Shoot For The Edit
If you are shooting a project for work or school please take a moment to
read the following tips before you take out your camera they will save you lots of time, money and heartache when you get
into the edit suite!
1) Always shoot in the SP mode. This means you will get only thirty minutes on a VHS-C
tape, 1 hour on a Mini-DV or Digital 8 and 2 hours on a full size VHS tape. One reason for this is that professional edit
machines can only handle tapes recorded in the SP mode. But more importantly SP gives you the best quality picture. A good
rule of thumb is to never shoot any camera footage in any extended play mode.
2) Don't use camera special effects. Most of the time those effects don't add anything
to the production and can infact detract from the story you are trying to tell. Remember we can add almost any special effect
you want while you edit.
3) Start rolling before the action starts!
Tell your actors to wait a beat before they start talking or acting. We can cut out the
pauses in the edit, but it is really hard to add the half second of dialogue you missed because the camera was slow in starting
up. We suggest that you let the camera roll for five seconds before any action begins and don't forget to let the camera
roll at the end of the shot too, you may need an extra second for a transition to the next scene.
5) Use lights! Nothing improves video more than the use of extra lighting.
6) Listen for extraneous noise. If a plane flies over head, stop and wait. If a wedding
is taking place next to a fountain use a mike on the bride and groom otherwise you are going to hear a lot of the fountain
and none of the vows!
7) Log your tapes. Do your homework before you come into the edit suite. If you know what
shots you want to use and where they are on the tape, you will spend less time searching and finish your project more quickly...
spending less money!
