Skill Building

With each different skill, get footage of different setups to compare the possibilities on-screen. Load into Final Cut Pro X and compare and contrast the different aspects of each filming skill. Look up tutorials for each skill and get a plan together for practicing.

• Interview Setup – Practice all aspects of setting up an interview so that we can quickly move all equipment into place and capture interview footage for the WHS video.

• Reflector Use – Outdoor/Indoor with Ambient Light/Indoor with Window Light/With Lighting

• Lighting – High Key/Low Key/3 Point/Ambient Lighting/Indoor with Window/Variety of Sources

• Shot Log – Get one of each shot in the AFI Storyboard Glossary

• Action Shots – Capture different actions from different angles

• Zoom and Pan – I call this the F1 shot since it is really common in auto racing coverage. There are several examples in this footage especially at 4:21. You can practice this one easily with a person walking/running toward and then past the camera. Getting a smooth panning shot is a skill worth practicing.

• Rack/Pull Focus – Change focus between and object in the foreground and an object in the background. Look up and try other focusing techniques and compare with autofocus. Change lenses and try again with objects further away. Try out macro, wide-angle, and close up lens attachments.

• Manual Settings – Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Manual White Balance – Practice changing the manual settings and compare footage between settings you make and presets in camera. The Camera Wizard is a great resource to get you started.

• Advanced screenplay editing – Go to your Celtx or WriterDuet account and work on an advanced screenplay to be filmed. https://writerduet.com; https://www.celtx.com/index.html

• Shoot a basic scene – Cinematography practice using a scene already written for you. Modify as needed. http://www.oma.on.ca/en/contestpages/resources/free-report-cinematography.pdf

• Advanced Audio – Microphone choices and placement; how to hold a boom; mixing multiple sources of audio; gather custom sound effects.

• Multiple Camera Shot – Use FCPX to sync multiple cameras and edit a multicam shot.