Help shooting a graduation!

I

Ian Schneider

Member
Thanks in advance for taking the time to look at my post...

I have been hired to shoot a graduation tomorrow evening. Sounds simple enough, but the truth is, I don't really have much experience shooting random live events in which I have little or no control over the environment, i.e the lighting. Honestly, the whole wedding/graduation/corporate event shooting thing is something I have absolutely ZERO interest in. However, being an extremely poor film student has its humbler moments-I really need the money...

Basically, I'm open to any and all input capable of elevating the integrity of my project. Any tips or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

I am working with a rather limited set-up: dvx100, manfrotto 701rc2/3021bPRO, and a basic set of filters. I'm moderately well-rounded with the dvx, but I would really like to be fully confident just showing up, setting up, and shooting without having to troubleshoot the lighting situation for 10 minutes, ya know?

Any easy answers? Thanks in advance!

p.s I wish I had a few hours to kill sifting through old posts. Unfortunately, I do not. I hope nobody cool gets mad at me.
 
would showing up 10 minutes early and testing the lighting and where in the location you'll setup really be troublesome?

Plus I would think (i only filmed family grads and stuff) that you would need some time to contemplate where you'll setup in respects to getting your shot while not being blocked by the hoards of people moving around.
 
homer said:
would showing up 10 minutes early and testing the lighting and where in the location you'll setup really be troublesome?

Plus I would think (i only filmed family grads and stuff) that you would need some time to contemplate where you'll setup in respects to getting your shot while not being blocked by the hoards of people moving around.
Click to expand...

Well I'll show up early to get a feel for what's going on, of course, but I don't want to establish my entire plan in these few minutes, ya know?
 
Number one is figure out your audio. Don't use your built in mic unless you HAVE to.

I assume that you will be selling these to families?

They care that they see the person that they are there to see and can hear what is going on.

You can't control the lighting. Its that simple. You work with what they give you.

Make sure that you white balance off of a good source where the majority of your shots will be and go from there.

Get in a good location where people won't be walking in front of you and things like that, but also get where you can get a good shot of the grads as they walk by you to get their diploma. Move around if you have too. Don't be scared and feel like you have to stay in one spot.

I just wrapped up the elementary school play season a couple of weeks ago. You will be surprised as to what people think is great. If you give them good sound and let them see the person that they are there for a couple of times they will be thrilled.

We averaged a good $65 an hour per person and put in about 25 hours this last go around.

The thing that I didn't like about doing them at first was the "going into the unkown" factor of it. You have no clue how these people set up or what they expect. After you do one or two you will get more comfortable with it. Just asses the situation when you get there and allow yourself plenty of time to make adjustments!
 
thanks ef! thats exactly the type of input I'm talking about.

anyone have any suggestions concerning file settings? i was gonna shoot in f3 with the file calibrated to

detail: +1
c. level: +3
c. phase: 0
c. temp: 0
mast. ped: -3
a iris: 0
gamma: cine-like
skin: off
matrix: cine-like

hopefully, there will be a nice white wall right by the stage to set the balance...

if anyone has any suggestions, please keep 'em comin'! 4 hours and counting!
 
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