Preface

A note about this document... This document was written by various video crew members during the 1993 California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Such conferences include business meetings (that are presided over by a bishop) and worship services. This document is intended to be a collection of our best advice for video directors (and their crews). This will be an evolving document as we discover better ways to use video to augment the business of the annual conference.

If you have comments, suggestions, or additional material that should be included, please write or contact Per Martin: permart@abac.com
 
 

Crew Warm-up and Preparation

You will need to work with your crew and practice techniques prior to each session or worship service. This is so that the entire crew can get acquainted with their equipment and acquainted with the terminology you use in calling shots. Most of us are amateurs and haven't used video terminology since last year's conference. And you, the director, may have invented or resurrected a few unusual terms to spring on your unsuspecting crew. So take advantage of the entire time from CREW CALL until the start of the show to practice camera techniques, special effects, and communication.
 
 

Communication

"Okay camera one, go tight on the Bishop. Okay... focus.., READY ONE.... TAKE ONE!" (finger snap) "Okay camera two, you're free, go get the (speaker at the) podium." "Camera three, yes I like that shot. We'll call that the 'lady reading' shot. Okay camera three, go fishing for something else." "Camera two stand-by. We'll be coming to your shot in a moment so just hold it." In the above example, some key terms are used and should probably be adopted by all directors. "READY <camera number>" will let that operator know that they must finish focusing and stop jiggling that camera because it is about to go live. If you don't give the operator advance notice, they might be in the process of moving their body into a more comfortable position and inadvertently shake the camera. Furthermore, they are absolutely forbidden from changing shots once you say READY (unless you tell them otherwise). Saying READY also alerts the switcher to get a finger poised near that camera button. If the switcher is using the AUTO-TAKE function, the switcher can punch up the camera on the next shot selection bar (assuming this is available on the switcher equipment) which then displays the next shot on the preview monitor. (Ask your video engineer to train your switcher person if you are busy rehearsing camera operators.) "TAKE <camera number>" lets them know that their camera is hot. They must guard against camera wiggles. Furthermore, a good camera operator will refuse to change their LIVE shot if you, the director, goof and call the wrong camera number when ordering a shot change. Wild swings of a camera while it is live will usually send a dozen people out of the room due to motion sickness. On a TAKE..., I usually say the camera number and snap my fingers at the same time. I believe that this helps the switcher know exactly when to press the button. Telling a camera that they are FREE should always be used whenever you have concluded a dissolve from one shot into another. At other times, you can use it to give them permission to go fish or to give permission to start setting up the next shot. (Director may need to remind the camera operator if their camera is live.
 
 

Camera Techniques and Special Effects

Practice quick changes from one shot to a totally different shot. You decide what the next shot will be and tell the camera operator what you want. Sometimes it helps to give certain shots special names. For example, gimme a two-shot with the Bishop and the speaker at the podium might be called the standard two shot. (You can name it anything you want but be sure to establish a common language with your crew.) By the way, every director will be different. Therefore, you must rehearse with your crew so that they will know which terms you generally use. Practice the following shots with your crew.

EXTREME CLOSE UP = tight on face, some head may be chopped off.

CLOSE UP = face and shoulders, just above the middle of the chest. Both forms of the close up are important to your audience. It helps them see expression which is usually missed unless you are sitting in the front rows of the auditorium.

MEDIUM SHOT = 1/2 body shot, just above the waist line.

FULL SHOT = head to toes.

WIDE SHOT/LONG SHOT/MASTER SHOT = a shot that encompasses the whole setting. This shot should be used at the start of each session to establish what the room looks like and give your audience a sense of what it would be like to be here.

TWO-SHOT = two people in the shot, usually the principal two people that are or will be talking. This is often used when the person at the podium is directing their comments to the bishop.

THREE-SHOT = three people in the shot, usually the principal three people involved in a live exchange. This is often used when someone is at a front microphone and is talking to the bishop and to the person at the podium.

If music or prayer will be used during the session, practice dissolves with your crew. "Stand-by for a dissolve from camera one to camera two. And... DISSOLVE." I generally make a twisting cork-screw-like motion in the air to give the switcher an idea of how fast (or slow) of a dissolve I am after. "Okay camera one, you are free." Be sure to release the original camera from the dissolve. Otherwise, they might assume that the dissolve is complete and switch shots while you are in the middle of a beautiful effect.

