Filming a Stage Play

Boyd Ostroff · November 27th, 2003, 02:39 PM

Some more good points Tom! Yes, I also like to shoot closer to the stage and off to the side. This is where I will setup during rehearsals, but my options during the actual performances are limited since I need to be sort of "invisible" :-) But you are absolutely right that a closer camera location somewhere off center will yield much more interesting shots.

On other thing I forgot to mention. In spite of the popular wisdom to turn optical image stabilization off while using a tripod, you may want to experiment with turning it on. When I shoot from the back of the house it's actually a huge help. Our 150 year old wooden theatre packed with 3000 people can have a lot of movement, and a sturdy tripod won't even help with that. I've tried both ways, and the results are much better on my Sony cams with OIS turned on. Occasionally you might get a little glitch during a slow pan, but it's pretty rare. With OIS turned off you tend to see a lot of vibration in locked down full telephoto shots.

Your mileage may vary, but give it a try both ways and see what you think.

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November 27th, 2003, 02:39 PM	#31
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	Some more good points Tom! Yes, I also like to shoot closer to the stage and off to the side. This is where I will setup during rehearsals, but my options during the actual performances are limited since I need to be sort of "invisible" :-) But you are absolutely right that a closer camera location somewhere off center will yield much more interesting shots. On other thing I forgot to mention. In spite of the popular wisdom to turn optical image stabilization off while using a tripod, you may want to experiment with turning it on. When I shoot from the back of the house it's actually a huge help. Our 150 year old wooden theatre packed with 3000 people can have a lot of movement, and a sturdy tripod won't even help with that. I've tried both ways, and the results are much better on my Sony cams with OIS turned on. Occasionally you might get a little glitch during a slow pan, but it's pretty rare. With OIS turned off you tend to see a lot of vibration in locked down full telephoto shots. Your mileage may vary, but give it a try both ways and see what you think.