the most portable camcorder you
can afford, carry it wherever you go,
and be ready to start recording at a
moment’s notice.
Use a tripod or monopod: The imagestabilizing
feature on many camcorders
simply can’t keep the image
smooth. For truly steady shots and
smooth pans, use a tripod to lock
down your camera.
Avoid sudden zooms and pans: Nothing
makes an audience queasier
than rapid pans and zooms. Whenever
you pan, hold the camera on
your subject, and then pan or zoom
as slowly as possible. After completing
the pan, hold the view on the
new subject for several seconds.
Pay attention to lighting: Shoot with
the sun to your back if possible
(keep your shadow out of the frame,
of course). If you shoot indoors
against a bright light or outdoors
and backlit, your camera’s automatic
exposure will make your subject
too dark against the background.
Purchase a microphone: Even
though all cameras have a built-in
microphone, most aren’t very good
and may pick up camera noise. An
external mike is less likely to pick
up the rustles, coughs, sniffs, and
other noises you make as you fi lm.
If you use a boom (overhead) mike,
be sure to keep it out of the frame.
Change camera angles: Shoot your
scene from a wide view, then over
the shoulder (showing the speaker
but hinting at the listener’s perspective),
and fi nally from close up. This
will give you more-dynamic clips to
pick from when you start editing.
Name your work: After you fi nish a
tape, be sure to label it. Few things
are more frustrating than having to
play a box of unmarked tapes one
by one to find the movie you’re
looking for.
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