["Pomp and Circumstance"]
You guys better hurry up and finish your homework.
I think your dad's home.
Hi, Dad.
Mmm, something smells good.
You missed your favorite recipe.
What kept you?
Hey, Dad, ain't I game champion
after last night?
She can't even talk right.
Never mind, not my score.
What's in the box?
I got a great deal and a beautiful piece of equipment.
Oh, boy, a video game!
A video camera, honey.
Another camera, Arthur?
What about our vacation?
Let me try it. Dad, they've got one of these at school.
No, no, no. First, we're going to read
the instructions.
Oh, that would be a first.
Honey, you know you've been after me for years to take pictures of the kids.
And tomorrow's Max's second birthday.
Right, and keeping a bunch of toddlers
happy is hard enough. Why complicate matters?
Video is virtually foolproof.
Just turn it on
and point it.
Unfortunately, honey,
my automatic iris
is rapidly closing down.
Good night.
And good luck.
All right, let's see
if I can get a picture here.
TV monitor on.
VCR power on.
Blank cassette in.
Okay, camera
on. Good.
Automatic iris switch.
Good.
Sound on.
Lens cap off.
Hey, all right.
Zoom control.
Here we go.
Arthur, put the camera down.
You should never point your camera
into a bright light.
It's not good for the camera.
What is this?
A demo tape?
Cut out for you tomorrow.
Shooting a birthday party is no piece of cake, you know.
It takes knowledge.
It takes trial and error.
Step by step, you've got to learn
how your camera operates.
You've got to learn how to move it, frame with it,
light for it, record sound with it,
produce, direct, and plan.
And I'm here to help you.
I don't believe this.
Look, I know you're tired of looking
at life through other people's point of view,
particularly Uncle Todd, the family
photographer, right?
Wait a minute. How do you know
how I feel?
And how do you know who Todd is?
I'm aware of many things at once,
Arthur, just as you'll have to be tomorrow
when you're trying to capture those
magic moments.
Maybe I'm overdoing it here.
I think I'm going to call it a night.
What's the matter?
Can't sleep?
No wonder. There's a lot to consider.
How do you plan to shoot Max's
party tomorrow?
It's just a birthday party.
Available light? Handheld, right?
Who are you? Why me?
Let's just say I'm the voice
of experience, your personal
guide, and you, Arthur,
are a challenge, an experiment.
Arthur, are you on the phone?
No, honey. It's a voice.
I just can't shake it,
talking about my camera.
It's just your imagination.
Look, Art, video can be
a lot of fun, but you gotta perform
or you're going to catch it from a lot of people.
How much you got tied up
in this camera, anyway?
Shh.
Okay, honey. Good night.
Now, let's get serious.
We'll just turn the sound down here and concentrate
on the video for a minute.
Here's a slow pan.
Now, they zoom into a close-up.
Now, a medium shot.
See how they bring your attention to that final image?
I guess not.
Maybe I'm coming on a little
too strong.
That was pretty good, Max.
You want a rose, Elise?
Yay, come on in.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Max.
Hey, let's hear it.
Look at that.
Arthur is trying to do too much
his first time out.
At this stage, he should keep his camera work simple.
A big three.
Todd keeps his shot wide and steady,
but Arthur's close-up is shaky.
Okay, smile, Scott.
Arthur hasn't learned how to keep his subject
in focus.
Todd's pan is smooth while
Arthur's is jumping.
Hey, Max, look at you.
Would you like to open this?
Todd is keeping his shot wide
and gets both the present and Max's reaction.
Arthur misses both.
Can we get it out of the box for you?
Happy birthday to you.
Perhaps Arthur will learn from his mistakes
once he sees the playback.
I think that it's almost over.
Have a good time, Art.
Where were you when I needed you?
You hadn't thought anything out.
It would have been a waste of my time.
Dad, how come you were moving
the camera back and forth like that?
It reminds me of a chicken
pecking for grain.
It was a first try, right, Art?
It was my first try, honey.
I'll get better.
I hope so. We're all gonna need glasses soon.
Good night, Dad.
Good night.
Good night, Dad.
Don't call us. We'll call you.
Right, kids?
Waste of time.
Now, wait a minute, Art.
I told you camera moves weren't easy.
It takes practice and thought.
But I can tell you have good instinct.
My instinct tells me
I should return this camera before it's too late.
See? You've even got a sense of humor.
