Top Ten Tips for getting good school videos
2-Keep it steady.
Most everyone has experienced watching video footage that’s a little shaky and unsteady and makes you a bit seasick. With that in mind here are some ideas about keeping things steady. You can use a tripod, monopod, set it on a table, flat spot or use a few good hand held techniques to steady your video footage.
Tripods are a really good investment for getting steady shots especially if you are in the back of the room and want to zoom in on a face close up. It’s also good for long unmoving shots like plays where the kids are all in it for a whole scene or a long song. Doing those shots hand held gets hard even if you are experienced. Your hands and arms eventually get tired and shaky. If I am shooting a school function outside or in a large church I will set up in the back on my tripod. It holds tight really well and moves smoothly. It also frees up my arms and keeps me from getting tired. If you have the room, tripods are really nice to use. One technique I like to use is to hook my camcorder up to the tripod, leave the tripod legs folded up short and use it that way. Holding the camcorder with my right hand and tripod with my left, I can stay mobile yet steady and if I want to, I can set down, open the tripod up and shoot that way. If I need to move I fold up the legs and go.
One disadvantage is that tripods can be a little large to carry through crowded hallways and down tight isles filled with chairs. Tripod legs opened up and spread out can easily take up the space of 3-4 people. In tight classrooms that won’t be appreciated. In the smaller classrooms I found it hard to squeeze in without getting in peoples way. You don’t want to be tripping up someone with your tripod leg sticking out in the isle. Nor do you want it sticking up in the air in front of the person behind you blocking their view. If I am in front or in a very small classroom I will usually go handheld and use some good posture techniques to help steady the footage. I hold the camcorder with the strap with my right hand and gently hold the edge of the LCD screen with my left to add a little support. Next I pull both elbows in tight to my sides and keep my arms straight. That gives me a good support and is pretty comfortable. The other technique is to hold the camcorder as normal with my right hand, but with my left hand, hold my right wrist tight under the camcorder to give support instead of holding onto the LCD screen. Again both elbows tight in to my sides. These methods work pretty good but you will have to watch your breathing as the camcorder will follow your body movement. If I am in back without my tripod (a lot of times there is no room) then I will stand and use one of these techniques or even both, trading off so I don’t get fatigued. As an added special shot I can raise the camcorder up as far as my arms will go straight up and turn the LCD screen down so I can see to frame the shot and do some footage that way. Not too much but enough for a nice change of pace (another tip).
Monopods are good too. They are basically a single leg tripod. It has a tripod type head that attaches your camcorder and a height adjustable leg. I have used one on several occasions where I couldn’t fit a tripod and the performance was too long to shoot hand held comfortably. I did a video of a school concert that was about 45 minutes long and in a church. It had a nice sound system which was good because we had to sit near the back. I set up the monopod and rested the leg on the seat between my legs and adjusted the height so the camcorder LCD screen was right at eye level. I held the camcorder as usual with my hand through the strap and left hand holding the screen. But with the added support of the monopod, I was able to comfortably sit and tape the whole show. You can also use your tripod in the same fashion. Just don’t open the legs up. Adjust them for height and attach the camcorder. This also works really well for shooting video footage of your-self. Here is a setup I use to do footage of myself using my full size tripod. I attach the camcorder to the tripod head as usual. Keep the tripod legs folded up as short as they go. Turn the camcorder to face you, adjust the LCD so you can see your-self in it. Set the tripod legs right on your belt buckle area and lean the tripod back at about a 45 degree angle away from you so the lens is about two feet away and adjust the tilt adjustment on the tripod so the camcorder is level. I added a camera neck strap to the tripod and put it around my neck for added security. You can walk around and shoot video of your-self that looks really good and is steady.
I have also used the camcorder bag as a support while sitting. I was lucky enough to get a front row seat at one of my son’s plays that he had a large part in. Since an 8 year old is not that tall, I could frame him right at eye level by sitting and holding my camcorder bag (which is large but not huge) on my lap, I set my camcorder on the bag and adjusted the LCD screen to see. That was a very comfortable position to shoot in. With this technique, I could get the shot set up in frame by just looking down, then look up and make eye contact too. Nice and steady the whole time. This also works well for ground level shots that add interest to your videos. Put your camcorder bag on the ground and set your camcorder on it as secure as possible. Then frame your shot and record. It gets a great shot of feet walking down hallways.
Try not to walk and shoot footage if possible. Do your shot, then pause and relocate further up and do the next shot. A few shots like this put together will get the same idea across but look much nicer. If you want to walk because that’s the idea of the shot, hook your camcorder up to the tripod, leave the legs folded up short and hold the camcorder as normal in your right hand and hold the tripod with your left hand. The added weight will help stabilize the camcorder like a professional would use a “Steady-cam” devise. If you are shooting while walking without a tripod then a trick I found was to put some weight on the arm you holding the camcorder with. I use my camcorder bag looped over my arm while I shoot and the extra weight helps keep the camcorder steady. If you need extra weight use a purse too whatever is around. There always seems to be extra jackets, books, toys, etc when you are shooting school videos of kids. The main idea being, the heavier the camcorder is, the steadier the shot will be.
Ideas to help keep your shots steady.
• Tripod
• Monopod
• Hand held techniques
• Rest on surfaces
• Extra weight while walking
Have Fun.