tips for improving cam work at DVinfo.net

Trey Perrone · March 15th, 2003, 02:34 PM

I was hoping to get some feedback from others on some of my past work. Although i am somewhat familar with handling cams and editing software, i am just now learning how to manually adjust the exposure/fstop, etc... I want to learn as much as i can because a lot of the vid i do is sports (football) which i cannot necessarily control the conditions of the weather/lighting. I want to capture the events the best i can. here are a few clips ive done, but hopefully with filters and some manual settings i can further improve my shooting in the future.

here are some past clips from last year mostly

http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03/kedra/kedtack1.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03...i/cangtd2b.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03...si/cangtd3.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/archive02/texas/duranttd.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/archive02/texas/borders.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/shrinebowl/huntersackdl.wmv
http://insidecarolina.org/shrinebowl/Nmasoncat4.wmv

this last one is me gettin run over ;-)
http://www.perrone.us/clemson/icmeetsreid.wmv
had alot of probs slowing it down and trying to keep the audio, but hey i still held onto the cam. I didnt even know it was still shooting the whole time. Although the impact screwed up the timecode on the tape so i could never pull in the full clip from my angle.

Dylan Couper · March 16th, 2003, 03:08 AM

OUCH!
That's an awsome clip of you getting tackled! Glad you and the camera survived.

I'd start with a tripod, or if you use one (didn't see one in the tackle clip) then I'd practice using it more. A lot of your static shots are drifting. WHen you are tracking action, it's much better. Maybe a monopod would be a better choice for shooting football, since you are always moving up and down field, it would be easier.
I didn't watch all your clips yet, just got home at 1am. Will watch the rest later and give you more feedback.

Don Berube · March 16th, 2003, 04:01 AM

Trey,

Very nice work! It seems you are using the GL1, yes?

I started out shooting sports highlights with an Ikegami ITC-730 camera with a Canon TV zoom lens on my right shoulder tethered to a Sony BVU-110 hanging on my left shoulder. Nice and heavy with big batteries. Those were the days :-) When I shot football highlights solo, I would go handheld. Let's just say with that rig it helped me in the long run by sharpening my handheld skills. When we did live multiple-switched broadcast coverage of football, hockey and baseball, I would typically shoot with an Ikegami HL-79 on a tripod with a studio viewfinder with left/ right panhandle focus/ zoom controls following the tech directors' cues via headset.

We would have LOVED to have the smaller lightweight GL1 with 20x optical zoom for the handheld cam way back then.

I wouldn't bother with any filtration beyond using a polarizer in bright outdoor "blue sky" daylight games.

I enjoyed watching your "POV" angle. Don't be afraid to get in there on the sidelines and up close and personal as you are doing. As I am sure you have realized, a timid photog will never get the shot. It adds a sense of "being there" for the viewer. You could try using a monopod as monsieur Dylan Cooper suggests too. I sometimes use my trusty 'ol Gitzo monopod with a Manfrotto 3229 swivel tilt head with quick release mounted on the top and keep the pan lock "loosely locked" which gives you an extra pivot point. In case you lean a bit backwards or forwards, this will allow you to keep the camera horizontal. The quick release on the 3229 is heavy duty metal and will stand up to a lot of use. This allows you to go handheld as you see fit without the monopod. I have a KATA "sticky rubber" strap on the monopod which makes keeping the monopod on me much easier as I am moving about handheld without using the monopod.

I also will sometimes use my Tiffen SteadyStick, which you could say is more useful if you were shooting basketball handheld more or less from one position from the middle court sidelines. It will help you shoot the entire game without fatigue. With football, since you have to constantly change your shooting position as the play progresses down the field, a monopod such as described above is more affective when you have to move about constantly.

Again, very nice work so far.

Please do keep in touch,

- don

Trey Perrone · March 16th, 2003, 04:55 AM

Thanks for the glowing reviews! no really, its nice to hear from others, especially with much greater experience. The viewers who see the clips always say "oh those are great!" but it means a lot more coming from people who understand the work involved in capturing and editing the footage.

Dylan, you should check those other clips and let me know what you think...the first one the kid makes a great tackle, water splashing. I cant wait to see how much higher quality streaming gets in the next few year so ppl can see the little details!

