Tag: still photography

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Why Shoot Video Instead of Stills

Video seems to be the “hot” topic these days.  There’s nothing really new about video – it’s been around for quite some time.  So why do we see and hear it everywhere? You Tube gets one billion hits a day!  Perhaps the short, simple answer is because society interacts and communicates more and more via the web through social media sites.  And because of broadband capabilities – we “can” watch videos without the painful experience of watching stuttering video while it downloads.

So as the economy stays soft and still photographers try to stay afloat and camera manufacturers incorporate video capabilities  into still cameras – there seems to be more and more photographers who feel the need to start shooting video.  I’m a big advocate of video – but for all the right reasons and those reasons are different for each and everyone of us.  But – you must have a reason why to shoot video from a story point of view.  Because visual communication should be all about telling the story or relaying a message.

I used to shoot a lot of stories for the National Geographic Traveler – mostly city stories.  I spent quite a bit of my time – observing life and waiting for the “moments”.  I’d also spend a lot of time talking to people and listening to their stories.  I stored a lot of those conversations in my head over the years but because I am a photographer – my images were published – but not those conversations. So in a sense there was a large part of my experience that was never shared.

When I started shooting video projects, along with it came the need to do interviews. A big part of many of my videos are interviews that drive the narrative of the story.   Interviewing someone on video can be a powerful thing. That is truly one of the most powerful aspects of video  and the reason “why” I choose that tool when I do.  When I sit down and speak with someone  face to face – I get the type of experience and interview that one can only get in person.  I pick up on all the nuances – the body language – of the subject.  When I really care about my subject – the connection becomes that much stronger – the questions are answered not only with words but with the body and the eyes and everything in between.  And that shows – on camera and can drive the story in a meaningful way.

So when I need to tell someone’s story and that person tells their story not solely through their words but with every inflection of their voice and body – then video is my tool of choice.  That choice is made because it makes the story stronger.  Not just because I “can” because my camera has video capabilities. Choose your tool wisely.  I’d love to hear how and why others decide on which tool to choose. There’s so many reasons.

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The Business of Video

The “business” of video encompasses a lot of things –  your marketing strategy, your cost of doing business, your skill set needed to survive in business, your management of employees or outside contractors and paperwork.  For now I’ll speak to paperwork and how critical it is in communicating with clients.

A paperwork trail starts with an estimate for a job and I don’t take the process of estimating lightly.  I try to get as much information that I can when a client comes to me and asks me to bid on a job – or asks me  to provide an estimate for a job I’ve already been hired to do.  I keep a database of past SOW’s (Statement of Work) to use as references. While every job is different, I use these archived SOW’s as a starting point.

In addition to estimating the costs of crew, equipment, location needs, pre-production and post-production, I  clearly state terms as well as a schedule for post-production – including client response time and completion dates.

Terms – Here is where I state rights and  “usage” of the finished product – where will it be used and for how long.  I also spell out payment terms, cancellation fees as well as provide an accurate description of exactly what I’m going to deliver.  For instance:

  • 10-minute video to be delivered on DVD and compressed files for the web.
  • One day shoot on location at………….includes 2 interviews and b-roll
  • Post production – edit will include x amount of still images – sized and digitally provided by client – logos  provided by client– stock photos and/or footage – narrative (voiceover) track and music.
  • Payment – one third upon signed SOW – one third after shoot – and balance due upon delivery of final product.
  • Cancellation terms and fees
  • Change fees
  • How many edit revisions are included and the additional hourly editing costs if more revisions are needed.

