2 Before the Edit: Production Tips

“With Final Cut Pro, I appreciate how the “how” of the edit gets out of the way so quickly, so I can explore the creativity in the “what” of the edit. Editing is much less tiring in Final Cut because it is so much more enjoyable.”

— Alex “4D” Gollner, Final Cut Pro plugin maker, (Alex4D.com)

This chapter, unlike the other chapters in this book, isn’t directly about Final Cut Pro (FCP). Instead, it deals with many of the technical and camera-based details that you should know and the basics that you must know — codecs, shot types, data rates, and more. Technical details are important, regardless of whether you’re shooting your own video or you’re working with a separate operator, because you’ll know what to ask for.

Important note

If you’ve been in the industry for a while or you have no plans to ever shoot a video of your own, feel...

Getting the settings right

Resolution, codecs, white balance, and other image controls are critical to capturing not just a good-looking image but also one that can be easily edited and manipulated. Technical settings are key, regardless of what kind of camera you use, so even if you don’t plan on shooting a video yourself, these are the tech specs you’ll need to know.

Resolution

Video is essentially a series of still images, and each frame has a horizontal and vertical dimension in pixels. Common resolutions use abbreviations, including the following:

• Ultra HD (UHD, commonly referred to as 4K): 3840 x 2160
• 1080p: 1920 x 1080
• 720p: 1280 x 720

To visualize those numbers, here’s a diagram:

Figure 2.1: Several common resolutions you might shoot and deliver

While it’s true that 3840 is a little less than 4000 (4K), there’s not much in it. Some cinema purists use a size of 4096 x 2160, one of the...

Choosing a camera

Camera operators are utterly spoilt for choice these days. While there will never be a perfect camera for everyone, you will be able to find something that works for you that’s also in your budget. This is an ever-changing field, and specific camera advice will be quickly outdated, so I’m focusing here on general advice only. Remember that the adage mostly holds true: you can choose any two from fast, cheap, and good.

An iPhone (or any other mobile phone)

Yes, you can absolutely shoot videos on your iPhone, and according to most reviews, an iPhone does a better job of video than most Android phones do. An iPhone will also be easier to use with your Mac, and it even includes iMovie, so you can start an edit on your iPhone, then transition it to FCP on your Mac. The dynamic range (from shadows to highlights in a single shot) is huge, so you can film in more places. Image stabilization means the image shouldn’t be too shaky. And it’s...

Shooting the right shots

Whatever kind of camera you end up with, you will need to capture a variety of shots to make the edit run smoothly. If you’ve planned well, you’ll go into a shoot with a list of shots that you need to capture, and it’s very satisfying to tick them off as you go.

The shots you need will vary from shoot to shoot, but it’s rare that you can simply capture a subject once from a single angle and be done. Nearly always, you’ll want to capture two different kinds of footage: A-roll and B-roll.

A-roll

This is simply the primary video that you need to capture. If people speak on camera or to a camera, that’s A-roll:

Figure 2.14: A subject talking on camera? That’s A-roll (from Brad Olsen’s Off the Tracks)

In dramas, a scene where people are talking is A-roll, and in a corporate piece, the interviews are A-roll. This is the spine of the story — the driving message keeping...

Working with multiple cameras and audio recorders

While a single camera is often all you need, shooting with multiple cameras brings many benefits and can be especially useful during live events when you simply can’t ask your subjects to give you another take. A second camera also works as a backup should your main camera have an issue, such as a failed battery, being out of focus, or if someone’s standing in front of it:

Figure 2.24: Two angles with a similar focal length, but from different perspectives

The second angle isn’t just a backup; you want the two (or more) angles to provide different perspectives because there’s not a lot of benefit in two cameras capturing similar content. Angles that are too similar don’t work well in the edit either. Two sequential shots that show almost the same thing are called a jump cut, and while their use has become more common, it’s something that is best avoided if you have...

Managing everything on set

You’ve picked a camera and audio recorders, everything’s charged, and you know what kinds of shots to capture — what next?

Most importantly, if you’re working with more than one device, be sure to synchronize the clocks (to the second!) on all of the devices before you record anything. This will make the syncing process far easier, and you’d be surprised at how quickly cameras and recorders can drift from the correct time.

If you’ve bought a camera that lets you customize the names of the files it produces, set up each camera to make files with different names. My A and B cameras make files that start with P_IA and P_IB to make life easy, and a shooting colleague uses P1RC and P2RC.

With or without this feature, label the physical media cards so that you don’t get confused about which card is which:

Figure 2.26: No duplicate names here, and I can tell at a glance which camera...

Summary

If you’re just starting out with your first edit, I hope this chapter hasn’t overloaded your brain. There’s a lot to take in and plenty of mistakes to be made. If you prefer to stay in the edit bay, I hope this chapter has given you some insight into what a videographer has to consider, and you won’t feel left out the next time you find yourself talking to someone about cameras, resolutions, codecs, or shutter speed. You’ll also know what to request or shoot yourself — lots of B-roll, at different angles, with movement and without, and from unique perspectives.

OK, that’s enough for now. If you can, go out and shoot something, and grab lots of B-roll. If you can’t, head to a free online video source, such as http://pexels.com, to download as many clips as you can. Armed with your clips, return for the next chapter: Chapter 3, Bring It In: Importing Your Footage. We’re jumping into FCP and not looking back.

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Review questions

1. Which is bigger, UHD or DCI 4K?
2. Is it always easy to play back H.264 footage?
3. What are some advantages of more expensive audio equipment?
4. What’s the old adage involving “fast, cheap, and good”?
5. What’s a way to capture static and moving shots in the same clip?
6. What’s a piece of equipment that helps you capture smooth walking or running shots?
7. How does FCP usually synchronize multi-cam footage?
8. How do you use the rule of thirds?
9. What usually happens to most footage that’s shot?
10. How much B-roll do you need to shoot?

Review answers

1. DCI 4K — DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) is slightly wider than UHD (3840 x 2160).
2. No, it depends on the camera, the specific type of footage it is, and your Mac’s speed.
3. In general, more expensive audio equipment sounds better, has lower noise, and is more reliable.
4. You can have any two of fast, cheap, and good — but not all three.
5. Start static, wait 5 seconds, move the camera, stop moving, wait 5 seconds, and stop recording.
6. A gimbal.
7. By matching audio from each camera or audio recorder (though other options are available too).
8. Position interesting things at the intersections of the grid lines.
9. It’s thrown away (and that’s OK).
10. Lots! Use the 5 x 5 x 5 rule to shoot everything for 5 seconds, from 5 different angles, at 5 different focal lengths.