If there will be signer during the worship service, practice the special effect of placing the signer into a corner of the screen. We would like all directors to keep the signer visible throughout the sermon. This means that the signer camera will not be allowed to change shots for a long time (until the sermon is completed). Also, practice switching shots between the other two cameras without disrupting the signer in the corner.

Another useful technique for the floor debates is an effect called SPLIT SCREEN . This requires your switcher to become proficient at setting it up quickly and for you to set up some special language with your camera operators. "Okay cameras one and two, set up for split screen." During practice, you can explain it this way: "Camera one, pan left so that the person speaking is on the right half of your screen. Camera two, put the bishop on the left half of your screen." (Both camera operators must imagine a divider line down the middle of their view finder and frame accordingly.) "Remember camera one, you're still hot so GENTLY put that person on the right half of your screen." When it looks good on the preview monitor and does not need any further camera adjustments like zoom-in or -out or focus... "Okay, stand-by for split screen... TAKE EFFECTS. Cameras one and two are now HOT." You should practice split screens between each microphone location and an imaginary speaker at the podium or with the bishop.

Sometimes a camera will need to follow a person across the stage. Have them practice following people. They need to be smooth in their motions and possibly change the zoom setting to include others involved in the action (expanding from a one-shot into a two- or more-shot).

During floor debate, people come up to the microphones and are usually recognized by the bishop in the order they arrive. The best way to handle this is to put your best camera person on camera two (aisle) or on camera three (balcony) and have that person call out the sequence to the director. (Sometimes the bishop has been known to look at where camera two is pointing and recognize that microphone.) Rapid positioning of cameras is critical when going to the next microphone. You will probably keep one camera on the stage and use the other two cameras for the various microphones. Draw a mental map (or a real map) of where each numbered microphone is located and which camera would be best to get to it. The best technique for camera operators to use in getting to microphones (which you may have to explain), is NOT to look through the view finder, but to point the camera body in the general direction of the microphone, and then look through the view finder for final framing and focus.

HOT PANS (left or right). Effective for covering large groups engaged in some activity such as choirs singing or ordinands reciting vows. These need to be done slow enough that the audience can focus on each person as they come into view. If you are going to follow a hot pan with a dissolve, have the pan come to a complete stop before beginning the dissolve. If often looks messy if one or both cameras are moving during a dissolve.

HOT PUSH to SPEAKER. This zoom in can be very pleasing to the eye if not overused. It takes the viewer from the establishing shot to the action on stage. But, it must be done smoothly and reasonably slow! HOWEVER, be sure to tilt the camera as you go so that is remains nicely framed throughout the shot.

HOT PULL OUT to WIDE SHOT. This works if you need to incorporate other active participants in the shot like when you go from a choir director (who is facing and directing the audience) to include the audience (or nearby participants). Be sure to tilt the camera as you go. Practice locking the top (or bottom or side or corner) of the screen and expanding the image on the opposite sides of the frame. It is important to avoid getting bright lights in your shot during this zoom out. Slow zooms can be obtained by barely pressing the zoom switch or by manually (slowly) twisting the zoom ring.

All camera techniques and special effects must be practiced by the whole crew until you are satisfied and before you should be willing to use them in the show.
 
 

Directorial Artistry

Now that you have rehearsed your crew, it is important for you to become attuned to the session you are about to direct. Your role in the video production is to coordinate the entire crew towards capturing the event and emphasizing the message. It is very easy to do a poor job by just playing with the various video techniques and by making sloppy switching decisions. You must match the emotion and feel of the event with the proper video techniques and shot selections.

Study your available shots. Look out for visual junk like fans, monitors,and other equipment. If necessary, have the stage manager move something a few inches to the right or left if it will significantly improve your camera shots. If there is a planned rehearsal (usually true for worship), be sure to attend so that you can study the action and anticipate the best shots when it is live.

During the show, work with your camera operators to obtain nicely framed shots. Look for well balanced pictures. Plants and flowers can be helpful as long as they do not detract from the principal speaker within your shot. Each shot needs to be a winner or at least the best humanly possible under the circumstances. Adjusting the zoom slightly closer or farther away can make a big difference in the artistry of the shot.

When framing the speaker, a good rule of thumb is to always place the speaker's eyes at the 1/3 (from the top) line on the screen. Also, be sure to give the speaker enough nose room. If the speaker is facing right, leave extra space on the right side of the screen. Likewise, if the speaker is facing left, leave extra space on the left.

