How to shoot a band with one camera?
 

I might hook up with some audio guys recording rock bands. I would like to shoot with one camera. First a cover shot followed by shots of the lead singer, drums, bass etc as they do subsequent takes.

What's the best way to do this so the final product looks like one take? Is it best to play back the first take so they can lip sync while I get my other coverages? Thanks.

I've done this a few times.

We just had the band lip sync/play to their CD.

More often than not you'll need a really loud PA system to do this. Drummers always seem to have the most difficulty hearing the track and keeping in sync. There have been occasions where we had to hide mini headphones on them while they play.

That's pretty much how it's done. I've shot a couple that way and it works fine. Just make sure you pay attention to continuity, that is making sure everything is the same for every take.

Also...

I have found that recording a beep or some sort of tone on the actual CD before the track begins helps keep everything in sync for post.

I did this last month with my friend's band and, yes, you really do need another camera. To get anything interesting you have to roam around the band. But everytime you move, unless you plan on wielding a steadicam-like apparatus, you will lose something.

That said, if you have to film with one camera, I suggest you always get cutaway footage. This is footage like shots of a non-active band member's face, hands on the keyboard, drumming away, shots of the crowd. These are elements you can cut into the times when you are wandering around filming nothing but your feet. If you get enough of that, it will seem like you have several cameras, not just one.

The other guys have the audio part squared away.

Try two cams anyway. Use a cheaper cam to take the long shots, using either one to continuously record the audio. Use the long shots to mix in the breakaway shots.

Nathan Gifford