Panasonic AG-HMC150 Shooting better video HOW to Shoot Like a PRO, Critical focus, Sequencing

Shooting better video HOW TO SHOOT LIKE A PRO

Critical focus		HEAD ROOM
If you’re shooting with man-
ual focus, it’s important that
you get a critical focus (also
called a calibrated zoom) of
your subject every time you
	LOOK SPACE
get a new shot.

Here’s how to perform a criti- cal focus:

ŒZoom in all the way on your subject,

focus, and then

Žzoom out to the framing you want.

Doing this will ensure your subject stays in focus, re- gardless of how far out you zoom.

Head room and look space

When shooting people, it’s best to follow two simple guidelines in framing. First, allow for a bit of space between the top of the frame and the subject’s head. Allowing too little or too much space makes the audience feel anxious. Second, allow more room on the side of the frame in the direction the subject is looking. If you don’t, the au- dience will subconsciously experience claustrophobia, feeling that the subject is running out of room.

Sequencing

In general, it will be very hard to edit your video well if you shoot your subject the same way all the time. If you edit together two pieces of video that are too similar, you’ll create a “jump cut.” Your subject will change position in the scene instantly, appearing to have jumped there (example above). Jump cuts are very distracting to a viewer and should be avoided. It’s much better to arrange your shots in a logical sequence. The most popular sequence consists of a wide shot, medium shot, close-up, and cutaway. Let’s take a look at this in a typical interview setup on the next page.

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