Schedule – This is extremely important in video production – a schedule sign off by the client that stipulates delivery dates for each part of the process. The reason this is critical is that if the client delays things on their end – it’s clearly understood that the rest of the schedule gets extended in terms of deadline dates.  Otherwise if your client needs their boss to approve things  and their boss has an unexpected out of town trip come up – thus delaying the process – you won’t be left with half the time you need to deliver the final product.  Example of post production schedule:

  • Aug. 31 –  Script approved by client
  • Sept. 1  –   Casting reel delivered to client
  • Sept. 7  –   Talent decisions made by client
  • Sept. 20  – Shoot date
  • Sept. 25  – Voiceover recorded
  • Sept. 26  – All logos, graphics and still images provided by client
  • Oct. 5 –     Rough Cut delivered to client for review
  • Oct. 12 –   Any edit changes noted by client and communicated to production house.
  • Oct. 19 –   Final cut delivered.

Lastly here’s a link to AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) with examples of bid forms and contracts that are helpful in terms of bringing to mind all the things that should be covered in your SOW.

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The Smell of Fixer in the Morning

This is a bit off topic but was prompted by my trip yesterday to Randolph Community College in Asheboro, NC.  I was giving a seminar for ASMP  “Converging Media – Adding Video to Your Skill Set”.  After setting up for my presentation I was given a tour of the school – a wonderful facility.  After going through their impressive computer labs and studios – I asked my guide and Program Head, Chuck Egerton,  if the school still had dark rooms.  He smiled and said “I’ll show you”

The second I entered the darkroom – and got that familiar taste of fixer in my mouth – I was immediately transplanted back to Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara where I had studied 34 years ago.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 34 years but when I walked into that darkroom and saw the students making their prints – it seemed like I was back at school.

A lot of memories flashed through my mind that hadn’t surfaced in years.  Being the only woman in my class – and one of six in the entire school.  Always being in a rush because I was working full time at night and going to classes and executing my assignments during the day.  Racing from the Riviera campus to the Montecito campus at break neck speeds around the curves in my big old orange Dodge van.  And most of all living in beautiful sunny Southern California, yet spending a lot of my time – in the dark.

The changes in photography have been profound since then and I’d probably have to say that as much as I learned at Brooks – I’ve learned a lot more since – out of necessity because of technology.  I love learning more now than I ever did in my younger days.  History gives interesting perspectives and when something jogs my memory and I remember my own history – I’m amazed by how much things have changed.  Seems like only yesterday.

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Convergence – Defining Yourself By Your Vision – Not Your Tool

It’s 4AM as I write this entry.  I can’t sleep.  That often happens when my mind is in overdrive as it has been all week – over stimulated by the process of editing video. I’ve also spent a lot of time this past week speaking with quite a few photographers who are working in both the still photography and video mediums.  Some shooters I spoke with got into video because the entry level became cheaper when hybrid cameras that shoot both stills and video came on the market.  Other people I talked to weren’t “camera operators” at all – they were DP’s or Directors of Photography on high-end commercial broadcast productions.

One question I asked these shooters was “What do you call yourself these days?” Personally I’m struggling with that question myself.  Am I a  photographer?, a videographer? (I hate that term), a DP?, a media producer?  Who am I ?  What do I call myself? I have yet to answer that question for myself, but the answers that I got from everyone I spoke with, ran the gamut, encompassing all the titles above.  As I replayed these conversations in my head, I realized that for me the problem was I was trying to define myself by my tool.  And that just doesn’t work.

The problem is if we define ours by our tools – then we are diminishing the value of our creativity or our visionboy_viewer in the process.  We aren’t placing the value on what is unique in all of us – our vision. At the same time we’re placing too much value on the tool – in this case the camera.  As technology accelerates the production of more sophisticated cameras that are cheaper and easier to use – and we’ve placed our value on being the technician – we’re in big trouble.  Because ultimately anyone with a vision who has the “ability” to realize that vision, can put together a crew of technicians to facilitate their vision or idea – and do it cheaper these days because of technology.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Professional photographers get defensive when a potential client places no value on what is unique about them (their vision) and approaches them with the attitude that if you won’t work for the prices they dictate – they will just find another photographer.  But what they are really saying is that they feel that they can “just” find another camera operator. The problem is that these photographers haven’t presented their vision and because of that they are perceived as being interchangeable. That’s not a good place to be and never will be.  And for that reason when a professional still photographer comes to me and says that they are interested in getting into video and asks the question “What video camera should I buy?” I gently tell them – well sometimes not so gently tell them – it’s not about the camera.

