Video Production Handbook

Video Production Handbook

Fourth Edition

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Video Production Handbook

Fourth Edition

Gerald Millerson

Jim Owens, Asbury College

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD

PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Millerson, Gerald.

Video production handbook / Gerald Millerson, Jim Owens. — 4th ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-240-52080-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Video recording. 2. Video

recordings—Production and direction. I. Owens, Jim, 1957- II. Title.

TK6655.V5M55 2008

778.59—dc22

2008024137

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-0-240-52080-3

For information on all Focal Press publications

visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com

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08 09 10 11 12 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in China

V

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................XV

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ XVII

CHAPTER 1 Overview of video production ..............................................................................1

1.1 What is video production? .......................................................................1

FIRST STEP IN VIDEO PRODUCTION ........................................................... 3

1.2 The need for “know-how” ....................................................................... 3

1.3 It’s designed for you ................................................................................. 3

1.4 Learning basics .......................................................................................... 3

1.5 Remember the purpose ...........................................................................4

1.6 Equipment ..................................................................................................4

1.7 What equipment is needed? ...................................................................6

1.8 Is there a right way? ................................................................................. 7

1.9 The production approach ........................................................................8

TECHNICALITIES ..................................................................................................9

1.10 Equipment performance..........................................................................9

CHAPTER 2 Production crew .....................................................................................................11

2.1 Production crew size ...............................................................................11

VIDEO PRODUCTION CREW JOB DESCRIPTIONS ..................................11

2.2 Producer ...................................................................................................12

2.3 Assistant producer or associate producer (AP) .............................. 12

2.4 Director .....................................................................................................12

2.5 Assistant director or associate director (AD) .................................. 13

2.6 Floor manager (FM) or stage manager (SM) .................................. 13

2.7 Production assistant (PA) ....................................................................14

2.8 Technical director (TD) or vision mixer ..............................................14

2.9 Makeup artist ...........................................................................................14

2.10 Graphic designer/operator ....................................................................14

2.11 Lighting director/vision supervisor..................................................... 15

2.12 Camera operator ..................................................................................... 15

2.13 Camera assistant .....................................................................................16

2.14 Audio mixer/sound mixer/sound supervisor ..................................... 17

Contents

Contents

VI

2.15 Boom operator or audio assistant ...................................................... 17

2.16 Engineer ....................................................................................................18

2.17 Writer .........................................................................................................18

2.18 Editor .........................................................................................................18

2.19 Set designer .............................................................................................18

PROFESSIONAL CREW ....................................................................................19

2.20 Freelance crew ........................................................................................19

2.21 Below-the-line/above-the-line ............................................................19

2.22 The structure of a video production crew .........................................19

CHAPTER 3 Organizing the production ..................................................................................21

3.1 Art conceals craft ................................................................................... 22

3.2 Shot selection ......................................................................................... 22

3.3 The problem of familiarity .................................................................... 23

3.4 The problem of quality .......................................................................... 26

3.5 The problem of “bigger and better” ................................................... 26

3.6 Communication can be elusive ............................................................ 26

3.7 Start with an idea (concept) ................................................................ 27

3.8 Goals and objectives ............................................................................. 27

3.9 Target audience ...................................................................................... 28

3.10 Research .................................................................................................. 30

3.11 Covering the subject .............................................................................. 31

3.12 Production methods ............................................................................. 32

3.13 The empirical approach ........................................................................ 32

3.14 The planned approach .......................................................................... 32

3.15 Storyboards ............................................................................................ 34

3.16 Why plan? ..................................................................................................37

3.17 The three stages of production ...........................................................37

3.18 Coverage .................................................................................................. 38

3.19 Building an outline ................................................................................. 38

3.20 Broad treatment ..................................................................................... 38

3.21 Production research .............................................................................. 39

3.22 Remote surveys (recce) ........................................................................41

3.23 Freedom to plan ..................................................................................... 43

3.24 Single camera shooting ........................................................................ 45

3.25 Multicamera shooting ...........................................................................46

3.26 Copyright ..................................................................................................47

3.27 Contracts ...................................................................................................47

Contents

VII

CHAPTER 4 Production techniques .......................................................................................49

4.1 Single- and multicamera production .................................................50

4.2 Multicamera ISO .................................................................................... 56

4.3 Multicamera production without a switcher .................................... 56

4.4 The illusion of reality ..............................................................................57

4.5 The camera’s role ...................................................................................60

4.6 The camera as an observer ..................................................................60

4.7 The persuasive camera ..........................................................................61

4.8 Beginning and ending ........................................................................... 62

4.9 Production methods ............................................................................. 62

4.10 How do you visualize something that does not exist? .................. 62

CHAPTER 5 Writing for video ................................................................................................... 65

