By Gary Tan HW
Hi there! If you need to shoot a school video production (e.g. a school concert or dance), you'll know that it is both fun and stressful.
Stressful because school videos are notoriously difficult to film. There are kids running around, anxious parents and very often, things don't go as you planned. I went to film a couple of school film videos before and very often I'd fail to capture the essential highlights of the occasion - which is very frustrating.
So in this article, I'd like to share with you some tips for shooting school video productions - read on and find out more.
1. Planning The Shoot
The first thing I'd do in any school video production is to plan the shoot. As with all video productions, the planning phase is absolutely critical. Make sure you get a copy of programme as soon as possible. Understand when the important events are (e.g. start of the show, prize giving and so forth). Be ready with your camera when those moments come on.
If the school performance is very long, you may want to film either an earlier or later segment. If you have enough media and time, I'd recommend shooting both to get as much footage as possible. This way, you have more footage to play around with during post-production.
You should also aim to get as many wide and close shots of the audience as possible. One trick I like to use is to zoom in on the audience before the event starts. Capture their emotions - boredom, anxiety, cheerfulness, etc.
2. Your Camera
If you only have one camera for filming the production, I suggest you film wider shots. If you zoom in too tightly, you'll run the risk of having too little shots of the full event.
I prefer to use two cameras - one for wide shots and one for upfront, closer shots and movement. You can then mix in the shots with a vision mixer or edit them together using a video editing software.
Some folks I know use three cameras - this is expensive but provides a lot of options for shooting different angles and perspectives of the event.
3. Shooting The Video
When you're shooting the school video, always use a tripod. Also, try not to zoom in too much and remember to activate those manual controls.
I find that auto-focus does not work very well in a school production situation. You need to react quickly to changing light conditions, especially on stage. Flip to manual so you can adjust quickly.
Oh, and remember what the audience wants to see. In a school production, what do you think the audience (i.e. parents) want to see? Their kids, of course! So remember to film the children and don't focus too much on other areas.
One tip I find useful is to get someone to warn me before the show starts. This way, I have time to get the camera rolling before someone gets on stage.
4. Audio
Now, audio in a school video can be very tricky. You have kids all over the place, perhaps a baby or two crying, and noises from the folks preparing stuff onstage.
One good thing to do is to invest in a directional microphone and mount it tall. Have it point on the stage so that you can shut out ambient noise.
Another thing you can do is to get a feed from the production sound system. This, however can be risky because you need to be sure it is the only audio source you want in the video. If you want to film something off stage, then you can't do it.
Also, watch out for parents with babies - they usually situate themselves usually near exits or the back of the room. Those babies can interrupt your audio if they start bawling!
5. Editing The School Video
I find that editing a school video may not be essential. School videos are unlike interviews or documentaries which need succinct and clean presentation. They're more fun and you can afford to leave footage unedited.
However, I usually do some form of editing to strip out unwanted, bad scenes. You can bring in some cuts to split up segments of the production. But don't go overboard with flashy transitions.
Sometimes I also like to do up a DVD of the production. One good idea is to pack the DVD with bonus extras, e.g. an interview with the director, a scan of programme and some behind the scenes footage.
Wrapping Up...
Well, I hope the above tips will help you out the next time you're filming a school video. Shooting a school video should largely be fun, so focus on getting the technicalities right and enjoy yourself.
As always, the rules of planning, carefully shooting and editing your video still apply. You should also read more about the overall video production process and how you can shoot better videos. With time and practice, you'll get better and better.
So until next time, have fun shooting those school videos!
Gary Tan runs a website about digital video. Visit his website at Video-Boot-Camp.com to learn more about shooting, editing and sharing great videos.
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