When switching camera shots on the same person, if one shot has that person facing left (apparently), and the other shot has that person facing right (as seen from the camera's point of view), go to a wide shot before going to that other shot. It looks too disjointed (whip-lash) to see the same person looking one way and then immediately looking the other way.

During speech, try not to change shots mid-sentence or mid-thought. It tends to break your viewers' concentration on the message. Well timed changes can be like paragraph breaks and will help the audience absorb what is being said.

One of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do is to anticipate these paragraph breaks and to cut to a medium shot just an instant before the speaker starts a new gesture. Cut at the moment a concept is finished so that the new concept starts with a new shot and while the audience is adopting to the new concept. Use shots to emphasize the feeling or sense of the message.

Likewise during music, try not to change shots mid-phrase (in the musical sense). If you are not musically inclined, at least wait until they pause or hold on a particular word before switching shots (and use dissolves). This is not a hard and fast rule, but it may help you to compose a more pleasing music video. Slow pans across the choir can also be used. Be sure to practice this in advance with your crew.

Use dissolves to denote the smooth passage of time such as during music or prayers. Use cuts for everything else. It can be really distracting if you mix cuts and dissolves during the same piece of music (looks jumbled).

Remember which cameras are good for which types of shots. Think ahead so that when you need a particular camera for a particular shot, you won't have the camera already tied down on a live shot.

Watch your show. If you, as a typical viewer, get tired of a particular shot (even if it is a good shot), change it temporarily and then come back to it. One way to get a little variety would be to very slowly pull out (zoom out) or push in (zoom in) from or to the speaker. Your crew needs to practice this in advance since it is very difficult to do smoothly and slowly and without jiggle. Another way to vary it is to cut to a medium shot for 10-20 seconds and then go back to your close up.

The summary documentary will be much enhanced by really good shots. There will be a necessary amount of narration which can be boring unless the picture enhances the words. Please work to make the shots as varied and interesting as possible. Pay attention to composition and try to catch people on the stage in pleasing poses. Do not allow an un-focused wobbly shot or fast zooms to go out to the house!

Also, have the logger put an asterisk and a note in the log for particularly interesting or important pictures or events.
 
 

Important Points

Usually you will have: one camera hot (live), one shot ready (next shot), and one camera fishing or setting up a subsequent shot. If you don't have your next shot ready, you are in trouble.

First priority: get the next shot ready. THINK AHEAD!

Do not use audience shots during voting. Since the members of Annual conference are not delegates, they are supposed to vote their conscience and not whatever the majority at their church would have them vote. Since the video could record how they voted or could influence others in how they vote, do not use audience shots during voting.

Be prepared for problem situations. If the audience stands up, one or two cameras may get blocked. Have a cover shot ready or quickly available if you suddenly need it. Perhaps it would help to practice this with your crew so that when you call for it, they can set it up quickly. Sometimes you'll need a cover shot (wide shot) if you don't know where the action is going to come from next. The balcony camera can be a real life saver.

Be prepared for reaction shots. If someone is telling a joke (like in the middle of a sermon), get a camera ready on the audience so that you can do a quick cut to them when they laugh. And then hold the shot on the audience until the speaker is about ready to resume. This makes for a very pleasing video. Other reaction shots can be obtained by keeping a camera on the bishop whenever someone is talking about or to him.

Remind your camera operators that they must not change their shot unless you have given permission (implicitly (FREE) or explicitly (GO FISH)). You may be planning to use their shot next without much advance notice. If you have a seasoned crew this may not be necessary. But in any case, be gentle with them. They are your best assets in putting together a fine production and can save you from major blunders. And since they can see things you can't, do give them permission to go fishing for interesting shots from time to time. You can save some of these for later when things get a little slow.

Since the camera operators cannot see each others' shots, you will sometimes have situations where all three cameras are on the same person. It's up to you to pick the best shot and send the other cameras off to other shots.

Also, remind camera operators to be careful about talking too loud or too often. They can respond to questions by nodding their camera yes or no (assuming they are not hot, of course).

Do NOT direct and switch. Even good directors fail to call out their changes if they are also switching. Your camera operators need to hear your switches verbally so that they can do a better job.

As much as possible aim at whomever is speaking and use a variety of camera angles; the closer the better.

Be alert and avoid showing people sleeping, sitting awkwardly on the stage, or otherwise behaving in a manner likely to embarrass them.