Help...First Time Shooting Jitters

P

PraverbDotNet

Member
Hello there,

I purchased a Canon t3i back in January and it seems like I am just stacking up equipment. I have bought a monopod, tripod, stabilizer, lens, etc yet I have only shoot like a handful of things (because I have been reading and watching YouTube tutorials all day).

I will admit that I am confused on what I want to shoot. I am a hip-hop artist that resides in Virginia.

I wanted to know how did you guys overcome your first time shooting jitters?

Thank you very much for your time and energy,
Patrick
 
Well, first off... Welcome to DVXUSER.

Nothing kills the jitters like jumping in and shooting, learning from your mistakes and getting better.

When I first started I just talked my way into gigs by boasting that I could do it... then swallowed real hard and went in and shot. Remember, filmmaking is a technical AND creative process. You will always be making technical decisions towards creative expression. When you make mistakes, and you will, trust me, take a minute to evaluate the decision process that you took and endeavor to improve on that. Don't worry... it is also great fun. Good luck.
 
Forget all the jitters and what other people might think. Shoot something you think is cool. Do it because you will want to watch it. I found the world moves and shakes 24/7. I found that moving pictures can capture that better than the eye can see sometimes. It's something I love to watch and am excited to try to capture in more detail.

What is it about hip-hop that you really like? Go film it. Get that camera rolling and see if you can't capture the feeling of what you really dig about it. If you can really capture what it is that you find appealing there is a story there that you and others will want to watch over and over. Go after that image that the minds eye knows is what you're on about. When you get it, you'll know :)

Cheers,
Pete
 
Liked what Pete said about shooting something you like about hip-hop. I think my first shoot was a lecture. I know. Sounds boring, but amazing what you learn about a camera and tripod and sound and light just to get it setup and oh yeah, hit the record button. After that it's been weddings, music videos, short docs.
 
Thank you very much for the advice. I will definitely take a proactive approach and hit record and see what happens...

Take you Pete for the advice, I need to narrow down what I like about hip-hop or music in general and capture it.

Have a great weekend,
Patrick
 
What I did initially, and to a great extent still do, is take my camera with me wherever I go, if it's something remotely shootable.
Not something you'd do with a RED, but these little cameras we're using now really lend themselves to this kind of use.

Apart from the most obvious events, like holidays or a friend's wedding, I've also shot things like a day out with a couple of friends (https://vimeo.com/28918901) and a birthday party (https://vimeo.com/16358850).

Also look out for cool events that happen in your city, like, say... zombie day! (https://vimeo.com/40741414)
 
Samuel H said:
What I did initially, and to a great extent still do, is take my camera with me wherever I go, if it's something remotely shootable.
Not something you'd do with a RED, but these little cameras we're using now really lend themselves to this kind of use.

Apart from the most obvious events, like holidays or a friend's wedding, I've also shot things like a day out with a couple of friends (https://vimeo.com/28918901) and a birthday party (https://vimeo.com/16358850).

Also look out for cool events that happen in your city, like, say... zombie day! (https://vimeo.com/40741414)
Click to expand...

+1

Share your work too. Find people who will give you honest praise or criticism.
 
Samuel's advice is good. Don't get hung up on needing to film something meaningful; start off just getting used to the camera settings, how it feels in your hands (or on the tripod), how the color looks when you play it back on a large screen, how various focal lengths look, how to pull focus. This can (and should) be done before you even think about filming a serious subject. I liken it to playing a musical instrument - you want to reach the point where you can control every aspect of the camera without even thinking, let alone looking. And like an instrument, the only way to achieve that level of competence is through practice.
 
Last edited:
Snafoo said:
Samuel's advice is good. Don't get hung up on needing to film something meaningful; start off just to get used to the camera settings, how it feels in your hands (or on the tripod), how the color looks when you play it back on a large screen, how various focal lengths look, how to pull focus. This can (and should) be done before you even think about filming a serious subject. I liken it to playing a musical instrument - you want to reach the point where you can control every aspect of the camera without even thinking, let alone looking. And like an instrument, the only way to achieve that level of competence is through practice.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much...I love the advice that you guys are offering...Samuel I love the Estepona 2011 footage...clear quality.

Practice makes perfect I suppose...
 
Man, you just have to shoot and shoot and shoot. If this is what you want to do, you have to get 2nd nature about as much of it as possible.

You have to get to the point where the tech side doesn't take much thought. You have to get where you know your choices of framing, lens, frame rate, white balance, are all just what is needed, and that your creative choices and direction will work. Or else you'll just be a guy selling a lot of "like new" gear on ebay.
 
PraverbDotNet said:
Samuel I love the Estepona 2011 footage...
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll have to give a lot of credit to the glass: those vintage Leitz lenses are plain awesome. And the beautiful lady, of course: it's not the same without a beautiful lady :)

Anyway, what I wanted to add is: remember that you have to go all the way for these little personal projects too, because most mistakes won't become obvious until you're actually editing the footage, color grading it, etc. I've taken my camera to lots of places just to leave the footage in the drives to die slowly, and I haven't learned a thing from those experiences. It's the ones where you actually take a couple of days to create a "final product" that will show you what's working, and what you're doing wrong.
 
Thank you very much Michael...I will definitely use the camera and start shooting. It makes no sense just to let it sit and collect dust.

Samuel H, thank you for the motivation...I love nature so I think I will start with nature just to get a hang of what I am doing.

P
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top