5.1 The script’s purpose .............................................................................. 66

5.2 Is a script needed? ................................................................................. 66

5.3 Basic script formats .............................................................................. 67

5.4 The full script ..........................................................................................68

5.5 The drama script ..................................................................................... 71

5.6 Suggestions on scriptwriting ............................................................... 71

5.7 Be visual .................................................................................................... 71

5.8 Assimilation ............................................................................................. 72

5.9 Relative pace ........................................................................................... 72

5.10 Style ...........................................................................................................73

CHAPTER 6 The camera ............................................................................................................ 79

6.1 A range of models ..................................................................................80

6.2 Cameracraft ..............................................................................................81

CAMERA FEATURES ........................................................................................84

6.3 Main features ..........................................................................................84

6.4 The lens system ...................................................................................... 87

6.5 Focal length and lens angle ................................................................. 87

6.6 The prime lens ........................................................................................88

6.7 The zoom lens .........................................................................................89

6.8 Zoom lens control ...................................................................................91

6.9 The aperture of the camera ..................................................................91

6.10 Lens accessories .................................................................................... 93

6.11 The image sensor ...................................................................................94

6.12 Sensitivity ................................................................................................ 95

6.13 The viewfi nder ........................................................................................ 95

Contents

VIII

6.14 Indicators ................................................................................................. 96

6.15 Audio ......................................................................................................... 97

6.16 Power ........................................................................................................ 99

CONTROLLING THE CAMERA ....................................................................... 99

6.17 Handling the camera ............................................................................. 99

6.18 Supporting the camera ........................................................................101

6.19 Handheld cameras ................................................................................101

6.20 The monopod ........................................................................................102

6.21 The pan head (panning head or tripod head) ................................ 102

6.22 Using a tripod ........................................................................................ 103

6.23 The rolling tripod/tripod dolly ........................................................... 105

6.24 The pedestal ......................................................................................... 105

6.25 Jib arms ..................................................................................................106

6.26 Specialty camera mounts ................................................................... 107

6.27 Handling care ........................................................................................108

CHAPTER 7 Using the camera .................................................................................................111

7.1 Just point and shoot ............................................................................. 112

7.2 What gets on the screen? ................................................................... 112

7.3 How close should you get? ................................................................. 113

7.4 How much can we see? ........................................................................ 115

7.5 Lens angles............................................................................................. 116

7.6 So why move around? ..........................................................................118

7.7 The zooming process ........................................................................... 121

CONTROLLING THE ZOOM ........................................................................... 121

7.8 Focusing ................................................................................................. 123

7.9 Auto-focus ............................................................................................. 124

7.10 Depth of fi eld ........................................................................................ 125

7.11 Maximum sharpness? ..........................................................................127

7.12 Diffi cult to focus? ..................................................................................127

7.13 Prefocusing the zoom lens ................................................................ 128

EXPOSURE ........................................................................................................ 129

7.14 What is “exposure”? ............................................................................. 129

7.15 Underexposure and overexposure .................................................. 132

7.16 Automatic exposure ............................................................................ 132

7.17 Camera adjustments ........................................................................... 134

7.18 Practical solutions ................................................................................135

HANDLING THE CAMERA ..............................................................................137

7.19 Panning and tilting ................................................................................137

Contents

IX

7.20 Following moving subjects ................................................................ 138

7.21 Framing movement.............................................................................. 139

7.22 Walking ................................................................................................... 139

7.23 Shooting from vehicles ........................................................................ 141

THE BASICS OF SHOOTING .......................................................................... 141

7.24 Practical conditions .............................................................................. 141

7.25 Selecting the right shots .................................................................... 142

7.26 Persuasive shots .................................................................................. 142

7.27 Guiding the viewer through the scene ............................................ 143

7.28 Clutter ..................................................................................................... 144

7.29 I can’t see it properly ........................................................................... 145

COMPOSING PICTURES ................................................................................ 145

7.30 Composition rules and guidelines .................................................... 145

7.31 The brief shot ........................................................................................ 146

7.32 “Dull” is in the mind .............................................................................. 146