Don, you say you recommend the polarizer, i was looking into getting a tiffen or hoya circular one, as opposed to a linear i guess (it seems to be what most recommend for auto focus and manual focus would be rather i difficult with all the movement in my opinion). i have never used any filters before, although my dad seems to think using a UV makes a big deal.

i have never used a tripod as i move too much, the other cam angles from up high are usually shot by my dad. the monopod may be an idea to look into, do you have any pics of your "special monopod getup?" it may not be a huge issue, it looks like we are getting a XL1s before before april, and im hoping the shoulder brace that comes with it will do the trick and help me steady the shot a little more.

Do you think a manual white balance would help in some instances, sometimes (not sure if it was apparent on those clips) the white pants and helmets are so friggin white they seem to glow. I think i said it earlier, but i am just starting to grasp the idea of manually setting my exposure, etc. and i am hoping to get even better stuph this year. There is the spring game in April i will be going too and i want to try out as much as i can learn between now and then.

Im definately gettin a rain slicker for the cams this year...i still have a GL1 in the shop from last SEPTEMBER that got water in it! My boss is too lazy to much about it and we have other GL1s working, but its terribly annoying. ive heard varying recommendations, but it seems the portabrace is a real winner.\

Frank Granovski · March 16th, 2003, 06:19 AM

"GL2 or XL1, that is the question." I lean toward the GL2. I don't own one, though. But I have used a GL1 quite a bit.

Get either a linear or circular polarizer. Members seem to lean toward the linear.

I'd keep a UV on at all times to protect the lens, except when I'm using another filter like a polarizer or softener.

A brace or mono pod is fine, but I prefer a good tripod. If I can't use a tripod, I hand hold it; I guess that's were a brace would come in handy.

Harry Settle · March 16th, 2003, 10:38 AM

Definitely a monopod. I do a lot of long handheld shots during girls gymnastics, and find that it requires intense concentration to maintain a steady shot.

Question about braces. . . how do these braces manage the movement of your breathing?

Don Bloom · March 16th, 2003, 10:45 AM

I have never had a problem with the brace moving around while I'm breathing, of course I take 1 deep breath and hold it all day :)
NOT! Really I've only had a problem with the brace if I forget how to walk, meaning I move my upper body like I'm having a spasim. If I walk and breath normally, I'm OK!
Don

March 15th, 2003, 02:34 PM	#1
Trey Perrone Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 155	my clips/tips for improving cam work I was hoping to get some feedback from others on some of my past work. Although i am somewhat familar with handling cams and editing software, i am just now learning how to manually adjust the exposure/fstop, etc... I want to learn as much as i can because a lot of the vid i do is sports (football) which i cannot necessarily control the conditions of the weather/lighting. I want to capture the events the best i can. here are a few clips ive done, but hopefully with filters and some manual settings i can further improve my shooting in the future. here are some past clips from last year mostly http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03/kedra/kedtack1.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03...i/cangtd2b.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/commits/03...si/cangtd3.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/archive02/texas/duranttd.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/archive02/texas/borders.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/shrinebowl/huntersackdl.wmv http://insidecarolina.org/shrinebowl/Nmasoncat4.wmv this last one is me gettin run over ;-) http://www.perrone.us/clemson/icmeetsreid.wmv had alot of probs slowing it down and trying to keep the audio, but hey i still held onto the cam. I didnt even know it was still shooting the whole time. Although the impact screwed up the timecode on the tape so i could never pull in the full clip from my angle. __________________ Trey Perrone

March 16th, 2003, 03:08 AM	#2
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	OUCH! That's an awsome clip of you getting tackled! Glad you and the camera survived. I'd start with a tripod, or if you use one (didn't see one in the tackle clip) then I'd practice using it more. A lot of your static shots are drifting. WHen you are tracking action, it's much better. Maybe a monopod would be a better choice for shooting football, since you are always moving up and down field, it would be easier. I didn't watch all your clips yet, just got home at 1am. Will watch the rest later and give you more feedback. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

