1. Video Camera Operations

2. Objectives
Understand how white balancing a camera affects the picture.
Summarize how depth of field contributes to composing a good picture.
Identify the composition of each type of camera shot.
Illustrate a variety of camera movements.
Explain how a videographer can psychologically and physically affect the audience.

3. Important Rule
If audience cannot see it on screen, it does not exist–unless you give clues that allow audience to assume that what they do not see does indeed exist.
Example: talent playing a guitar. Audience does not need to see entire neck of guitar–they will assume it is there.

4. White Balance
Camera needs to be “told” what white is, called white balancing
When balanced, camera sees all other colors correctly
Zoom in on white object on set
Activate white balance circuit on camera
Zoom back out and shoot normally

5. Pre-focus Zoom Lens Zoom in on farthest important object Focus
Zoom out
After pre-focus, everything from 6’ in front of camera to object in step 2 will be in focus

6. Zoom/Macro Zoomed-in image is similar to telescope image
Macro image is similar to microscope image

7. Minimum Object Distance (MOD)
When camera moves toward object–the point where lens can no longer focus

8. Depth of Field (DOF)
Understanding DOF will give camera operator tremendous control on what audience looks at in total picture

9. Great Depth of Field
Great DOF is found in nearly all television and film shots because it keeps nearly everything in the shot in focus
No one thing in picture stands out

10. Shallow Depth of Field
Lens is manipulated so that DOF is very narrow and only single object in entire image is in focus, leaving rest of picture out of focus
Shallow DOF causes one object in picture to stand out dramatically

11. Shallow Depth of Field (Cont.)
Selective depth of field is choice made by director/camera operator
In shallow DOF, camera operator often rotates lens to shift from one item being in focus to another item being in focus
Focusing while camera is hot is rack focus, or pull focus

12. Shallow Depth of Field (Cont.)

13. Factors Affecting DOF Aperture Subject to camera distance Focal length
Changing any or all of 1-3 changes size of DOF
Set lighting does not affect depth of field

14. Discussion
Why are there so many lights in ceiling of television studio?
Since great DOF is desired for most shots and since great DOF requires a small aperture which will let only small amounts of light through the diaphragm, then the amount of light on the set needs to be increased to that the small amount of light coming through the aperture is extremely intense. Otherwise, the shot would be a very well focused but very dark image.

15. Rule of Thirds Tic-tac-toe grid imagined on TV screen
Important items in shot placed at intersections of grid lines
Do not center important items on screen

16. Head Room
Use rule of thirds when framing head room

17. Nose Room
Use rule of thirds when framing nose room

18. Shot Sheets Shot = picture
Before shot sheets can be created, every shot in scene must be assigned a consecutive number
Only camera 1’s shots are on camera 1’s shot sheet
Shot sheets make complex shooting much simpler

19. Wide Shots
Extreme long shot (ELS/XLS), also called wide angle shot (WA)
Establishing shot–wide angle shot of gigantic spaceships in battle in asteroid belt space indicates program is science fiction
Long shot (LS)

20. Extreme Long Shot

21. Long Shot

22. Individual Subject Shots
Medium long shot (MLS), also called knee shot
Medium shot (MS), also called mid shot
Medium close-up (MCU), also called bust shot
Close-up (CU), also called narrow angle shot
Extreme close-up (ECU/XCU)

23. Medium Long Shot

24. Medium Shot

25. Medium Close-up

26. Close-up

27. Extreme Close-up

28. Multiple Subject Shots
Two shot
Three shot
Four shot
Group shot

29. Specific View Shots
Reaction shot–shot of woman’s face as man off camera asks her to marry him
Profile shot
Over-the-shoulder shot (OSS)

30. Profile Shot

31. OSS

32. Dolly
dolly in (DI)
dolly out (DO)

33. Pan
Pan right (PR)
Pan left (PL)

34. Truck
Truck right (TR)
Truck left (TL)

35. Tilt
Tilt up (TU)
Tilt down (TD)

36. Pedestal
Pedestal up (PedU)
Pedestal down (PedD)

37. Arc
Arc right (AR)
Arc left (AL)

38. Psychology of Presentation
Low angle shot makes subject powerful, respected, and feared by audience
High angle shot makes audience feel that subject is weak and insignificant
Consistent slight low/high angle will manipulate audience’s opinion of subject
Extreme low/high angle is comedic