Production Work
The Art & Craft of Video Production
Teacher: Ken Kimura
email: ken_kimura at lsrhs dot net
FAILING TO PLAN IS LIKE PLANNING TO FAIL
- Do not leave your project to luck
- Don’t plan on remembering everything in your head - take production notes and keep them in your project folder
- Use your time efficiently- especially when shooting
BE ORGANIZED
- Be organized about keeping track of the status of your shots
- Elect one group member to be responsible for keeping track of the storyboards
- Plan according to deadlines
- Elect one group member to be responsible for making sure the group is aware of the production schedule
- Make a list of props and costumes and note who will be wearing what, as well as who will provide the props.
- If you plan well, you shouldn’t have to spend too much time discussing how each shot will be set up. You should be able to finish a shot then move to the next shot without wasting time.
BLOCKING
- Decide on the locations for each shot
- Plan out where the camera will be in each shot, and if and how the camera moves
- Plan out where the actors will be in each shot, and if they move, where do they move to.
- Go out with your storyboard and run through the blocking of each shot.
- Make sure that everyone understands how the shooting will happen. When it’s time to shoot you want to be extremely efficient with your time. Each shot should happen one after the other without too much disscussion and argument.
MOVEMENT OF ACTORS
- CLEARING THE FRAME: when an actor leaves the frame in one shot, plan to show the actor entering the frame in the next shot.
- To maintain continuity, changes of motion must be shown. For example: Do not cut from a shot of a person standing still, to a shot of them walking. Make sure this change of movemnet is shown in one of the shots.
LOCATION SCOUTING
- Consider camera locations & space
- Consider the lighting
- Consider people and walking traffic
- Consider noise
ACTING
- Do not look at the camera
- Keep video production equipment out of the frame
- Don't laugh or smile unnessessarily
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DON'T LET A 10 MIN. PROBLEM TURN INTO A 30 MIN. (OR MORE) PROBLEM
- Always have a backup plan, including a backup location
- Remember Murphy’s Law
- Be proactive about solving problems and finding alternate ways to deal with a situation.
- Keep your initiative. Don’t let a stumbling block stop you from making progress entirely. There are always things to plan and/or refine.
- If you can’t do one thing work on another. If you can't shoot, import or edit.
- Refine your plans
- make a list of potential music to use
- determine the most efficient order to get your shots
- work out all of the blocking
- write out dialog
WORKING WITH GROUP MEMBERS
- Agree on a person or two to be responsible for keeping production paperwork
- Share phone numbers to help remind each other to bring in important things (music, props, costumes etc.)
- Delegate. Remember this is a group project. Don’t let one person take over a project
- Actively participate and encourage other group members to participate
- Treat other members with respect. Give constructive feedback. Do not completely shoot down ideas without giving some kind of alternative.
- Always be helpful, especially when putting things away and cleaning up
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