Video 5: Lighting
I decided to stretch myself and attempt to do an interview outside during golden hour for this one, despite warning about filming outdoors. I think the lighting okay, however, the sound (predictably) was incredibly difficult to get, and had to pause for kids crying, neighbors throwing out wine bottles, and my dog deciding to go out the back door and then walk through the shoot. The Mic did an okay job, and with the noise reduction feature of Camtasia, I think that I clarified the sound. The space we were in was very echo-y though, so I wouldn't do that again/would make the interviewee hold the mic.
I prepared for the shoot by thinking of a few questions that I knew would get him talking, and then a few to try and catch some less scripted moments. I wrote a quick script. I then set my phone up on a deck chair (wouldn't recommend it) and plugged my mic in. I set this just out of the shot, aimed towards him. Even with the directional setting, the mic struggled to catch his voice in the first shot, so I had to let him know to use his TV weatherman voice. The audio came through okay.
I know that next time, I need a tripod. I also need to make sure that my eyes are at eye level with the camera, even if I'm a little offset, as he was looking up at me for most of the shoot. I also need to be better prepared in a quiet environment or just move indoors. Had I prepped an indoor space, I would have moved in there to limit the chaos of the outdoor soundscape. I also realized that I need to prep more effectively for sure.
I prepared for the shoot by thinking of a few questions that I knew would get him talking, and then a few to try and catch some less scripted moments. I wrote a quick script. I then set my phone up on a deck chair (wouldn't recommend it) and plugged my mic in. I set this just out of the shot, aimed towards him. Even with the directional setting, the mic struggled to catch his voice in the first shot, so I had to let him know to use his TV weatherman voice. The audio came through okay.
I know that next time, I need a tripod. I also need to make sure that my eyes are at eye level with the camera, even if I'm a little offset, as he was looking up at me for most of the shoot. I also need to be better prepared in a quiet environment or just move indoors. Had I prepped an indoor space, I would have moved in there to limit the chaos of the outdoor soundscape. I also realized that I need to prep more effectively for sure.