Portable Video: ENG and EFP Third Edition Norman J. Medoff and Tom Tanquary FOCAL PRESS Boston Oxford Johannesburg Melbourne New Delhi Singapore
Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 ENG AND EFP: THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL VIDEO 1 ENG: CAPTURING THE EVENT 3 A Brief History 3 TV News Photography Today 5 Time 6 Control 6 Preparation 7 Story Line 7 Responsibility 8 EFP: STUDIO PRODUCTION ON LOCATION 8 Birth of an Industry 8 Video Production Today 9 Budget 9 Planning 9 The Script 10 Authority 11 Knowing the Basics 12 I The Tools 13 Video: The Process of Image 2 Acquisition 15 LIGHT, LENSES, CAMERAS, AND RECORDERS 15 PRINCIPLES OF LENS OPERATION 16 Lens Components 16 Focal Length 16 Focus 18 Macrofocus 18 Aspect Ratio 19 Iris 20 Zoom Lenses 21 Light Quality Control 23 Accessories 25 Filters 25 Interchangeable Lenses 28 Care and Cleaning of Lenses 29 VIDEO CAMERAS 29 Camera Basics 29 Filter Wheel 30 Prism 31 CCDs 31 Video Signal 32 Fields and Frames 32 NTSC, PAL, and SECAM 32 CAMERA FUNCTIONS 32 Clear Scan 34 Monitoring the Picture 34 Associated Test Equipment 35 VIDEOTAPE RECORDERS 36 Low-End Professional: Hi8, S-VHS, and 3/4-Inch SP 38 Standard Format: Beta SP, 1-Inch, and Mil 38 Digital Formats: D Series, Digital Betacam, DVCPRO, and Digital S 38 Time Code 39 Typical Control Functions 39 Typical Inputs 39 Typical Outputs 40 Onboard Decks 41 Meters 41 Warning Lights 42 Time-Base Correctors 42 Maintenance 42 Troubleshooting 43 BATTERIES 43
vi PORTABLE VIDEO: ENG AND EFP Recharging 44 Life Span 45 Proper Care 45 TRIPODS AND CAMERA-MOUNTING DEVICES 46 Fluid Heads 46 Tripod Legs 46 Dollies 47 Cranes and Booms 47 Steadi-Cam 48 Car Mounts 48 Aerial Mounts 48 Special Mounts 48 Microphones and Audio-Recording 3 Techniques 51 MICROPHONE STRUCTURE 51 Dynamic Elements 51 Moving-Coil 51 Ribbon, or Velocity 52 Condenser Elements 52 SENSITIVITY 53 Directional Sensitivity 53 Omnidirectional 53 Directional 54 Frequency Response 55 Sound Sensitivity 55 Overload 56 IMPEDANCE AND OTHER FACTORS 56 Impedance 56 Other Factors 56 STYLE 56 Hand Microphones 57 Mounted Microphones 57 Lavaliere Microphones 58 SPECIAL APPLICATIONS 58 Performance Microphones 58 Multiple-Application Microphones 59 Headset Microphones 59 Surface-Mount and Pressure-Zone Microphones 60 Wireless Microphones 61 ACCESSORIES 62 Mounts 62 Acoustic Filters and Windscreens 63 AUDIO CABLES AND CONNECTORS 63 Balanced and Unbalanced Lines 63 Connectors and Adapters 63 Signal Loss in Audio Cable 64 Phase 64 Filters and Pads 64 SELECTION AND PLACEMENT 65 Choosing a Mic 65 Placing a Mic 65 Hand Microphones 65 Camera-Mounted Microphones 67 Boom Microphones 67 Mini-Microphones 67 Wireless Microphones 69 MONITORING, MIXING, AND STEREO 70 Monitoring 70 Mixing 71 Stereo 71 Light: Understanding and 4 Controlling It 73 Part One: The Physical Properties of Light 73 WHAT IS LIGHT? 73 Photons and Light Waves 73 Spectrum 74 THE COLOR OF LIGHT 74 Primary Additive Colors 75 Subtractive Primary Colors 75 Color Temperature 75 THE DIRECTION AND SIZE OF A LIGHT SOURCE 76 The Angle of Light 76 Hard and Soft Light 76 THE QUANTITY OF LIGHT 76 Intensity 76 Light Meters 76 The Inverse Square Law 77 Absorption and Reflection 78 Texture 78 Angle of Incidence 78 Part Two: Creating Light 79 LIGHT EMITTERS 79 The Sun 79 Artificial Light 80 Incandescents 81 Tungsten/Quartz 81 Lamps 81 Fluorescents 82 Color-Correcting Fluorescents 82 Mixed Light 82 Carbon Arcs 83 HMIs 83 Industrial HID 84 Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Light 84 LIGHTING EQUIPMENT 84 Light Housings 85