How does one define what they are?  Great question that has a lot of answers, as it should.  Technology is amazing – but it’s the human part of the process that excites me because we’re all so different in how we see.

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My Hybrid World

This is kind of off topic in the sense that it speaks a bit to my personal lifestyle as opposed to my professional one – yet in a way it’s the perfect analogy to my hybrid existence of working in both the still and the video worlds.

I live 38 miles west of Manhattan Island subway– close enough to commute if I were so inclined or had a “job” to commute to. But since I’m a self employed freelancer and always have been – I look at that short distance to the “city” as the bridge that connects my two worlds. The “city” can pretty much provide me with just about every cosmopolitan need that I may have and my other world – the idyllic little “bubble” where I live – a small rural town in Northwestern New Jersey – gives me space and serenity. bicycleBoth are important in my life and I don’t think I could give up one for the other.

I feel this way in terms of working with both still photography and video. They each in their own way are creatively fulfilling. Because I’m a storyteller – I look to each medium in terms of being the right tool to tell the story. I think differently in each medium and for this reason it’s very difficult for me to shoot both stills and video on the same job – although I have done that on many occasions. But my head is in a totally different place – depending on which medium I am working in.

I’ve said many times that it’s not about the tool – I can’t just swap out the tool because it’s really not that simple. With still imagery it’s all about the moment in time. With video it’s time in motion. With still imagery I’m selecting that precise moment where the story gets told. With video I’m telling the story through a sequence of imagery – always thinking in terms of the beginning, middle and end and ultimately with the “whole” piece in mind.

I could never make a choice between the two mediums at this point in my life because they are each needed in their own unique ways. Each serving their own purpose in how I choose to communicate – visually and creatively. Just like the hybrid personal world that I live in.

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Are You a DP or a Hybrid? – What’s the Difference?

I’m searching for “the word” the “title” of what I am these days.  I’m a photographer.  I also shoot video but I hate the word “videographer” because it sounds a bit cheap to me or at least dated. I generally think to myself that I’m a “visionographer” but I tend to “title” myself as a “media producer”. With all the talk recently about getting into video, I feel the need to make a distinction between being a shooter or a DP as opposed to a producer.

There is nothing new about still photographers moving forward in their careers and segwaying into commercial motion work.  Traditionally they take on the role of the DP (Director of Photography).  Many times they don’t man the camera but direct the shooter instead.  Generally speaking they work in large crews and with agencies.  The biggest distinction is that most times it’s a “work for hire” situation because the production company owns the finished product.

With the explosion of video and in particular web video, come new buyers for this medium.  Buyers from the corporate world as well as institutions and even ad agencies that may have been historically just “print”.  With the advancement of technology and being able to deliver a high end product because of it – leaner and meaner small production companies have come along.  When you have a shooter using the RED and able to deliver not only the motion part of the job but able to pull stills from the shoot, once again still photographers feel threatened.

When I got started in video, I made a conscious decision to take on the producer’s role.  I could choose to shoot or edit or I could delegate these roles to outside contractors.  I could also form partnerships that were fluid as the needs may be.  But more importantly, I maintained ownership of the final product – which was what I was used to coming from my still photographer background.

Still photographers are essentially producers anyway so it’s not such a mental leap.  So when your client comes to you and asks you if you shoot video (and you don’t) think before you answer that with a NO answer.  It may be better to form some partnerships with people who do and not only keep the money in house – but not send your client off to someone who does.

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Field of Dreams (and Video)

I love baseball – not sure why.  Maybe it’s just the idea of baseball that I love.  It’s traditional, American and a nostalgic reminder of summers past – at least for me.  I’m also a Cubs fan and I know what it’s like to be the eternal underdog, yet forever hopeful.  And that’s me – forever hopeful and optimistic. cubs_fans

I watched the movie “Field of Dreams” recently and I realized that it’s not really about baseball at all.  But about a belief in your dreams and following through with what you believe in.  And to do that you must be hopeful.

