So i usually am only filming skateboarding, but i have a chance to film a fundraiser and i ive wanted to get more into freelance work . I really do not know what to expect so any tips or help at all would be very much appreciated. I have my gear (gh2, fd prime set,manfrotto tripod,etc.) im going to need just not sure what to expect. This is my first event im filming and its non paid so that takes the pressure off. So anyone who has filmed a fundraiser or any type of even please help! Thanks, Ryan
GH2 I need tips/help for filming a fundraiser.
- Thread starter RyanHoj
- Start date
Grisnjam
Well-known member
A time-lapse might be fun, setup a wide shot in a corner and get 5-10 minutes so that you can speed it up in post. Will there be an auction or presentation? What is the lighting going to be like? Do you have fast enough glass?
Might consider taking some stills as they can be worked in to the video for b-roll or cutaways.
You might also film people entering the building at the start and leaving at the end of the night to bookend it.
Hope that helps.
Check out this guys (or ladies) vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/user469420 TONS of AWESOME event videos. A lot of them are staged, but contain a ton of real footage. (S)he is using steadycam a lot to get some really great shots. I've seen a lot of event videos where the footage is pretty boring.
What is the purpose of the video? Are you making a recap video to show somewhere? Or getting footage for a promotional video for the next event?
In terms of b-roll, having some shots where you rack focus to "pan" to particular objects, or throughout a crowd of people could be nice. Also, make sure to shoot some footage at 720/60 so you can do some slowmo. Good luck!
What is the purpose of the video? Are you making a recap video to show somewhere? Or getting footage for a promotional video for the next event?
In terms of b-roll, having some shots where you rack focus to "pan" to particular objects, or throughout a crowd of people could be nice. Also, make sure to shoot some footage at 720/60 so you can do some slowmo. Good luck!
Ryan, good luck! I have some limited experience doing this, and I agree that sound is a big issue. If there's a podium with a mic, contact the event organizers early and they can put you in touch with the tech person running sound at the event. You might be able to plug your Zoom H1 directly into their soundboard (you may need some adapters if their board has only XLR outputs, since the H1 doesn't have XLR inputs, but you know that already). That way, you have guaranteed good sound for the speeches, auction, etc. Then with your Rode Videomic on the camera, you can get good crowd sounds, impromptu interviews, and so on. To sync them up later for the edit, consider using Pluraleyes.
Also, you mentioned that you have a set of primes. Do you have a fast zoom? Live event filming often is best done with zooms, because the great scene or key moment you want to capture might suddenly happen a couple of tables away, or just beyond a cluster of people, and you won't have time to switch lenses.
See if you can go to the venue early to check light levels. You'll probably find yourself in a room with terrible dim lighting, but see if you can get decent results with your best zoom lens and a higher ISO.
Finally, if you're given a riser or platform, use it! But be very careful. I shot a live event with a friend and I was on a riser that vibrated slightly as people walked past, and I had to zoom in quite a bit to get a decent frame (it was a large room). I was using a Sony EX-1, a great camera with image stabilization, on a solid Manfrotto tripod, but a lot of my resulting footage still had a maddening vibration or jitter. Too fine to be corrected by Smoothcam or other tools, but too noticeable not to be painful to watch (for me at least). Thankfully, other parts were fine, and my friend was shooting from a different angle and I was able to use a lot of his footage instead of mine in the final cut. The client was very happy with the result, even though I was secretly mortified.
Which raises the question: can you bring a friend? Two cameras at a live event is wonderful. You get so much more to work with and you're much less likely to miss key moments. When you need to reposition yourself, you can nod to your friend and he or she will maintain their frame while you move your tripod, and vice versa when your friend needs to move, ensuring nothing's missed. Position yourself at 90 degrees to each other, so you don't have to worry (much) about getting into each other's shots.
Also, you mentioned that you have a set of primes. Do you have a fast zoom? Live event filming often is best done with zooms, because the great scene or key moment you want to capture might suddenly happen a couple of tables away, or just beyond a cluster of people, and you won't have time to switch lenses.
See if you can go to the venue early to check light levels. You'll probably find yourself in a room with terrible dim lighting, but see if you can get decent results with your best zoom lens and a higher ISO.
Finally, if you're given a riser or platform, use it! But be very careful. I shot a live event with a friend and I was on a riser that vibrated slightly as people walked past, and I had to zoom in quite a bit to get a decent frame (it was a large room). I was using a Sony EX-1, a great camera with image stabilization, on a solid Manfrotto tripod, but a lot of my resulting footage still had a maddening vibration or jitter. Too fine to be corrected by Smoothcam or other tools, but too noticeable not to be painful to watch (for me at least). Thankfully, other parts were fine, and my friend was shooting from a different angle and I was able to use a lot of his footage instead of mine in the final cut. The client was very happy with the result, even though I was secretly mortified.
Which raises the question: can you bring a friend? Two cameras at a live event is wonderful. You get so much more to work with and you're much less likely to miss key moments. When you need to reposition yourself, you can nod to your friend and he or she will maintain their frame while you move your tripod, and vice versa when your friend needs to move, ensuring nothing's missed. Position yourself at 90 degrees to each other, so you don't have to worry (much) about getting into each other's shots.
Thank you everyone so much! The fundraiser is for a cousin of mine and they are not 100% sure yet exactly what kind of fund raiser so i will find out soon. Peripatew: that link helped me understand what kind of shots etc. to get, thanks. As for lenses i will be getting fd primes within a week or so but no zooms, maybe ill look into a zoom lens. All i know is that this is not a huge fund raiser but they just want a recap of the footage. There probably wont be 75+ people there so i doubt any type of platform will be set up. If i get the extra cash soon, i may get a gh1 for second angles and bring a friend to help. As for timelapses, i planned on doing them of setting up, people leaving and people coming.