Now, if you could only
adjust your mind's eye to the viewfinder.
It's as if you're looking at a TV screen.
Only it's your picture up there.
I'll explain.
What was it you were trying
to get on tape, Art?
The present? The cake?
This is reaction?
Your indecision shows.
But before we even discuss what you shot,
let's talk about how you shot it.
Your zoom was shaky
because you didn't have firm control of the camera.
Put the camera on your shoulder.
Find a comfortable, firm position.
Feel the balance.
Whenever possible,
find something solid to help brace yourself.
A table
or a wall.
A tree.
Kneel
or sit.
Like that.
Doesn't that feel more secure?
Obviously,
if you don't need to be mobile,
a tripod is ideal for steady shots.
It attaches easily to most cameras.
This is a perfect time
to practice. You're alone
and not concerned with directing subjects.
As soon as you turn
the camera on, the very first thing
you do is adjust what's called white
balance. Most cameras
have a switch you depress for a few seconds
and it automatically adjusts
the camera to the color temperature of the sun.
You mean once
I adjust for white, the other colors are lined up
too? Essentially correct.
And we'll be talking about color and light
in detail later.
It's hard to think of colors when all I see
is black and white. Because most
camera view finders only show a black
and white image, adjusting your white
balance becomes critical.
Pull back out, Arthur.
It's very hard to handhold a steady shot
on the close up end of your zoom.
The zoom lens not only
allows you to move in and out, but it gives
you a variety of lens sizes in one.
That means you can get more subject
matter into your widest shot than in your
tightest shot. And you can choose your
frame from wide
to medium
to close up.
To focus
zoom all the way in.
Now focus
and your shot will
stay sharp all the way out.
By the way, no need to waste
tape while adjusting your focus.
Put the camera in pause and it won't be recorded.
One of the underlying
purposes of the zoom is to get an establishing
shot. You can get a similar effect
by moving your camera closer. That's
called dollying. The advantage of
the zoom is the convenience of staying in
one place, like when you're using
the tripod. Move the camera
up and down. That's called
tilting.
Move the camera left and right.
That's called
panning.
Slower, Arthur.
When compared to the human eye, a camera
lens is far more limited in what can
actually see. Therefore, you must
move it slower than you would normally think
necessary.
When your camera isn't level,
look what happens to a pan.
It's easier on a
tripod because you can actually
level your camera.
Now, take what you've learned
and have some fun with your camera and
your family.
We've shown you the fundamentals
of camera movement to have you start
shooting with some reference points.
Now buy a
quantity of videotape and shoot it.
Fortunately, videotape
can be recorded, erased, and reused
almost indefinitely like audio tape.
Carefully screen
your material as soon as possible after
you've shot it. As you do, try to
remember what you intended to visualize and
why.
To put a scene in the right
perspective before shooting, close one eye
to see as the single lens of a camera
does. You can even frame your shots
like this, so people think you're a little
eccentric. Big deal.
Remember, when panning,
move your camera slowly.
To focus, zoom in,
focus, and pull out.
Keep your camera
level by watching the horizon.
Whenever possible, attach
your camera to a tripod for steadier
shots.
The next part of our program is about
framing and composition.
You're number one in my book, kid.
Now I want you to see you go out in that field
and have some fun.
But dad, I've never used a camera.
Go on. Go on.
Come on, Lisa, you ready?
Go after the ball.
Okay, throw it out. Throw it out.
Throw it out, Andy. Throw it out.
Get into the game. Come on. Let's go.
You got three seconds, two seconds, one second.
Go, go.
When you've zoomed in tight, holding
steady is almost impossible.
A wider shot appears steadier.
When following the action, the
trick is to think what will happen before it
happens. You want to try to lead
the action just a little. Try not to
overrun it. Pull back a little to see more
of the field.
Uh-oh, sun's back. Let's check
for white balance. I don't see any
difference. Take the camera away
from your eye for a minute, will you?
Maybe you'll see a difference.
Arthur, wait a second.
Frame your subject's head so they
are approximately center screen.
Concentrate on the upper body.
Don't leave dead space. It's uninteresting.
Remember, TV is two-dimensional.
To give you the effect of three
dimensions, you need your subject,
your foreground,
and background.
The rule of triangle
and semi-circle grouping of
subjects is an old tried and true
axiom. But whatever you're grouping your
composition, avoid strange juxtapositions
art, like the buildings on top
of Elise's head. I ought to save this
one for my files.
