Hi, I'm Steve Washer with BrainyVideo.com Thanks for checking out
part two of our camera operation primer. And by the way, for more tips like this,
be sure to check out our blog.
Now, part one delved into manual camera settings for optimum recording.
Now you might think that we got off track a little bit, talking about safari
animals--the zebra in particular.
The point is, many cameras are equipped with a zebra setting.
But sometimes it's buried
way down in the menu somewhere.
Now, what are zebras when it comes to cameras? Well, zebras
provide a way to check exposure for technical accuracy, instead of relying
just on what appears in the viewfinder.
Zebras work in conjunction with the manual iris to monitor proper exposure.
The zebra setting is calibrated at the factory,
and will be set at either 100% or around 80%.
Now, here's what you see when you see zebras--
diagonal stripes.
And they should be see across the viewfinder frame, all the way across
on the 100% setting.
Now if you see them in part of the viewfinder,
then either your subject is unevenly lit,
or your white card might be not quite perpendicular to the lens.
The 80% zebra setting
is perfect for getting a zebra reading directly from
a Caucasian subject's face,
since zebras will come out to play when a face is exposed properly.
You should see a few zebras
of the brighter portion of a subject's face.
And we cover more about zebras and other exotic animals in the segment on
lighting.
Back to focus.
Before you start to record and after you've white balanced, once again check your
focus.
You do this by zooming into a close-up of your subject's eyes.
Manually focus until the eyes are sharp and re-compose the shot.
And now you're ready to roll.
Of course, you know, recording is just a means to an end,
with the end result being a finished video for your audience.
It's rare that you'll record something as a finished piece. The interim step
is editing, where all
the polish is applied.
It's likely your piece will need some sort of polish. So in reality,
you're recording
for the edit.
With that in mind
here are a few recordings steps
that will help your edit go a lot smoother.
For your first shot,
record at least
fifteen seconds of nothing.
Then, while record is rolling, do a record test.
This should last a solid 30 seconds to make sure audio sounds good, and video
looks clean on playback. "30 seconds of nothing!" Take a minute
for a playback check
and make sure that there's no unexpected
weird audio noises or a distorted picture.
Then, you're ready to record the real stuff.
For each shot, record at least five seconds before action begins, so the shot
is
fully up to speed and data is recording at 100%.
That's called
pre-roll.
And it's important during editing.
Free roll provides enough material for transitions
and assures the camera is up to speed when the action begins.
You record the message and right away you say "Cut!" and "Stop the camera!"
No. Actually, you keep recording and your subject puts on a frozen smile for the
five seconds of post-roll.
"So here's how we're going to do it."
Okay, maybe not frozen.
Again, that provides enough material for shot transitions.
So go ahead,
roll tape, speed
and action!
And by the way, for more tutorials like this one, don't forget to check out our
blog.
I'm Steve Washer with BrainyVideo.com