What does that have to do with video?  Nothing really, but it’s why I started exploring this medium 10 years ago, when technology was transforming video because it was going from an analog to a digital world.  And because of that, it was dramatically changing not only that “industry” but our culture as well.  It became “possible” to further your dreams – because of technology.  Whether that be shooting a full length “film” from a creator’s stand point or presenting and distributing your “brand” in a new way via a new platform (the web) and one where you can interact with your “target audience”.

Ten years have gone by since I started shooting digital video.  It’s been a challenging, yet rewarding time in my life and my career.  I have a tremendous sense of hope and see opportunities in this medium because I think it’s just the beginning of how we’ll see, hear and experience  video in our lives.

The video world is full of crazy formats and codecs as well as other unknowns and it can be scary for a photographer to jump into an entirely different mind set – let alone skill set. But taking risks can yield great rewards.  You just never know unless you take the chance.

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Tips for Shooting Better Videos

1.    Figure out your “story” before you get into the editing room.
2.    If interviews are needed – make a list of good questions that will lead to insightful answers and concise sound bites.
3.    Always think about your “audio” – listen to your room sounds.
4.    Capture your audio with external mics – not the mic in the camera.
5.    Wear headphones – camera meters only indicate that you’re getting sound – but it may not be good sound.
6.    Shoot and move – getting wide, medium, tight and close-ups from various angles.
7.    Anticipate what’s coming next and be in the right spot to get the shot.
8.    When shooting, think about how you will “get into” and “out of” a shot in the finished piece.  Play it out in your head.
9.    Shoot action and reaction – both points of view.  Example:  Teacher and student’s reaction
10.    Don’t talk over your video – even if you think you might not want to use the audio – because you never know.
11.    Use a tripod for long lens shots.
12.    Get lots of close-ups especially if the finished piece if for the web.  You’ll be happy you did when you get in the editing room.
13.    Have a plan but be prepared to be spontaneous and let serendipity happen.

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Mistakes Still Photographers Make When Shooting Video

Short but to the point – common mistakes still photographers make when starting to shoot video:

1.  They break timecode (only applies when shooting to tape)

2.  Bad audio – audio is everything in video.

3.  They don’t turn the camera on soon enough.

4.  They turn the camera off too soon (thinking in the “decisive moment)

5.  Use auto – focus.

6. They don’t shoot sequences – beginning, middle and end

7. They don’t shoot in “storyboard mode” – “How will I get into and out of a shot and what’s next?”

8. They pan and tilt and zoom in and out – too much – the motion should come from the subject matter – not necessarily the camera.

9.  They don’t shoot enough B-roll with variations.

10.  I’m open to suggestions as to what #10 should be – feel free to chime in.

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Video and Social Media – A Great Partnership

Facebook hit one billion video views last month. There are four times as many video views as actual Facebook members. That’s astounding. It also speaks volumes about how much video has become a part of our lives. With Facebook, people are sending video messages to “friends” without sharing them globally on You Tube or other video host sites. http://tiny.cc/v3d8K. Social networkers can also embed their Facebook videos on other web sites or blogs.

But if you think one billion video views in a month’s time is amazing, then you’ll be stunned to hear that YouTube gets over one billion views in a day!

And let’s not forget the new iphoneG3 that is not only a display tool for video, but a tool that can create video content as well. And this is not one of the new hybrid still cameras that also shoots video files – it’s a phone!

So between the new tools that create video content, coupled with the new tools that allow us to share video content, video is becoming a new “norm” in how we communicate. And with these new tools it has become easier for the consumer to use video to communicate. Does that mean video professionals should feel threatened. Not at all. To me it means that because video is becoming the new “norm” there is more and more of a demand for it. And that means that for my clients who have only worked in print before, are now finding a need to deliver their message in video to consumers who have come to expect it. And that’s good for me and my business.