You know, when you take more close-ups between
action shots, the result on tape
makes for more interesting viewing.
That's a good one of Scott,
but watch your horizon.
Art, Art, are you forgetting
the game? There's Elise playing.
Where are you looking? You've got to
concentrate on the game.
Hey, Art, what are you doing?
Look, would you stop breathing down my neck
like that? I'm trying to have some
fun, too. Or isn't that allowed?
So Elise finally scored a goal
and you missed it. Great.
There's more to composition than meets
the eye. You'll be much better off
taking your time to study your frame.
Try to vary your angles and
shots in a well-composed series.
High angles generally make the subject
appear smaller,
low angles just the opposite.
Remember, look for foreground and
background objects to add depth and dimension.
Frame your subjects so they're approximately
center screen.
Stay wide when following action.
Avoid scenes with uninteresting
dead space.
Look for shots with triangular or
triangular composition.
Be aware of strange juxtapositions.
The next part of our program is about
lighting and sound.
You're in silhouette.
I can't see the wrists.
Let's move him around.
Put the sun in front of him.
You're backlit. Move around.
Towards me.
Over here.
The automatic iris in your camera
adjusts to the overall light in your frame.
Move a few feet away
out of the shade of that tree there.
You want to avoid light and dark combinations.
Now we see why your dad shot 88
last week.
I see your dad's taking you under his wing.
I'm sure you know that these babies are balanced
for any kind of light source.
Daylight, overcast days, tungsten, fluorescent.
Can you mix tungsten with daylight?
Sure. Just remember to white balance
and you'll be okay.
You have other lights, don't you?
Oh yeah, I got a couple of clip-on floods
and a sun gun that
attaches right here.
And then I bounce it just enough to fill the area
with more light.
See?
There are many types of additional
lighting available with barn doors
and scrims to control the source.
They aid in boosting artificial light
whether it be tungsten or fluorescent.
I want to jump over you.
What does a policeman do?
I want to jump over you.
Where does he go? A fireman.
See, remember?
He slides down the balls and rushes into it.
He gets you out of fires.
Before you're all burnt up
and you're all black.
Arthur, it's after 8.30, you know.
The lighting is perfect art
but you have an omni-directional mic on
and it will pick up sounds from everywhere.
Oh, he's not paying attention.
David, I told you I had that video.
Come on and see this.
Come on, Charlie, let's go. Susan, come on out.
Mary, come on.
Jim, can you come out and see my tape?
Charlie, let's go.
Elaine, come on, come on.
I want to show you this tape of my kids.
You've got to see this tape of my kids.
It's great.
At least it's only 8, right?
And I heard them playing this morning.
Max didn't even notice me at first.
But listen to this,
they say the cutest things.
Hey, Art, I thought you were getting good at this.
What's the kids saying, Art?
Where did all that noise come from?
Where are the naked dancing girls?
It's real cinema verite, Art.
Excuse me.
Let's see now.
With the volume up here.
Mm-hmm.
Sorry, Art.
It is cute, though.
Well, I'm real sorry the sound didn't turn out.
I don't understand.
Uh...
Well...
Nice try, Arthur.
Unfortunately, you didn't monitor your sound.
You know, a mic doesn't have a brain.
You have to think for it.
You should have placed your mic much closer to your subject.
That's what a mother is.
You know your mom?
He-he-he.
I didn't want to disturb them.
That's another problem,
how to be inconspicuous while shooting.
Here's a built-in mic
and picks up sounds from all directions.
In order to pick up good sound,
keep the camera close to the subject.
Or you could plug a separate mic
directly into your camera or recorder
and turn off your built-in mic.
At some point, you should test sound.
Earphones plugged into your recorder or camera
are invaluable for monitoring sound
before and during taping.
Here are some other types of microphones available.
A shotgun,
pointed directly at your source
for sounding sounds.
Hand, desk, or stand mics.
Most are built to record one or two people.
A lavalier is small and can be attached
to a person's shirt.
You know, you could save this piece
by putting narration on your track,
like this.
Max didn't even notice me at first.
But listen to this,
they say the cutest things.
Music, like this.
That's a good idea.
Checklist number three,
lighting and sound.
In videography,
it's almost as if you have to
retrain your eyes and ears
to respond like a camera and a microphone.
The human eye automatically
adjusts to changes in light and color.
Its optics are far more sophisticated
than most cameras.
