A montage of tough shooting situations while filming stories in Washington, D.C. Bree Tracey (MNS)
It seems one thing is certain in the field of journalism for multimedia reporters – knowing how to shoot video is essential.
More print journalists are being asked to shoot video to supplement their stories on the web and broadcasters are expected to one-man-band (shoot, report, write and edit) on daily deadlines. Lahaina Mondonedo, another Medill reporter, and I found ourselves in some interesting shooting situations. While gathering video for a story can be exhilarating, just be prepared for some turbulence along the way. This is what you should know about getting in some chaotic and irritable shooting situations…
1. Shooting off the tripod is not always a bad thing
Let’s face it! There are times when the tripod doesn’t fit in small corners, isn’t tall enough or is too heavy to carry while filming a moving object.
If you are shooting video in Washington there is a good chance a park ranger will yell at you for using a tripod since you need a permit to film on the National Mall. If this happens, don’t feel bad. I have watched rangers rag on photographers from major networks and get in arguments with freelancers.
Even at events where you are allowed to shoot on a tripod, media frenzied areas are hard to film in. For example, while filming for Lahaina’s story on Fashion for Paws, we were placed in a minuscule roped-off area at the end of a runway cramped with professional photographers. With everyone flocking to get the same shot, it became almost impossible to keep them from stepping in front of the camera. To get decent video it was survival of the fittest. We took the camera off the tripod and held it over our heads to get a glimpse of the action. With arm-numbing persistence, we took turns shooting video while arduously fighting off the crowd. Yes, the video was a little shaky, but we got everything we needed to complete the story.
While most video looks more stable if filmed on a tripod, there is a way of shooting off-tripod that can be properly executed or used to make the story more active. If you get in a situation where you have to take the camera off-tripod, you can use the ground, a chair, a shelf or even your own body to stabilize your shot. If someone is moving, just have the camera follow the actions to minimize the appearance of shakiness.
Filming amidst the crowd of photographers at Fashion for Paws (photo by Zaid Hamid)
2. Why not use two cameras?
You don’t want to get greedy with the cameras, but if there are two available and you have a photographer with you why not shoot the story from two different angles? This works well with stories that involve a lot of movement. For example, Lahaina and I shot a story about The Blue Angels, a flight demonstration team with the U.S. Navy, at Andrews Air Force Base during the 2010 Joint Service Air Show. Needless to say, filming jets flying more than 700 miles per hour is not an easy task. If you find yourself filming fast objects, you should put your camera on auto-focus. You will miss compelling video if you waste your time adjusting the focus. We were also able to get stable shots of the planes by placing one camera on the tripod and following the jets through the air with a second camera off-tripod.
Lahaina and I also flew in a C-130T Hercules where Lahaina filmed the pilots in the cockpit. To gather audio of the pilots, she plugged a cable into an audio box on the plane and connected it to the camera. During the flight, the plane pulled 0 G’s, which meant we were weightless for a few seconds. If you ever get put in this situation, just grip onto the camera and never let go! You’re weightless, so don’t worry about getting the shot.
3. Make friends with the other photographers
If you are shooting a story with photographers from other news outlets make sure you talk to them, learn their names and ask for advice. Photographers do a lot of work and get very little credit. In large markets, most photographers know the news business in-and-out. Many are freelancers, so they are aware of the work atmosphere at each station in the city. They also know what news directors are looking for in future reporters. If they see you struggling, most will offer to help you out. If you ask them for advice, most will give you an honest answer. Not all will be sociable with you or be conscious of blocking your shot, but, through my experience, many will.
While Lahaina and I were filming amidst the media frenzy on the red carpet at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the photographers from C-SPAN and NBC were gracious enough to move over so we would have a space to film. At press conferences in Chicago, photographers lent out extension cords and on Capitol Hill they helped me properly set up my audio. I’ve met photographers who worked at The Discovery Channel, shot video for a station in my hometown and been war correspondents. Who knows? One photographer might even know your professor, Mary Coffman. Most photographers tend to be more sympathetic and understanding of student journalists than reporters, so make sure you treat them with respect.
4. Always bring a light
Lighting is a photographer’s best friend and worst enemy. Natural lighting is always best for video, but what happens when you are stuck in a dark area with about 20 other photographers? This is when using the small LCD lights are useful. None of our interviews at Fashion for Paws would have been possible without that light. Especially if you are filming an event at night, never forget a light. You can always color correct your video while editing, but if the lighting is too dark there is no going back.
5. Push the boundaries a little (be aggressive)
I have noticed many photographers are not afraid to cross the press lines. On the red carpet at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Secret Service tried to move a C-SPAN photographer sitting on the floor with a boom microphone away from the velvet ropes. That photographer stood his ground and made the argument that they needed to gather audio for the interviews. After some verbal wrangling, the Secret Service backed off and the C-SPAN photographer got his audio.
Of course, you should also pick and choose your battles. Don’t upset the wrong person. For instance, while in The White House you should do whatever the Secret Service or media relations person asks of you. While filming Michelle Obama on the South Lawn for her White House Series Launch, all these people were no nonsense. If you wander outside the press lines at The White House, the Secret Service might not be as understanding as they were to the C-SPAN photographer on the red carpet.
6. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride
Shooting in crowded, noisy and rowdy situations can definitely test your nerves and patience, but it also presents an opportunity for you to get creative with your video. Just be prepared because when it comes to shooting video there is no exact science to it. You should expect anything and everything! Work with what you have and try to learn something new every time you go out on a shoot.