Camcorder distribution

From Acorn

  1. Introduce staff.
  2. Distribute camera kits, no wireless duplications to different schools.
  3. Open, but don't take everything out at once!
  4. Lots of equipment, but kit as small as possible. You don't need everything for every shoot, you can leave some things behind.
  5. Sign agreements, put down your email address
  6. Contents:
    1. In outer sleeve: Manual, Firewire cable, accessory shoe.
    2. In Large Case: Camera, small camera case
    3. Tripod
    4. AC Adapter and Battery Charger
    5. Shotgun Mic
    6. Headphones, always use with headphone adapter.
    7. Plastic Case 1: AV Cable to connect camera to TV, 3 extra AAA batteries, Voltmeter, Small camera battery, 2 battery covers.
    8. Voltmeter: replace battery when it's getting close to yellow line.
    9. Plastic Case 2: Wireless Mic, Wireless Receiver, Receiver cable, Y Cable, Lavalier Mic, Small screwdriver, headphone adapter.
  7. Camera: Important features
    1. Lens cover
    2. Battery, battery protector
    3. Power Button: Camera/Play/Off switch, Record button
    4. LCD viewfinder (takes more power than optical viewfinder), Diopter adjustment
    5. Easy switch
    6. Jacks: AV-headphone, Mic, Firewire
    7. Cassette compartment, eject switch. Do not force anything!
    8. Videotape, protect switch. Insert cassette. Use only Sony tapes.
    9. LCD display: image stabilization, SP = standard play, mode indicator (record/pause), time recorded, time remaining, battery level.
    10. Zoom controller
    11. Practice: Record, Play back. Record yourself!
  8. Important settings (already set, use function button and joystick to change)
    1. Widescreen on, when you edit please see staff for correct edit software settings.
    2. Record Mode (REC MODE) SP (this means standard play)
    3. TV Type 4:3 (most common, if widescreen TV use 16:9)
    4. Audio mode 16 bit
    5. Beep Volume: High, Low, Off
    6. Image Stabilization: On
  9. Tripod, mount camera.
  10. Headphones, using headphone adapter, goes into AV jack
  11. Wireless mic: 5 frequencies. Turn off when not used.
  12. Shotgun mic: on/off switch, short/long switch. Turn off when not used.

Instructions are simplified for the purpose of quickly getting up and running, they do not include more advanced techniques.

A. Pre-Production

  1. Familiarize yourself with the camera and tripod before use.
    1. Record and play back a little bit of video, try your mic configuration.
    2. Fully charge the battery (this can take a few hours). The camera works with the AC adapter, but you can't charge the battery at the same time, do one or the other.
  2. Put needed items in the kit before the last minute, it’s easy to forget things.
  3. Scout out the shoot locations for suitability, if you have a choice.
    1. You don’t want excessive noises, avoid rooms with HVAC systems.
    2. Check availability at times needed.
    3. Avoid extreme differences in light and shade. Outdoor locations are best shot in the shade, or on a cloudy day, if possible. Direct sunlight is very harsh. Indoors, watch out for bright windows. They will close the camera iris, and everything else will be dark.
    4. Don't forget the importance of props, scenery, ambiance for interviews.
  4. Take good care of the camera
    1. Do not expose to extreme sunlight, heat or cold.
    2. Internal parts are delicate, keep dust out, do not force anything.
    3. Do not locate camera where it can easily be dropped, where tripod can be kicked over, where camera can be easily stolen.

B. Production and Videography techniques

  1. Set up early for the shoot. Record and play back a little video.
  2. Watch out for camera shake. Use a tripod if you are zooming in at more than 50% for more than a few seconds or if you have longer scenes. Make sure your tripod is level. If you are not using a tripod, keep the camera as steady as possible, and avoid extreme zooms.
  3. If you are more than 8-10 feet away from the action, the built-in microphone will start to sound poor. Good audio is harder to capture than good video. Use an external microphone if you can, monitor the audio with headphones to ensure you are recording it.
  4. Control the lighting: try for even illumination, nothing extremely bright, or the camera iris will close. Try to keep the subject brighter than the background.
  5. Compose the shot esthetically before you record it. Make your pans and zooms slowly and carefully. Watch some of your favorite shows or movies for ideas on composition.
  6. Head locations in the frame are important. Always take into account visual “headroom” and “talkspace”. If you are ambitious, you can sketch out rough storyboards of the action.
  7. Be aware of tape recording lag. Let the camera record 5 seconds before and after a scene.
  8. When you are done, rewind a short section of the tape, and play it back, to ensure you have recorded.

C. Editing and Post-production

  1. We will offer an editing workshop, using iMovie and iDVD, when you are ready.
  2. Editing support will be provided by Jeff Gada (x2698) and Janet Hayes (x2185). Please give 2-3 days notice.
  3. Sign up for the computers in the ATL for edit time. There are 4 Macs with miniDV decks that can be used. The fifth Mac has editing software, and can be connected to a camcorder for capture.
  4. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you shot in 16:9 Widescreen, when you start a new project in iMovie, set the Video Format to DV-Widescreen. When you go to make a DVD, set the iDVD theme to a widescreen one.
  5. For equipment problems, please contact Frank Fulchiero (X5006)
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