Next time you walk through your house,
notice the changing light conditions from room to room.
Be aware of the shadows,
the change from artificial light to daylight.
As you wander outdoors,
be aware of the many different influences on light,
the time of day,
position of the sun,
and objects like trees, buildings,
clouds.
Remember,
white balance whenever the light changes
and always after turning the power back on.
Whether artificial or natural,
make sure to have sufficient light for shooting.
Place your microphone
as near to your subject as possible.
Use earphones to monitor your sound.
The next part of our program
is about planning a production.
Your vacation.
The perfect time to shoot video.
You have a sustained period of time,
no worries about work
or interruptions at home.
And now you've learned the basics.
Operation of camera, movement,
composition, sound, and lighting.
You can afford to be more selective
about when you shoot and how.
Take your time.
You're ready to bring your camera
to the scene.
Take your time.
You're ready to bring home
a wonderful record of a special time
for you and your family
to enjoy viewing for years to come.
You're spending much too long
establishing your locations
by shooting signs.
Your approach is too traditional.
You're missing the reality
of what's going on around you.
You're doing it again, Art.
What about your subjects?
They're a lot more interesting
than your signs, you know.
He's finally got his subjects,
but now they're not doing anything.
At least 300 years old.
So where are we off to now?
We're off to the beach.
How are you kids doing there?
I certainly feel younger.
I do, too.
You feel weird.
You're actually going to shrink
a little bit, at least,
because you're so young now
with all that water.
Come here, duckies.
Come on.
Okay, wave to Daddy.
Wait a minute.
Oh no, my battery's dead.
I didn't even think of that.
All right.
Preparation is the most important
element of any production.
You must know approximately
how much you want to shoot
with batteries or equipment to charge them
and the necessary tape stock on hand.
Batteries are good for approximately
an hour or so of shooting
before they need recharging.
And it's always better to have too much
tape stock than not enough.
It's all part of advanced planning,
thinking things through.
Well, maybe we think differently.
You simply have to do a little more
to see how much evidence is thought on your part.
The point I was trying to make to Arthur
concerns his expectations
and his family's expectations
of this videotaped record of their vacation.
To be sure, each of us would feel differently
about the specifics.
How much material to shoot?
How long will the finished product be?
Will I tape five or 30 minutes a day?
And who's going to view the finished product?
Who's the audience?
Shooting anything that strikes the eye
at the moment will prove to be disappointing
in the long run.
You'll risk missing what you've really
set out to get.
Are you shooting to communicate your family
in certain places?
Or the beauty and the history of the scenery?
Or a combination of these?
What's the balance?
Uh-huh.
Boy, was that dinner delicious?
Oh, isn't it good on the bluffs?
Yeah, it's really good.
Did you like dinner, Scott?
Yeah?
I really, really enjoyed it.
It's so pretty here.
Look at that sunset.
Oh, it is.
Wait a minute, you know, just a minute.
I'm going to go get my camera.
This is great with the sun and everything.
Hang on.
You'll be lost.
Some things can't be recreated.
Your subjects are not always on
when you want them to be.
Your light is always changing.
On vacations, you should remember
that the sun is often bright and hot.
The shadows are harsh.
Plan to shoot in late afternoon
or early morning.
The pros call it the golden hours.
Okay, I got it.
Oh, honey, I'm sorry.
There's no more sun.
Maybe I'll catch it tomorrow.
Okay?
Don't be discouraged, Arthur.
You're getting better all the time.
Well...
Look at that.
Look at this one.
Oh, that was a good game.
Oh, remember that play in the outfield?
What's the matter, Dad?
I think I recorded over the interview.
Wait, the kids got the autograph from the players?
No.
Oh, you're kidding.
Oh.
What?
I can't find it.
Need I say anything about properly labeling
and storing your cassettes
as soon as possible after a shoot?
There's always something, right?
As a home videographer,
you have to wear a lot of hats.
Unlike a professional production,
you have to do it all.
Handle itinerary, scout locations,
plan, produce, direct,
and run camera, sound, lighting, and record.
Kind of like a one-man band.
Cleaning and properly packing your equipment
is equally important.
Specially made cases can save the life of the camera.
All of these things you have to plan.
Music
Now, Arthur is really doing everything right.
He's doing his wide shots, his close-ups,
his camera movements are smooth,
and he's having a good time as well.
The more pre-planning, the better the production.
It's as simple as that.
