Monday, June 24, 2013

If you're working in the heat, shooting your own video, or both, it's time to shoot your standup early

The most common complaint I hear is that reporters pretty much hate shooting their own video. The most common sidebar to that complaint is that the reporter ends up with wrinkled or dirty clothes, looks like an unmade bed by the time the standup is shot, or both.

Movie companies routinely shoot scenes out of order. And, when you think about it, we do the same thing when shooting a story. The most usual order is sound bites, b-roll, and finally, a standup.

Time to move the standup to the front of the line.

I'm seeing too many rumpled outfits, too many outfits with that tell-tale mark on the right shoulder. So, a few things to make you look better in your standups:

-If you're a one man band, carry a hand towel with your gear. Before you pick up your camera, place the towel over your right shoulder. Then when you shoulder your camera it won't leave a mark.

-Shoot your standup before you start shooting b-roll. This might actually require you to think a little earlier about what you want to say, but in reality, it's not a big deal. If you're gonna get all rumpled shooting b-roll, do it after you're done putting yourself on camera.

-Guys, if it's hot as hell, leave the jacket and tie in the car until you're ready to shoot your standup. Put 'em on, shoot your standup, and you're done with them for the day.

-Carry a mirror. You always want to look your best on camera, so take a quick look before you shoot it.

-Finally, play back your standup and make sure you're happy with it before you move on to something else.