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SHOOTING AND EDITING VIDEO FOR THE WEB

Part Three: The basics of online news video

Painting with light

Producing great video requires more than capturing a full complement of shots and sequences. You also need to understand lighting and composition, so that your footage is clear and easy to understand and so that it maintains visual interest.

Good lighting is the key to capturing moving images with fully saturated color and crisp detail.  But breaking news doesn’t always occur in perfect light.  If time permits, try to move yourself into the best position, recognizing that you cannot always move your subjects.

  • The perils of backlighting – If the light source is behind your subject, you risk ending up with a dark silhouette with no facial detail. You always want the light to fall on the face of your subject or on the action you want to capture. In one-on-one interviews, you can sometimes position your subject without stepping over the ethical line of manipulating the situation. Close the curtains or blinds, if possible, to avoid conflicting light sources. It is also permisslbe to ask the person to remove his hat or tip it up, so that sufficient light falls on their face. When shooting action, in most cases, you must move yourself and your camcorder to a place where the sunlight or artificial light illuminates the subject.
    • An impromptu gathering in Hell, MI, on 6-6-06 produced spirited confrontations between a group of street preachers and a man in costume as the devil. In the first shot, the light falls directly on the preacher's face, allowing us to see his expression. The second and third shots are less successful because of problems with shadows and backlighting.

  • Reflectors – Getting light to fall on a subject’s face is critical. One way to make that happen is to use natural reflectors, such as the light bouncing off a white wall or curtain.  You can also purchase collapsible reflectors that you can use to angle reflected light onto the person’s face.  Many are gold on one side, white on the other.  Gold can often add a healthy glow to skin tones.  (Video can wash out skin tones, which is why broadcasters wear make-up. A gold reflector can help.) The problem, of course, is that it can be difficult to prop the reflector so that it angles the light where you want it without having an assistant to hold it in place.

    • Part Three: The basics of online news video - Basic composition

    Shooting and Editing Video for the Web

    Part One: Exploring news ways to tell stories online

    Part Two: Building a plan to produce news video for the Web

    Part Three: The basics of online news video
        - Shots & sequences
        - Lighting
        - Basic composition
        - Audio matters
        - Shooting interviews & standups
        - Tech stuff

    Part Four: Editing

    Online video on a budget

    Part One: The camera

    Part Two: Accessories

    Part Three: Editing software

    Part Four: Posting on the Web

     

    Bonnie Bucqueroux teaches digital jouralism at Michigan State University's School of Journalism and is a self-described Web geek.