7.33 Shots that are different .......................................................................147

7.34 Fitting the frame ...................................................................................147

7.35 Dividing the image into thirds ........................................................... 149

7.36 Shooting from different angles......................................................... 150

7.37 Showing scale ....................................................................................... 150

7.38 Framing the subject .............................................................................. 151

7.39 Leading lines ......................................................................................... 152

7.40 Headroom .............................................................................................. 152

7.41 Good balance .........................................................................................153

7.42 Juggling proportions ........................................................................... 154

7.43 Grouping (unity) ................................................................................... 154

7.44 Camera viewpoint ................................................................................ 154

7.45 Distortions ..............................................................................................155

ANTICIPATING EDITING ..................................................................................155

7.46 Continuity................................................................................................155

7.47 Improving editing fl exibility ............................................................... 156

7.48 What does a fi lter do? ..........................................................................157

7.49 Crossing the line ................................................................................... 158

CHAPTER 8 Shooting people and objects ........................................................................... 161

SHOOTING PEOPLE ........................................................................................161

8.1 The single person .................................................................................. 161

8.2 Arranging people shots ...................................................................... 163

8.3 Effective shots...................................................................................... 163

Contents

X

8.4 Selecting the right shot ...................................................................... 166

8.5 Single-camera interviews ...................................................................167

8.6 Editing continuous interviews .......................................................... 169

8.7 Shooting groups ................................................................................... 170

8.8 Car interviews ........................................................................................172

8.9 Walking interviews ................................................................................173

SHOOTING INSTRUCTIONAL PRODUCTIONS .......................................176

8.10 Typical instructional productions ......................................................176

8.11 Approaches to instruction ..................................................................176

8.12 Advance planning ..................................................................................177

8.13 Creating the instructional program ...................................................178

8.14 Shooting objects ...................................................................................179

CHAPTER 9 Working with the talent .....................................................................................181

9.1 Talent .......................................................................................................181

9.2 Talent and production styles ............................................................. 183

9.3 The interview: go beyond the obvious ............................................ 186

9.4 Selecting talent .................................................................................... 186

9.5 Inexperienced talent ........................................................................... 187

9.6 The host ................................................................................................. 188

9.7 When there are problems ................................................................... 188

9.8 Presenting the information ............................................................... 189

9.9 Importance of people in the scene...................................................190

CHAPTER 10 Audio for video ................................................................................................... 193

10.1 The essential component ...................................................................194

10.2 The nature of sound ............................................................................ 195

10.3 Acoustics ................................................................................................ 196

10.4 Mono sound ........................................................................................... 198

10.5 Stereo sound ......................................................................................... 199

10.6 Surround sound .................................................................................... 199

10.7 Microphone care..................................................................................200

10.8 Directional features ............................................................................200

10.9 Popular types of microphone ............................................................201

SUPPORTING THE MICROPHONE ........................................................... 202

10.10 Camera microphones ......................................................................... 202

10.11 The handheld microphone ................................................................ 203

10.12 The shotgun microphone .................................................................. 204

10.13 Using the shotgun microphone ........................................................ 205

Contents

XI

10.14 The shotgun and the boom pole (fi shpole) ....................................207

10.15 Lavalier (lapel or clip-on mic) microphones ...................................207

10.16 Boundary or PZM microphone .........................................................210

10.17 Hanging microphone ...........................................................................210

10.18 Surround sound microphone .............................................................210

10.19 Microphone stands and mounts ....................................................... 212

10.20 Wireless microphone ........................................................................... 212

10.21 Hidden mics ........................................................................................... 214

CONTROLLING DYNAMICS .......................................................................... 214

10.22 Dynamic range ...................................................................................... 214

10.23 Automatic control for audio ............................................................... 214

10.24 Manual control ...................................................................................... 215

10.25 Monitoring the audio ........................................................................... 216

10.26 The audio mixer .....................................................................................217

10.27 Using the audio mixer ......................................................................... 218

10.28 Natural sound ....................................................................................... 219

10.29 Anticipation .......................................................................................... 220

10.30 Anticipating sound editing ................................................................. 221

10.31 Filtered sound ....................................................................................... 221

10.32 Reverberation .......................................................................................222

10.33 Program music ......................................................................................223

10.34 Sound effects .......................................................................................223

CHAPTER 11 Lighting for video ...............................................................................................225

