TV Production Skills
The Basic Principles
http://www.bbctraining.com/onlineCourse.asp?
tID=5914&cat=2781
Before you shoot
Know your story
Decide how to tell your story
Follow your program style
Choose your kit
Plan your shoot
Know your story
It is vital that you know the whole story
and how your sequence fits into it
Story summaries are one tool you can
use to ensure you don't lose the plot
If you have time, pictures and
storyboards can help to visualise your
ideas
How to do it
Decide the story's angle.
Write a summary or sketch storyboards.
However "last minute" the shoot, make sure you
have a clear brief.
Check that what you're doing is realistic in the time
available - don't compromise your safety.
Unforeseen events can occur - be ready to react if
the story changes, and follow new developments.
Remind yourself "I will always focus on telling the
story".
Story Summary
A good story summary
Reveals characters
Outlines the main points of the story
Suggests where it will lead
Key words from a summary help you
plan how to shoot and what to shoot
Example of a Story Summary:
Blue Peter Special Feature –
Above the Clouds
Matt Gyves
'Above the clouds is the
challenge for Simon Thomas,
a Blue Peter presenter, to
reach the top of Europe's
highest mountain.'
Exercise: What’s the Story?
A good story has a hook, characters, a
setting and a key question.
In this exercise you'll identify an
interesting angle from a wordy 'brief'
and write a succinct story summary.
Read through the brief and look for an
interesting angle.
Decide how to tell your story
Your story angle/summary determines
the scenes, sequences and shots you
need to plan.
A 'sequence' is a series of shots cut
together so that the action flows
seamlessly.
To achieve this in the edit, you need to
capture a variety of shots.
How to do it
Follow the "five shot" rule
On each new shot, change the shot size and
the angle - use the zoom if you're in a hurry.
Shoot the person, the thing, then the person
and the thing.
Plan cutaways and cut-ins.
Overlap the action.
Shoot the whole action three times from
three different angles.
For sufficient coverage and edit options
If you need 5 shots, get 8.
If you need 3 shots, get 5.
If you need 1 shot, get 3.
Follow your program style
Get familiar with your program style
Plan to shoot accordingly
Otherwise, you risk coming back with
unusable material
How to do it
Absorb your program's style: watch previous
episodes and rushes.
Mimic its shot sizes, angles, eye lines and
framing.
Think about the key stylistic features. Long
or short takes? Lots of camera movement or
relatively static?
Don't get carried away - if in doubt keep it
simple.
Choose your kit
Work within your budget.
Decide what picture and sound quality you
want.
Think about logistics, particularly when
choosing sound equipment.
Know how much kit you are capable of
carrying - and for how long.
Choose kit you are familiar with.
Make sure the sections of your kit are
compatible.
Plan your shoot
Create a timetable and shooting schedule.
Include time for travel and setting up.
Allow time to warm up your contributor and
put them at ease.
Plan to do your most important shots first.
Allow extra time for unforeseen events.
Forecast the impact of weather and location
changes.
Film the perfect picture
Shoot for continuity
Expose correctly
Make the most of available light
Frame your picture
Never place important subjects at the
extreme left or right of the picture - some TV
sets will cut them off.
If a contributor's head is moving around a lot,
loosen the shot slightly, rather than
constantly adjusting or have their head
constantly banging the edge of frame.
Avoid distracting backgrounds or objects
'sprouting' from the subject's head.
Frame your picture
Frame to include any expected action
rather than adjust the shot to
accommodate it.
When panning with a moving object,
leave 'walking room'.
Frame your picture
Include something in the foreground to
create depth and a sense of perspective. Or
shoot through a feature in the environment -
a window, leaves etc.
Think about shooting from an unusual
camera height or position - such as from
ground level or high above the scene, eg
from an upstairs window.
Frame your picture
Always keep the camera level - unless
you want to tilt it for effect, in which
case tilt it a lot to make it look
deliberate.
Be aware that dramatic compositional
techniques can be distracting.
Shoot for continuity
Aim for consistent shot sizes, eyelines and
looking room.
Overlap the action. Ask participants to
repeat it so you can film the action using
other shot sizes.
Allow subjects to enter and leave the frame
ie film the empty scene before and after the
moving object appears.
Shoot lots of cutaways and close ups.
Shoot for continuity
In group discussions get wide shots of the group
and close-ups of listeners and head-turns.
Run the camera for an extra 10 seconds at the end
of each shot.
Avoid ‘cutting down the line’. Changing the angle of
the shot is better.
When changing the shot, be aware of what's still
there from the previous one - eg people moving
around
Cross the line yourself while filming. This
overcomes continuity problems because you usher
the audience over the line as you cross it.
Capture what’s important
Remind yourself of the principles of
storytelling.
Follow the action: carry the camera at all
times and keep it running before, during and
after an event.
Decide who your key character is.
Be ready to adjust if something more
interesting occurs in your main story.
Make a decision and stick with it.
Check you've got everything on your script.
Expose correctly
To record any image in a camera, you need
to let a certain amount of light through the
lens. How much light you let in is known as
the exposure for that picture.
A good, accurate exposure is a vital part of
getting a great picture.
It helps to understand how this works in
principle, so that you can control exposure in
situations where the auto setting won’t give
you what you need.
Expose correctly
Exposure is about how much light you
let into the lens.
This is controlled by the camera’s iris
(aperture).
The iris is measured in “f” stops.
The higher the “f” number, the smaller
the hole in the iris.
Expose correctly
Contrast is the range of light strengths
in any scene.
Where the range is small – low
contrast – the whole scene can be
exposed satisfactorily.
In high contrast areas, you never get a
good exposure.
Avoid windows.
Make the most of available
light
For any scene, identify where the key light source is
coming from and whether it has a hard or soft
quality.
Prevent ugly lens flare: don't point the camera at
hard light sources and avoid solely backlit subjects.
Try to exclude bright windows from indoors shots.
Outdoor pictures look best in early morning or late
afternoon light.
If it looks good, it is good - if it looks bad, it is bad!
3-point lighting
‘Three Point lighting’ is the use of three
directional light sources to illuminate a
subject. These are known as the key,
fill and back lights. The principle is
best illustrated using mains lights.
Record the sound you want
Record clean sound
Reduce unwanted sound
Record atmos
Record clean sound
Place the mic as close as possible.
Before you start filming, stop and listen.
Think about what you want to record and
what to suppress.
If you record outside, take a windshield.
Always monitor sound on good-quality
headphones, but be aware that high
volumes can damage your hearing.
Record atmos
The best atmos is recorded at the same
time as the original dialogue.
Collect atmos by letting the camera run on
for another five seconds after each shot.
Be aware that the background noise might
change - if so, record 5 seconds of the new
conditions.
If you're recording a picture, always record
ambient sound
Prepare for edit
Review what you’ve got
Review what you’ve got
If possible, review your material on location
before you leave.
Watch all footage before the edit.
Check back to your story - what do you want
it to convey?
Consider if another, better story is emerging.
Editing your own material is an invaluable
learning experience.
Log your shots
Use a logging system that suits you: pen and paper,
Word/Excel or special software.
Log the master tape or direct copy.
Note tape name.
Give each shot a short name.
Assign ratings to shot to help spot the best, eg
***=outstanding.
Note each shot's timecode IN and OUT.
Recognise timecode breaks.
Print log for reference during the edit.
Prepare an edit shot list of desired shots, which has tape
names and timecodes.
