|
Videography: Philosophy and Craft
There are quite a few ads in craigslist
advertising for videographers.
Many times they will suggest "College
Students Welcome", and "good opportunity to Build Your
Portfolio"; making it clear budget is an issue.
Budget constraints are a respected reality, but
frankly, a cheaper way out for these folks would be to buy a Wal*Mart camcorder
for a niece or nephew and just let them shoot.
This budget friendly approach is of course not
without its problems including: audio quality, lighting, video quality,
and many others.
One must be creatively talented of course, but
also have professional equipment and high caliber editing skills, or
the result may not even come up to the level of "home
movie".
|
A quality video of any Event should consist of an
affordable price, professional equipment, and the editing skills and
post production equipment to produce a finished, cased, dvd.
The finished dvd must be delivered within a reasonable period of
time. The industry standard of 12 to 16 weeks is seen by us as
unacceptable, as geographically distant viewers should not have to
wait 3 to 4 months to see the Event.
Videographer presence at an Event or Ceremony
must be unobtrusive, making good use of camera placement and zoom.
No one wants a camera shoved in their face. We have been
complimented on our ‘near invisibility’ at these events.
A Wedding Ceremony and the beginning of the
Reception should always be shot with two cameras. People move and
often stand in front of a camera. (Wedding Photographers are
notorious for this.) A second camera for an alternate
view and redundancy is critical.
There are no "re-takes"
. |
|
Fred
Engle video Productions
uses professional cameras with the best low-light video engine in
the business:
The
Sony PD170
We
normally do not use lighting of any kind; ambient light being more
than adequate for a superb picture.
For those
situations when it is necessary, we use low heat output fluorescent
lighting. These lights will not burden location electrical systems
and will not burn anyone who may touch one. Nor do they appear as a
"death ray".
Shotgun
microphones are a staple of course, but cannot pick out a whisper in
a auditorium. Our wireless mics will. Key participants will wear a
wireless lavaliere. A hand-held placed on the lectern or pulpit
completes the set up. We do not rely on built-in camera mics.
Indeed, the Sony PD170 has no built in mic.
Our
cameras operate on 9 hour batteries, but when we need to run audio
cable or lighting extension cords, they are always securely taped to
the floor to prevent tripping.
|
At one time or another, we have all rented high definition dvds that wouldn't
play, or would freeze.
As a result, we shoot on standard
mini-dv or DVCAM tape. We have found Hi-Def and other trendy
technologies are highly dependent on lighting and playback
equipment- and in most cases do not yet deliver ‘across the board’
better video. In dvd-disk based cameras, the image recorded to disk
is already compressed somewhat and subject to digital artifacts. Tape is
easily more reliable and provides a much more consistent, high quality
medium from which to edit. Our delivery in final dvd format is
on "dvd-R" disks, the most compatible of dvd formats.
|