Expect the unexpected.
Plan for it.
The better prepared,
the more you can enjoy the event.
You can avoid to some extent
the electronic glitch between shots
in a couple of ways.
By putting the recorder in pause,
but never more than a few minutes.
Or by fading to black,
iris to close.
Checklist number four.
Planning a production.
Make a list as you mentally prepare
for your next video experience.
List the action, subjects,
places, time of day,
amount you wish to shoot,
length of shots, positions for camera,
equipment necessary,
batteries, additional lighting,
and so on.
As you did before,
rehearse if possible,
scout locations.
We've been talking about approach,
but not point of view.
This has all been from Arthur's point of view.
Imagine how this might have looked
from Alice's point of view,
the point of view of the batter,
or even the porpoise's point of view.
Remember, decide subject matter
in advance.
So, where are we off to now?
Have necessary equipment
cleaned and charged in advance.
Try to shoot in the early morning
or late afternoon when the sun
is less harsh.
Label all tapes immediately
after shooting.
For smooth transitions,
put recorder in pause,
or fade to black, iris to close.
The next part of our program
is about the art of video.
Arthur, I like your bare chest,
but I doubt if the bride and groom
will approve.
Honey, please, we'll be late.
Coming, coming.
Obviously, you've decided to shoot
Patricia's wedding, regardless of how I feel.
Well...
You know she specifically asked Todd to do it,
and having two photographers following
over each other might be distracting,
to say the least.
Honey, I have been preparing for this mentally
for weeks now. It's important to me.
Hurry.
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to life
everlasting.
Let us pray.
Father, you have made
the bond of marriage a holy mystery,
a symbol of Christ's love
for his church.
Hear our prayers for Timothy
and Patricia in sickness
and in health.
Amen.
I will love you and honor you
all the days of my life.
I will love you and honor you
all the days of my life.
Amen.
Checklist number five,
the art of video.
In home video, everyone develops
his or her own personal style.
Stare into the scene using your viewfinder
to position your subjects.
Make certain that you prepare
equipment the night before.
Arthur will edit his wedding video
using the enhanced editing capabilities
of his VCR and another recorder.
Editing your material is often
rewarding and gratifying.
The results may surprise you
and your audience.
Remember, scout location in advance
of shooting an important event.
Don't disturb the action,
become a part of it.
Look for the unusual
and spontaneous.
Now, let's see how
Arthur has progressed.
Okay, is everybody ready
to watch this great dog production?
All right.
Oh, can somebody get the curtains
there for me?
All right, here we go.
Here comes the bride.
Oh, isn't that beautiful?
As you can see, Uncle Todd
took a traditional approach.
He covered the ceremony and reception
quite well, establishing the situation,
cutting into medium and close shots
as the subjects and flow warranted.
Look, you look nice and cool over there.
Are you using your girl face?
Yes.
One right in the text balance
for David.
Yeah, that's pretty good.
There it is.
I'd love to show you
intimacy by me.
Oh, good, good, great.
It's probably not going to be
as good as Todd's,
but we'll give it a whirl.
Same thing, right?
This is my boy here.
This is my boy.
I use the wedding invitation
as the opening.
Hey, tell me about that.
That's a clever idea there.
Arthur took a different approach
than Todd.
He shot a more personal
and individual view of the event
with many more close-ups.
Arthur's tape may be
more interesting to watch,
but of course, both Todd
and Arthur's approaches
are totally acceptable
and satisfying.
Daddy got real good,
didn't he?
Uncle Todd's wobbles.
There she is again.
Do you like this closing shot
of your father?
That is very good.
Hey.
How about some soda?
How about you kids
have some soda?
You did it, kid.
Thanks to you.
Listen, I'm sorry if I've been
obnoxious at times,
but in the future I promise...
I'm afraid I'm going to have to be moving on, Art.
You're on your own now.
But, please, how can I ever...
Arthur.
Don't go.
I've taught you the basics.
Now you can advance on your own.
Wait.
You'll do just fine, Arthur.
Arthur has learned the basics.
With practice, almost anyone
can master the tools to express their feelings.
The joy, action,
and emotion of reality.
Now it's your turn,
and I'm here to help.
The nice thing about home video cassettes
is you can look at this show
again and again.
Stop, repeat,
whenever you like,
and let me know what you like.
Thank you for watching.
This has been a CBS-Fox Video Learning Experience.
Thank you for watching.