Camera Operators – Tips & Basic Guidelines
-Pick up equipment well in advance of setup.
-Determine best location /vantage point keeping in mind the following:
· Make note of the main source of light and avoid backlight situations (when source of light behind subject is too bright it puts the subject in shadow or silhouette.
· Find power source close by or make use of a power extension cord - unless using a battery.
· Ask presenter or professor how lecture/presentation will be delivered (i.e. use of blackboards, overhead projector or power point) and set-up camera in best location for capturing both the speaker and the instructional visuals being used.
· Check for visual impediments (tall audience/class members, overhead projector head etc.) that may block the speaker or screen from view.
· Set-up and level the tripod – and if possible – place tripod in a spot free of heavy traffic in order to avoid the camera accidentally getting bumped during filming.
· Attempt to correct audible disturbances that are within your control. For example, if there is someone sitting on a squeaky chair, please ask them to move. (Such noises are very difficult to remove from the audio track afterwards.)
-Turn on wireless microphone and receiver, do a sound check and then do a 30 to 60 second test recording. Playback the test recording to make sure the camera is recording properly – this is especially important for the audio; is the sound clean?
-Make certain to do a white balance (corrects for too warm or too cool a light source and makes the whites in your shot a true ‘white’). Find a completely white surface or place a piece of white paper in the location where the speaker will be standing. Focus in on the plain white surface or the piece of white paper, zooming in until the white area fills the entire frame. Press the white balance button once (you should see the white balance symbol displayed) then again and – depending on the camera model – the symbol will flash briefly while it’s adjusting and then go solid once finished.
-To accurately focus the camera, completely zoom in on the speaker’s face. Adjust focus for clearest view of facial features and then zoom out. Subject will now remain in focus on any zoom setting.
-When fastening the wireless mic to the speaker it should be clipped securely to his/her clothing and placed about one hand span below the lecturer’s mouth. Watch that no jewelry is near enough to come into contact with the microphone. **Do not allow the speaker to decide where to put the microphone; instruct and assist him/her if necessary. Also, do not be afraid to interrupt the lecture to adjust the mic if, for example, the speaker’s clothing is causing interference, or if the speaker has accidentally turned the microphone off.**
-Try to anticipate when the actual lecture will begin and have the camera recording before the introduction or lecture begins.
-Begin the recording with an establishing shot; a ‘wide shot’ -- also known as a ‘long shot.’ This introduces the viewer to the setting of the activity about to take place and also for placement of titles later on.
-As the speaker begins talking, do a slow creeping zoom in to a waist up shot -- other than shots of the visual teaching materials; shots from the waist or elbows up are the most common for a lecture/presentation. **If hand gestures are part of the speaker’s style, allow space to capture them within the frame. **
-Use close-ups appropriately and very sparingly (for example, appropriate use would be when a speaker is on an intense or important subject or if telling an anecdote to enhance the lecture.) When incorporating close-ups into the recording pay close attention as the speaker may move out of frame quickly and without warning.
-Stay attentive and make all camera movements (pans, tilts, zooms & focus) as smoothly as possible. **At no time should you take both hands off the camera and lock off your shot. **
-When the speaker uses visuals, start on the lecturer then zoom the camera out to include both the lecturer and the screen in the frame. Then begin a creeping zoom in to the visual, losing the lecturer from the shot.
· As long as the lecturer is speaking specifically about information in the visual, stay on the visual. Try to focus on what the instructor writes, where they point and if possible If the speaker starts to tell a story not related to the visual then reverse the process and return to the lecturer.
· Focus on the instructor only when there are no educational visuals in view. (Reason: from the mgp files we get from AV, we isolate the audio and create new visuals to go with them in Flash. We only need the video when visuals are presented so we can cue our new visuals with the audio track.
· Keep the camera stationary and focus on the largest legible area (e.g. blackboard, or projection screen) as possible. If the text or image is too small to read when the screen fills the view area, then you may zoom in and pan through the content. (Reason: when viewing .mpg files in a video player we use fast forward search, to find times when visuals change. It is easier to see visual changes in search mode if the camera is stationary. It is also easier to copy text from the player window if the camera view contains the widest readable area.
-When the lecture finishes, zoom out to a wider shot (could include audience/class) and allow the tape to record for another 30 seconds after the lecture is over. Be sure to rewind (before turning power off) and label the tape(s).
-On completion of the assignment, carefully put equipment away. If you’ve encountered equipment problems during your assignment, please include a note with camera equipment (inside camera bag is fine.)
- If there are any emergency problems when you are at the room please call the following numbers:
· Scott x36784, Orest x38320 or Dianne x38319 - For Technical Emergencies (i.e. problems with camera, sound, room location, etc.)