Table of Contents vii Floodlights 85 Spotlights 86 Mounts 87 Modulators 89 Shaping the Beam 89 Shaping the Quantity 89 Shaping the Quality 91 Shaping the Color Quality 93 Some Technical Considerations 94 Volts and Amps 94 Avoiding Overloads 95 Part Three: Basic Lighting Technique 96 THE STARTING POINT: EXPOSURE 96 Base Lighting 96 Finding the Correct Exposure 96 Use of High Gain 97 Contrast Ratio 97 Increasing the Quality through Contrast 98 THE ART OF CASTING SHADOWS 99 BASIC THEORY 99 The History of Lighting 99 The Rembrandt Way 99 Zone Lighting 100 FORMAL LIGHTING 100 Three-Point Lighting 100 Adding to Three-Point Lighting 104 Lighting with Color 105 NATURAL LIGHTING 106 Adding to Existing Light 106 Creating a Natural Look 107 Source Lighting 108 Lighting on the Run 109 Using a Camera-Mounted Light 110 One Light Setups Ill LIGHT AS AN EDITORIAL TOOL 112 High Key/Low Key 112 Time of Day 112 Mood Lighting 112 Directing the Viewer 113 To Light or Not to Light? 114 CONCLUSIONS 115 5 Pictures: The Basic Shots 117 IDENTIFYING THE STORY LINE 117 THE RANGE OF SHOTS 117 SHOTS BY FOCAL LENGTH 118 The Wide Shot 118 The Medium Shot 119 The Close-up Shot 120 The Extreme Close-up 121 CAMERA ACTION SHOTS 121 The Zoom Shot 121 The Pan Shot 122 The Tilt Shot 123 The Dolly Shot 123 SPECIAL-USE SHOTS 124 The Cutaway 124 The Transition Shot 125 COMPOSITION 126 Creating the Third Dimension 126 Effects of Focal Length 128 Perspective 130 Balancing the Picture 131 COMPOSING SPECIFIC SHOTS 134 The Interview Shot 135 The Reporter Stand-up Shot 137 Following the Action 140 Breaking the Rules 140 SUMMARY 141 II The Process 143 6 Scriptwriting 145 ENG 145 EFP 146 Goals 147 Knowing the Audience 147 Format 148 Style 148 Narration 148 Dialogue 149 Interview 149 Central Visual Theme 149 Research 149 Interviews 149 Reading Material 149 Client Information 149 Internet Search 150 Treatment 150 Goal 150 Strategy 150 Content 150 Outline 150 Storyboard 154 Script 154 Review 155 Edit 155 7 Pre-Production 159 ENG 159 EFP 160 PRODUCTION CREW 160
viü PORTABLE VIDEO: ENG AND EFP Executive Producer 160 Producer 160 Director 160 Videographer 162 Audio Engineer 162 Lighting Director 162 Grip or Utility 163 Talent 163 Editor 163 SCHEDULING AND COORDINATING 163 Factors to Consider 164 Guidelines for Schedule-Making 164 LOCATION SELECTION AND SURVEY 165 GRAPHICS AND PROPS PREPARATION 167 CLEARANCE ON COPYRIGHT MATERIALS 167 TRAVEL PLANNING 168 Transporting Equipment 168 Equipment Cube 168 Air Travel 170 Travel Tips 170 Foreign Travel 171 8 Production: Shooting on Location 173 ENG VERSUS EFP 173 SETTING UP : 173 SOUND AND LIGHT 175 LOCATION INTEGRITY 175 MAINTAINING CONTROL 175 BACK-UP PLANS 176 SECURITY 176 DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC 177 CHECKLISTS 177 ROLLING TAPE 178 REHEARSING 178 SHOOTING (AND RE-SHOOTING) 179 WRAPPING UP 179 Post-Production: Editing It All 9 Together 181 Part One: Technical Editing Basics 181 VIDEOTAPE FORMATS 182 Reel-to-Reel Format 182 Videocassette Format 182 TYPES OF EDITS 187 Assemble Edit 187 Insert Edit 188 TECHNICAL CONCEPTS 188 Scanning 188 Fields, Frames, and Segments 189 Tracking 189 Control-Track Editing 189 Time-Code Editing 189 Time-Base Correction 190 EDITING MACHINES 190 Video Controls 191 Audio Controls 192 Video Connections 193 Synchronization 193 Audio Connections 194 VIDEO INPUT SWITCH 194 UNDERSTANDING THE EDITING SYSTEM 195 Performing an Insert Edit 195 On-Line and Off-Line Editing 196 The Digital Environment 197 Analog versus Digital 197 Linear and Nonlinear Editing 198 Digitalization 198 Compression 199 Disadvantages Now 199 Part Two: Creative Editing Basics 199 SEQUENCING THE SHOTS 200 Basic Sequence 200 Sample Script 200 The First Sequence 200 The Second Sequence 201 Match-Action Cutting 201 MAINTAINING CONTINUITY 202 The 180 Rule 202 Crossing-the-Line Editing 202 Continuity within Sequences 205 ESTABLISHING A STORY LINE 205 A Beginning 205 The Middle 206 The End 206 Visualizing Paragraphs 206 Shooting without a Script 207 PACING 207 Editing for Dynamics 207 Avoiding Predictability 208 Editing to Music 208 Varying the Editing Speed 208 Comprehension 208 ADDING POST-PRODUCTION VALUE 209 The Dissolve 209 The Wipe 209 EDITING SOUND 210 Accurate Representation of the Event 210 Adding Sound for Effect 210 Avoid Abrupt Edits 211 Natural Sound 211
