What to Expect in Front of the Camera
When you're in front of the camera, or preparing to be in front of the camera, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Smile! Be engaging, and have fun! Video is all about capturing your audience's attention. If you're not engaging the camera in the same way that you would engage another person, then the person watching your video will likely not be interested!
Always On! If you're in a group shot, make sure you stay engaged with the camera (or other subjects as needed). Even though you're not speaking, you are likely still in the shot, which means your face and movements will still be noticed. Don't detract attention from the speaker or other actions on the screen, and don't ruin their shot!
Cut Points! Any dead air can be cut out in the editing phase. In fact, a little bit of dead air makes cutting between shots smoother! Before you begin a take, and after you complete one, pause for emphasis while still being engaged with the camera. Breaking eye contact as soon as you finish a sentence or even before it can ruin an otherwise perfect take! If you mess up, that's fine, pause, take a breath, reset, engage, and start again!
Be Prepared! Know the script, and know yourself! If you do better with a script, let your crew know! You can use a teleprompter if you like, but knowing this during the planning stage allows for the production to be better focused around that, leading to a better end product. If you move around a lot or need to show off other things on screen, let your crew know that too! If your script is long and you need to take pauses between certain sentences or sections, then plan ahead for this with your crew! Breaking up a section is just as easy as switching from one camera in one take, to another camera in another take. But it has to be setup beforehand!
Now for the other side of the camera. Here are some common things you'll see from your crew:
Framing: Setting up the cameras in the right spot to get the best view of the subjects while not getting any extra cast, crew, equipment, or background in the shot. The camera will likely be on the subject during this process, so get ready to stand in front of the camera!
Focusing: Getting crystal clear focus on the subject, while putting less focus on the background or any distractions. Once again the subject must be in front of the camera during this process, so get comfortable!
Lighting: Illuminating the subject with natural, reflected, house, and/or artificial lighting. Also eliminating shadows, such as the shadows beneath eyes caused by overhead (house) lighting. To catch the subject in the best light, the subject has to stand in position for this process too!
White Balance: Fine-tunning the settings of the camera to correct the color temperature based on the finished lighting setup. This will require holding a large piece of white material in front of the subject in focus of the camera.
Clap: A loud clap sound will be produced in order to sync the video and the audio. The cameras are rolling, the sound is recording, and we're ready to film!