11.1 Lighting for everyone ......................................................................... 226

11.2 The camera does not compensate ...................................................227

11.3 The key factors .....................................................................................227

11.4 The light’s intensity ............................................................................ 228

11.5 If there is not enough light ................................................................ 228

11.6 If there is too much light .................................................................... 228

11.7 Hard light quality ................................................................................. 229

11.8 Soft light quality ................................................................................... 231

11.9 Lighting contrast ..................................................................................232

11.10 Three-point lighting .............................................................................233

11.11 Color temperature compensation ....................................................235

11.12 Using colored light ...............................................................................235

11.13 Shooting in daylight ............................................................................236

11.14 Using refl ectors ....................................................................................238

11.15 Bounce light ..........................................................................................239

Contents

XII

11.16 Do we really need to light it? .............................................................239

11.17 Lighting options .................................................................................. 240

11.18 Existing light ........................................................................................ 240

LIGHTWEIGHT LIGHT SUPPORTS ............................................................ 241

11.19 Grip clamps ............................................................................................ 241

11.20 Light stands........................................................................................... 241

LIGHTING INSTRUMENTS ............................................................................243

11.21 Camera light ..........................................................................................243

11.22 Scoop ..................................................................................................... 244

11.23 Broad ......................................................................................................245

11.24 The portable soft light ........................................................................245

11.25 Multilamp sources ............................................................................... 246

11.26 Open face adjustable light ................................................................. 247

11.27 Fresnel spotlights ................................................................................ 247

PRACTICAL LIGHTING .................................................................................. 248

11.28 The general approach to lighting .................................................... 248

11.29 Using one light ..................................................................................... 249

11.30 Using multiple lights ........................................................................... 250

CHAPTER 12 The background ..................................................................................................253

12.1 The importance of the background ................................................ 254

12.2 The impact of the background ......................................................... 254

12.3 Real and unreal backgrounds ............................................................255

12.4 Set design for 16:9 ..............................................................................256

12.5 The neutral background .....................................................................256

12.6 Economical sets ...................................................................................258

12.7 Semipermanent sets ...........................................................................259

12.8 Chroma-key/matting .......................................................................... 260

12.9 Virtual sets ........................................................................................... 262

12.10 Outside/back-lot sets .........................................................................263

12.11 The location as a background .......................................................... 264

12.12 Watch the background ....................................................................... 264

12.13 Camera height ...................................................................................... 266

12.14 Foreground pieces .............................................................................. 266

12.15 Creating depth ......................................................................................267

12.16 Versions of “reality” .............................................................................267

12.17 What can we do about the background? ....................................... 268

12.18 Rearranging the background ............................................................ 269

12.19 Altering the background .....................................................................270

Contents

XIII

12.20 Partial settings .....................................................................................270

12.21 Typical examples of partial settings .................................................271

12.22 Facing reality .........................................................................................272

CHAPTER 13 Television graphics.............................................................................................275

13.1 The goals of television graphics .......................................................276

13.2 Types of graphics .................................................................................276

13.3 Designing graphics ..............................................................................276

13.4 Backgrounds for graphics ..................................................................278

13.5 Graphics equipment ............................................................................278

CHAPTER 14 Recording and viewing the video ................................................................... 281

RECORDING THE VIDEO ............................................................................... 281

14.1 High-defi nition television (HDTV or HD) ...................................... 282

14.2 Videotape ..............................................................................................283

14.3 Analog and digital ............................................................................... 284

14.4 Tape formats .........................................................................................285

14.5 Flash memory .......................................................................................287

14.6 Hard disk drive (HDD) (internal hard drive) ................................. 288

14.7 External camera hard drives............................................................. 288

14.8 Hard drive server recorders .............................................................. 289

14.9 Recordable DVD.................................................................................. 289

14.10 XD cam disk .......................................................................................... 290

14.11 Recording media care ........................................................................ 290

14.12 Video recording suggestions ............................................................. 291

VIEWING THE VIDEO ...................................................................................... 291

14.13 How we see color ................................................................................ 292

14.14 How the camera sees color .............................................................. 292

14.15 Monitors and receivers .......................................................................293

CHAPTER 15 Editing...................................................................................................................295

15.1 Editing goals ........................................................................................ 296

15.2 Shooting order versus running order ..............................................297

15.3 Editing video and audio ......................................................................297

15.4 Logging ................................................................................................. 298

15.5 An overview of the nonlinear process ............................................. 301

15.6 Editing equipment .............................................................................. 302

15.7 Organization ........................................................................................ 304

15.8 Editing begins ...................................................................................... 304

Contents

XIV

15.9 Selecting required sections .............................................................. 304

15.10 The order of shots .............................................................................. 305

15.11 Where should the edits be made? ................................................... 305

15.12 Transitions ............................................................................................ 306

15.13 Good continuity ....................................................................................307

15.14 Editing priorities .................................................................................. 308

15.15 Good editing techniques ................................................................... 308

15.16 Anticipating editing ............................................................................. 310

GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................................313

INDEX ................................................................................................................................................325