Table of Contents IX The "L" Cut 211 Room Tone 211 Multiple-Source Audio Mixing 211 Laydowns and Laybacks 212 Editing Methods 212 SUMMARY 213 HI Styles and Applications 215 10 ENG Style 217 Part One: Taped Coverage 217 SPOT NEWS 217 Shooting in the Middle of the Action 217 Shooting in the Aftermath 219 Shooting on the Perimeter of the Action 220 Dealing with the Authorities 221 Going Live 222 Be Prepared 222 GENERAL NEWS 222 Get a Good First Shot 222 Create Visual Sound Bites 223 Cover Long Sound Bites with Video 223 Keep the Story Moving 223 Illustrate the Topic 224 FEATURE NEWS 225 Try Different Techniques 226 SPORTS NEWS 226 Features 226 Competition 227 General Sports Tips 228 SUMMARY 228 Part Two: Live Coverage 229 LIVE TV 229 GETTING THE PICTURE OUT 229 Telephone Lines 229 Fiber Optic 230 Microwaves 230 Satellites 231 COMMUNICATIONS 232 INTERRUPTED FEEDBACK (IFB) 233 Portable TV 234 Mix-Minus 234 FORM AND STYLE 234 Live Spot News 234 Scheduled Events 235 Live for the Sake of Live 236 EFP 236 WHAT CAN GO WRONG? 237 Know the System 237 Power in the Truck 237 Lighting 237 Cables 238 Batteries 238 Crowds 239 Permission 239 Timing 240 11 EFP Styles 241 CORPORATE AND PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS 241 Corporate News Show 242 Instruction, Training, and Demonstration 243 Teleconferencing 244 Sales, Promotion, and Motivation 245 COMMERCIALS AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (PSAS) 245 Commercials 245 Formats 245 Shooting Styles 246 Public Service Announcements 247 Budgets 247 PERFORMANCE VIDEOS 248 Entertainment 248 Historical Archive 251 SPORTS VIDEO 252 Competition Coverage 254 Feature Coverage 255 MUSIC VIDEOS 256 Variety of Settings 256 Style and Technique 256 NATURE AND DOCUMENTARY VIDEOS 257 VIDEO ART 257 MULTIMEDIA 258 INTERNET 259 World Wide Web 259 Budgeting and 12 Pricing 263 ENG VERSUS EFP 264 ENG 264 EFP 264 IN-HOUSE VERSUS INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION UNITS 265 In-House 265 Independent 265 CREATING AN ACCURATE BUDGET 266 Line Costs 266 Materials 266 Services 266 Labor 267 Overhead Expenses 269
X PORTABLE VIDEO: ENG AND EFP BUDGET TRACKING 269 Computer Assistance 270 EFP PRICING FORMULA 270 ENTRY INTO THE MARKETPLACE 272 Leasing 272 Being Realistic 273 13 Copyrights and Legal Issues 275 LIBEL, SLANDER, AND PRIVACY 275 NEWS PRODUCTIONS 275 The Public's Right to Know 276 Public Property 276 Context 277 Public Figures 277 Trespassing 277 Hidden Cameras 278 Names and Numbers 279 Police Orders 279 Avoiding Problems 280 NON-NEWS PRODUCTIONS 281 Profit and Publicity 281 Content 281 Intended Audience 281 COPYRIGHTS 283 Violations 283 Piracy : 283 Exclusivity 284 Bugs 284 Courtesies 284 Pool 285 Public Domain Materials 285 PROTECTING YOUR WORK 286 Obtaining Protection 286 Alerting Others of Protection 286 Scope 286 INSURANCE 289 Comprehensive Liability 289 Equipment Loss or Damage 289 Rental Floaters 290 Restrictions 290 Other Coverages 290 Errors and Omissions 290 Workers' Compensation 290 Completion Guaranty Bond 291 Producers' Insurance Policies (PIPs) 291 14 New Trends and Technologies 293 BUYING EQUIPMENT 293 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN PORTABLE VIDEO 294 CAMERAS 294 VIDEOTAPE 295 EDITORS 295 EXHIBITION MONITORS 296 HIGH-DEFINITION TV (HDTV) 296 DESKTOP VIDEO 297 A CAUTIONARY NOTE 297 A FINAL NOTE 297 Glossary 299 Bibliography 309 Index 311