Three Scenarios

We'll use the following three scenarios in this chapter to describe how to set up the scene, sequence your shots, and frame the subject in the camera. In subsequent chapters, we'll revisit these scenarios to discuss how to light and mike each scene.

Of course, not all of your video shoots will fall neatly into one of these categories; there are weddings, sporting events, parties, and literally hundreds of other events that we shoot with our camcorders. Keep in mind that most of the rules below, particularly those relating to framing, apply equally to virtually any video shoot.

1. Executive Briefing

In an executive briefing, a company executive, educational administrator, or government official is talking directly to the audience. Because the subject is speaking directly to the audience, she looks and speaks directly towards the camera (Figure 1.1). As we'll discuss in more detail below, the subject is framed in the center of the image, with the eye-line approximately one-third of the way down from the top of the frame.

Figure 1.1. In the executive briefing scenario, the subject is speaking directly to the audience, so looks directly at the camcorder.

Use this scenario only when the subject is speaking directly to the audience. For example, in a person-to-person interview, the subject is speaking to and looks at the interviewer, not the camera. In terms of the videography techniques involved, a person-to-person interview is a different scenario entirely (see next section).

For this and the other scenarios, I'm using images generated by Innoventive Software's FrameForge 3D Studio, a program that produces storyboards, or pictures of sequential shots to help filmmakers visualize, plan, and execute the shots in their movies. To produce this simulated camera shot, I created a virtual set we'll look at later to study subject and camera positioning. In the meantime, to learn more about FrameForge, go to www.frameforgestudio.com.

2. Interview

In interviews the subject responds to questions from the interviewer and looks at this person, not the camera, as shown in Figure 1.2. Looking at the interviewer is much easier for most people, who freeze up when a video camera is pointed at their face.

Figure 1.2. During the interview, the subject should look at the interviewer, not the camera.

Unlike group discussions, where the comments of all participants are more or less equally important, interviews are designed primarily to get the comments of the interviewee in the video. Consequently, they follow different rules. Use this scenario when creating a customer testimonial or interviewing an important visitor to your corporation or campus. Your role as interviewer is less important than that of the subject, so the interviewee gets most of the camera time. Note that the interview scenario is used frequently on the evening news, which makes it a great place to learn and refine your techniques.

In this scenario, I'm assuming that most readers are both cameraperson and interviewer. For this reason, the camera should stay focused on the subject during most of the interview. Even if you do have a separate cameraperson, it's tough to shift the camera smoothly from one person to another, and so it's best to keep it on the subject. Don't worry, we'll get you into the picture by shooting "noddies" after the interview is over; more on this below.

3. Discussion/Training

In a discussion or training scenario, two or more people are talking, and all of them are equally important to the shot. In a one-camera shoot where one of the participants is also a cameraperson (and thus can't be moving the camera around to focus on the different speakers), this means the camera must stay focused on the entire group all the time.

The discussion scenario, with one possible configuration shown in Figure 1.3, is the broadest; it can encompass conferences, group discussions, training sessions, role-playing, and other instances where all people must be on camera all the time. If you have only one camera, the rules are pretty much the same whether you have two participants or five. You basically have to keep everyone on camera all the time.

Figure 1.3. The discussion scenario, in which all participants must be on camera all the time.