Filming a concert

M

Mark7807

Member
Hey all,
In a few days I'll be filming a concert. I will have 3 cameras at my disposal.

Problem though. They're all MiniDV cameras, how do you recommend that I change MiniDV tapes over the course of the concert? Should I start recording on each camera 2 mins after another so there is always 2 cameras rolling while one needs a switch?

Should I just make an attempt to save me the hassle and have laptops hooked up to all cameras so they can continue recording without MiniDV tapes? All tips are greatly appreciated, and hey, if you have any other tips about concert filming, throw them at me!:)
 
One setup would be to place one of the cameras on a tripod back by the soundboard to record sound and get a safety shot. Use the other 2 to get closeup's of the action.


Safety cam: The idea is that this camera always has a good shot so the others can move around when needed. This camera can also record the audio that you plan will use to mix, so it always records the whole song, every song. Tape changes are between songs. If you can send this camera to a laptop to record that's even better, as long as something doesn't go to sleep- ie. some consumer cameras will shut down after a while if the tape isn't running.

On this camera, start out each song wide (with audience) and then zoom slowly in to a med-wide shot of whatever the action is on stage, loosing most of the audience. Zoom back out at the end of each song to show applause.

Since this camera is setup by the sound board, ask the engineer to get a mix from the board and plug it into the audio inputs of this camera. The proper time to do this is at soundcheck, so find out when it is and get there early so you can ask the engineer if you can and when a good time would be to test that out. Do a test and make sure you have the audio levels recording properly. Bring cables and adapters to interface from your camera to his mixer. Be prepared.

The other two cameras are free to roam. You might put one in the front row and one on the stage. The one in the front should focus on the action, like the singer when they are singing or whatever musician is soloing. The other can get artsy shots if desired or just alternates of like behind the drums or closeups of the keyboards, stuff you can't see from front of stage. You might try getting these two in communication with each other so they can tell the other when they are changing tape or unable to focus, letting the other know to try and hold a steady shot, etc. They should pretend there is no safety cam. If you can get audience audio with these cams it can be mixed slightly with the main mix, expecially applause between songs, mix that in.

You might consider figuring out how you will sync the cameras between tapes. For example you could synchronize your watches and get a quick shot of the time at the beginning of each tape. It wouldn't be frame accurate, but probably helpful. Consumer DV cameras often always start the timecode of each tape at 0.

Good luck!
 
The tips above are rock solid. I also recommend using one channel from the sound board and the other from the best mic you can find on a mic stand. This can be very helpful for many reasons. The sound from the board can be very dry and often has no crowd noise. I do this when ever using my 8 channel Presonus can not be used. Also if you have a situation like a keyboard and guitar in the band, often the guitar is lower in the board mix then the keyboard, because the guitar amp is so loud by itself. You can Eq a snare, you can Eq a bass drum, but a keyboard can cover almost all the frequencies. The live mic can help you normalize the sound.
 
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