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Only the good parts
I like to shoot
and edit video. I've been doing it for about five years, mostly for my family. Cut to the chase, add some music, and suddenly
home movies are watchable. It's great fun and it makes people happy. Last year, I produced a half-hour documentary based on an interview I conducted
with the late Charles Sweeney, the man who commanded the Nagasaki atomic bombing mission. The video, "Nagasaki: The Commander's Voice," received a Telly Award, Bronze, in the Documentary category.
Tips For Better Raw Video
Don't zoom in and out. Try to keep your focus on one thing at a time. The closer the
better.
Pan slowly. Don't whip the camera around. Like a lion stalking a herd of zebras, pick
one subject out of the pack and stick with it. Then go on to the next subject.
Shoot people, not scenery. A little scenery goes a long way. Remember, it's the people
you want to see, not the trees.
Try to get your subjects to talk to you. You want to get them saying things to the
camera. Be a pest.
When shooting indoors your sound is going to be garbled. You have to work the room and
get into people's faces.
When shooting sports, shoot the players not the game. Long-view shots of the entire basketball
court are boring. The game doesn't matter as much as the people playing it. Get lots of close-ups of individual players doing
things. Get reaction shots of the coaches.
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