PUESTA A TIERRA

with and now, free from anxiety, all you have to do is just make the shot.

Your concentration can now turn to maintaining framing, following the action, and making sure the shot goes the way it was intended to work.

It is of crucial importance that you know what you have recorded once the shot ends. You may be surprised by how often your memory can conflict with what ac- tually ends up on the recording. In the jostling of the crowd, how long was the candidate in the frame? You may think it was several seconds, but after reviewing the shot it might turn out to be only one or two sec- onds—not enough to be usable. Don’t say you have the shot unless you are absolutely sure you have it. In EFP situations, you often have the luxury of playing the shot back in the field to check it. That, of course, presents another possible problem: after playing back a shot, you must make sure that you recue properly so that you don’t record over previous material. In ENG you almost never have the ability to look at what you have done in the field. You simply have to know what you have or don’t have recorded. That requires a rather intense level of concentration, often involving counting the seconds in your head to determine the length of shots.

A constantly revolving and evolving checklist of factors, such as camera wobble, framing, anticipation of action, the best focal length to use, editing consider- ations, and simply choosing which subject to follow, are all part of the creative process. Once again, that’s why you can’t be overprepared for any shoot. And news can be the most difficult of all to plan for. In the chapters on ENG and EFP styles, more specific infor- mation is given as to what kinds of shots and tech- niques various situations will require.

Wrapping Up

There are several pitfalls that you should think about when you begin to wrap up after your shooting is over. First, are you sure that you have shot everything that you will need? Less experienced videographers often make the mistake of leaving the location without get- ting all the shots necessary for the editor to put the story together. The shots most commonly left out are cutaway shots or transition shots used to cover some bad video. It is best to review your shots on a color monitor to make sure that all of your shots have

proper color balance, exposure, framing, composition, and acceptable backgrounds. At this time it is a good idea to listen carefully to your audio. You may find that some of the audio is not clear, or that you picked up some interference. This is also a good time to record some ambient sound for use in editing. After you have completed this test of your recorded material (and have reshot anything that is not acceptable) you should begin to wrap up.

Start the process by turning off all of your video lights. The less you use your lights, the longer they will last, so turn them off as soon as you are sure they are no longer needed. Also, they must cool down be- fore they can be removed from their mounts and put back into their cases. Next, if you are recording onto tape, remove all tapes from recorders and check to see if all tapes are properly labeled. Make sure you do this before the power to the recorders is cut off, because you cannot eject tapes without power to the ma- chines. If you are shooting on hard drive or flash drive, make sure that your footage log is accurate. The next step is to turn off the camera and remove it from the tripod or mount. Put the camera in its case or in a very safe but visible place, usually on the floor. Re- member not to leave the camera unattended, because this is the point in the location shooting process when cameras can be stolen. Your tripod or mount should then be taken down to traveling size and put in its case, if it has one. All connecting cables for signal and power should be properly coiled and stowed in the ac- cessories case or bag.

At this point, it is appropriate to carefully remove all gaffer tape that you have used on floors, walls, or doors. You may have to remove any sticky residue that remains after the tape has been pulled off. Sticky resi- due on glass can be carefully removed with a razor blade. Floors, walls, and desktops can be cleaned with a mild solvent, but avoid using any liquid on wood surfaces if at all possible. If your light housings are cool to the touch, they should be lowered, then removed from their stands or mounts. Place the lights in their case, but remember that the bulbs are extremely frag- ile, especially when they are hot or even warm. Take down the light stands or mounts and place them in their case or secure them in the vehicle. All props and set pieces should be removed and placed in the vehicle. You probably should place your camera in the vehicle

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last so you do not have to put heavy equipment cases on top of the camera case.

Now you should have all the equipment loaded in the vehicle, and you can conduct a very careful visual survey of the location called the “idiot check.” Check around power outlets for extension cords left behind. Was your equipment placed in more than one room at any time during the shoot? This is another good reason to have a staging area where equipment can stay when not in use. Check all rooms used for the shoot. And pick up all the trash generated during the taping, such as coffee cups and soda cans. If the site is as clean as when you first entered it, and the objects or furniture have been replaced in their original locations, ask the contact person to look it over. Let them know you have made every effort to return the site to its original condition. If they “buy” your cleanup, thank them for the use of the location (especially important if there is any chance that you might have to return to that loca- tion) and leave with peace of mind.

Even in the hectic pace of news, take the time to re- store the site you have used to an acceptable condition. Your trash can be a very ugly reminder of why many people distrust or even hate the media. Sometimes, you may only have apologies to give for the trampled flowers, but make some type of effort to acknowledge your damage. Don’t confuse arrogance with the rights of a free press. If you make a mess, take responsibility for it.

Whenever possible, take the time before you leave a location to make sure that you have gotten all of the shots that were planned on the shot sheet (or shot list). This is also a good time to make notes on your video log about the quality of the scenes and takes. Write notes about which scenes or shots might require a reshoot or getting alternative footage. Once you leave the location, it will cost you time and money if you have to go back to it.

SUMMARY

Good video projects come from good planning and good execution. It has been said that in EFP, you

should plan the shoot, then shoot the plan. In ENG, the situation is somewhat different, because there rarely is time to make a plan, so preproduction for news shooting has more to do with being prepared for anything and everything that can happen. Even though ENG is usually a bare-bones style of shooting, you must have a myriad of supplies and equipment with you or in your vehicle at all times. The ability to improvise will often come in handy.

EFP almost always starts with a plan. After a project is initiated, the preproduction process of goal setting, research, scriptwriting, crew selection, location selection, and materials preparation begins. Careful consideration must be given to travel of any kind, be- cause it involves not only people, but sensitive and ex- pensive equipment as well.

The culmination of the preproduction process is the actual production. The crew needs to unload the equipment with a special consideration for where the camera will be placed and how the location will be lit and the sound collected. When arriving on location, it is important to carefully note exactly what is there— the location of the furniture, plants, books, etc. It will be important after the shoot, when everything must be put back exactly the way it was before the shoot. Pro- fessional videographers always have a backup plan for any location and are always careful about security. Pro- tecting your equipment from the elements and theft is important. Security also means making sure that your crew is safe at all times. Before you shoot, make sure that all of the variables that should be under control are under control. Consult your checklists for things you need to do before the shoot. If everything seems right, the actual shooting should occur and go smoothly. Remember, don’t leave a location until you are sure that you have all of the shots that were planned and any shots that might help make a better video project. After the shooting, wrap up by remov- ing all equipment and making sure that the location is in exactly the same condition as you found it.

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7

Postproduction:

Editing It All