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Coming up, some Behind the Scenes, and a few Tips.
I'm pretty lucky.
I'm training a guy to basically, be me.
He's an excellent musician, has mixed sound, knows how important good sound is;
Is an excellent photographer, has a great eye for framing and exposure, knows shots
need light and depth to look good;
Really cares about what he does and is easy to work with.
Like I said, I'm pretty lucky.
So, where do you start.
I think throwing a new person into the middle of a large scale production, although interesting,
is a bit unfair.
So, we started with a short, simple commercial:
One simple camera, a few lights, one location, and a single actor.
I threw a crappy camera around while shooting, and apologize for terrible in-camera hiss sound.
But, let's watch these clips, and I'll make
a few points after.
OK. Here's a couple of points.
First, no matter how short the production, have a script, a shot list, and USE them.
There's nothing worse than wrapping for the day and finding out later you missed something.
Second, let the director, be the director.
If you think the shot could be better, say so.
Shoot it 3 different ways if needed.
But let the director be the boss.
There has to be a person who says, we're done, we have what we need, let's move along.
Third, craft your set.
You need to pay attention to the light, make sure the shot has depth,
make sure there's nothing weird in the background, and make sure the white balance is set,
or the shot will be wasted.
And don't be afraid to move things around.
We had a hanging light creating a weird background shadow, so, we unscrewed it and taped it up on the ceiling.
And remember to put everything BACK when you're done.
Fourth, always, always, always, check and double check your ISO, aperture and your focus.
If your ISO is above 640 or 800, add more light, if possible, otherwise it will be grainy.
My friend in training wouldn't start a shot until he saw the histogram in the viewfinder
in range, and that's good.
Fourth, let your actors contribute to the shot.
Sure, you want it shot the way you want it shot.
But after its shot, it's no skin off your back to do a couple of alternate takes.
They're nice to have around when you start editing.
Lastly, make sure the experience is fun.
And if it isn't, make it so.
Shooting with just a few people can be really fun if you plan well up front and know what you want.
I hope that helps, and thanks for watching.
Really cares about what he does and blah de blah de blah, blah de blah de blah. Uhhhhhhhhhhh!
BAM!