March 16th, 2003, 04:01 AM	#3
Don Berube Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Boston, MA (travel frequently) Posts: 837	Trey, Very nice work! It seems you are using the GL1, yes? I started out shooting sports highlights with an Ikegami ITC-730 camera with a Canon TV zoom lens on my right shoulder tethered to a Sony BVU-110 hanging on my left shoulder. Nice and heavy with big batteries. Those were the days :-) When I shot football highlights solo, I would go handheld. Let's just say with that rig it helped me in the long run by sharpening my handheld skills. When we did live multiple-switched broadcast coverage of football, hockey and baseball, I would typically shoot with an Ikegami HL-79 on a tripod with a studio viewfinder with left/ right panhandle focus/ zoom controls following the tech directors' cues via headset. We would have LOVED to have the smaller lightweight GL1 with 20x optical zoom for the handheld cam way back then. I wouldn't bother with any filtration beyond using a polarizer in bright outdoor "blue sky" daylight games. I enjoyed watching your "POV" angle. Don't be afraid to get in there on the sidelines and up close and personal as you are doing. As I am sure you have realized, a timid photog will never get the shot. It adds a sense of "being there" for the viewer. You could try using a monopod as monsieur Dylan Cooper suggests too. I sometimes use my trusty 'ol Gitzo monopod with a Manfrotto 3229 swivel tilt head with quick release mounted on the top and keep the pan lock "loosely locked" which gives you an extra pivot point. In case you lean a bit backwards or forwards, this will allow you to keep the camera horizontal. The quick release on the 3229 is heavy duty metal and will stand up to a lot of use. This allows you to go handheld as you see fit without the monopod. I have a KATA "sticky rubber" strap on the monopod which makes keeping the monopod on me much easier as I am moving about handheld without using the monopod. I also will sometimes use my Tiffen SteadyStick, which you could say is more useful if you were shooting basketball handheld more or less from one position from the middle court sidelines. It will help you shoot the entire game without fatigue. With football, since you have to constantly change your shooting position as the play progresses down the field, a monopod such as described above is more affective when you have to move about constantly. Again, very nice work so far. Please do keep in touch, - don __________________ DONALD BERUBE - noisybrain. Productions, LLC Director Of Photography/ Producer/ Consultant http://noisybrain.com/donbio.html CREATE and NETWORK with http://www.bosfcpug.org and also http://fcpugnetwork.org

March 16th, 2003, 04:55 AM	#4
Trey Perrone Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 155	Thanks for the glowing reviews! no really, its nice to hear from others, especially with much greater experience. The viewers who see the clips always say "oh those are great!" but it means a lot more coming from people who understand the work involved in capturing and editing the footage. Dylan, you should check those other clips and let me know what you think...the first one the kid makes a great tackle, water splashing. I cant wait to see how much higher quality streaming gets in the next few year so ppl can see the little details! Don, you say you recommend the polarizer, i was looking into getting a tiffen or hoya circular one, as opposed to a linear i guess (it seems to be what most recommend for auto focus and manual focus would be rather i difficult with all the movement in my opinion). i have never used any filters before, although my dad seems to think using a UV makes a big deal. i have never used a tripod as i move too much, the other cam angles from up high are usually shot by my dad. the monopod may be an idea to look into, do you have any pics of your "special monopod getup?" it may not be a huge issue, it looks like we are getting a XL1s before before april, and im hoping the shoulder brace that comes with it will do the trick and help me steady the shot a little more. Do you think a manual white balance would help in some instances, sometimes (not sure if it was apparent on those clips) the white pants and helmets are so friggin white they seem to glow. I think i said it earlier, but i am just starting to grasp the idea of manually setting my exposure, etc. and i am hoping to get even better stuph this year. There is the spring game in April i will be going too and i want to try out as much as i can learn between now and then. Im definately gettin a rain slicker for the cams this year...i still have a GL1 in the shop from last SEPTEMBER that got water in it! My boss is too lazy to much about it and we have other GL1s working, but its terribly annoying. ive heard varying recommendations, but it seems the portabrace is a real winner.\ __________________ Trey Perrone

March 16th, 2003, 10:38 AM	#6
Harry Settle Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bemidji, MN Posts: 276	Definitely a monopod. I do a lot of long handheld shots during girls gymnastics, and find that it requires intense concentration to maintain a steady shot. Question about braces. . . how do these braces manage the movement of your breathing? __________________ "DOH"!!!

March 16th, 2003, 06:19 AM	#5
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	"GL2 or XL1, that is the question." I lean toward the GL2. I don't own one, though. But I have used a GL1 quite a bit. Get either a linear or circular polarizer. Members seem to lean toward the linear. I'd keep a UV on at all times to protect the lens, except when I'm using another filter like a polarizer or softener. A brace or mono pod is fine, but I prefer a good tripod. If I can't use a tripod, I hand hold it; I guess that's were a brace would come in handy.

March 16th, 2003, 10:45 AM	#7
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I have never had a problem with the brace moving around while I'm breathing, of course I take 1 deep breath and hold it all day :) NOT! Really I've only had a problem with the brace if I forget how to walk, meaning I move my upper body like I'm having a spasim. If I walk and breath normally, I'm OK! Don