to that person, otherwise it will be annoying for the viewer to strain to hear what they are saying.
9. an image loses quality when you zoom. an image also tends to be shakier, especially on a hand-held shot, when zoomed in. so whenever possible, take your two legs and walk up to whatever it is you want a close-up of. it will look much cleaner and more professional.
10. a common tendency for amateurs is to shoot anything and everything. Since they don?t know what they?re doing, they err on the side of overshooting. in general, i have found that for every hour of professional footage, i end up using about a minute in the final production.
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