Hello, this is my first post. I am new to the video world and just got a hmc40. I have been a portrait photographer for a good few years. I have a high profile client who needs a 3-5 minute infomercial type interview. Can you suggest for me what settings to use from top to bottom, including perhaps lighting setup. The final product is for youtube. Thank you! http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/images/smilies/shocked.gif
tips for an interview. Settings, lighting etc
- Thread starter ayintova
- Start date
Jason Allen
Well-known member
I'd go with basic 3-point lighting... key light in front of the subject, fill light 45 degrees towards the side, hair light providing subject/background seperation at a power ratio of 3:2:1, Key:Fill:hair.
I use a kit of 650w, 300w, and 150w Arri Fresnel lights with barndoors, but you could use any other type of less expensive (or more expensive) fixtures to achieve the same look. Heck, I've used the 150w modelling lamps on my photography strobes through softboxes before in a pinch.
I would caution you to use lights of the same color temperature so that you can set your white balance easily on the camera, and without having to use gels to match a hot light to a cold light (hot = red, cold = blue here).
MANUALLY WHITE BALANCE on the HMC40 when you're on set. You don't want yellow, blue, or red color casts on your subject... your client won't like that.
In fact, while you're at it, set focus and iris to manual. The camera does a good job of wrecking your shots if you let it! Set your shutter speed to whatever your framerate is x2... (i.e. if you're shooting at 24p, your shutterspeed should be 1/48th of a second. If you're shooting at 60p, your shutterspeed should be 1/120th). SHOOT PROGRESSIVE! Interlaced looks terrible online! I'd use 720p/30p or 720p/24p personally... 1080p is overkill for web delivery, and 1080i will look like poop.
Use a long throw on the lens... wide angle points of view suck in too much background clutter, so pull the camera back and zoom in to your proper framing. If they're not talking to the camera, sit yourself *barely* to one side of the camera's line of shot so that the subject looks slightly off camera, but also so that you're not in the frame. This gives them a natural eye-line and makes them forget the camera is there. The camera should be at eye-level when they are seated, or at about jaw-level if you want to give an air of authority/importance. High angles are frowned upon for interviews because they make your subject look weak.
Do a loosely framed 1/2 shot and a tightly framed head & shoulders shot for various takes so that you can cut between one and the other if necessary (3-5 minute video with non-actor talent without a teleprompter = MANY takes, unless you break it up into 1 paragraph long increments and cut tight shots + wide shots together later). When you think you've nailed a great take, make them do it one more time as a "safety".
DO NOT SEAT YOUR SUBJECT IN A SWIVEL CHAIR OR A CHAIR THAT SQUEAKS! It will ruin your shoot.
Use a lavaliere microphone or a good off-camera condensor microphone to grab sound. If you're on a tight budget, and don't have the XLR input box for the HMC40, get the Audio Technica ATR-3350, as it's a GREAT tool for $30ish. Otherwise, use XLR based mics like the Sony ECM-44B to get high quality, background-noise-free sound.
Use an external monitor to ensure that your image is in focus... I use a 23" Asus 1080p HDMI computer monitor. Check your waveform for exposure feedback (overexposure = BAD QUALITY, underexposure = BAD QUALITY), and use your iris to roll back any hot spots.
Tape down all wires and sandbag the base of your lights so that you don't trip and kill your client. That's just bad for business!
This should point you in the right direction. Any questions? Ask away!
Welcome to the DVXuser boards!
-J
I use a kit of 650w, 300w, and 150w Arri Fresnel lights with barndoors, but you could use any other type of less expensive (or more expensive) fixtures to achieve the same look. Heck, I've used the 150w modelling lamps on my photography strobes through softboxes before in a pinch.
I would caution you to use lights of the same color temperature so that you can set your white balance easily on the camera, and without having to use gels to match a hot light to a cold light (hot = red, cold = blue here).
MANUALLY WHITE BALANCE on the HMC40 when you're on set. You don't want yellow, blue, or red color casts on your subject... your client won't like that.
In fact, while you're at it, set focus and iris to manual. The camera does a good job of wrecking your shots if you let it! Set your shutter speed to whatever your framerate is x2... (i.e. if you're shooting at 24p, your shutterspeed should be 1/48th of a second. If you're shooting at 60p, your shutterspeed should be 1/120th). SHOOT PROGRESSIVE! Interlaced looks terrible online! I'd use 720p/30p or 720p/24p personally... 1080p is overkill for web delivery, and 1080i will look like poop.
Use a long throw on the lens... wide angle points of view suck in too much background clutter, so pull the camera back and zoom in to your proper framing. If they're not talking to the camera, sit yourself *barely* to one side of the camera's line of shot so that the subject looks slightly off camera, but also so that you're not in the frame. This gives them a natural eye-line and makes them forget the camera is there. The camera should be at eye-level when they are seated, or at about jaw-level if you want to give an air of authority/importance. High angles are frowned upon for interviews because they make your subject look weak.
Do a loosely framed 1/2 shot and a tightly framed head & shoulders shot for various takes so that you can cut between one and the other if necessary (3-5 minute video with non-actor talent without a teleprompter = MANY takes, unless you break it up into 1 paragraph long increments and cut tight shots + wide shots together later). When you think you've nailed a great take, make them do it one more time as a "safety".
DO NOT SEAT YOUR SUBJECT IN A SWIVEL CHAIR OR A CHAIR THAT SQUEAKS! It will ruin your shoot.
Use a lavaliere microphone or a good off-camera condensor microphone to grab sound. If you're on a tight budget, and don't have the XLR input box for the HMC40, get the Audio Technica ATR-3350, as it's a GREAT tool for $30ish. Otherwise, use XLR based mics like the Sony ECM-44B to get high quality, background-noise-free sound.
Use an external monitor to ensure that your image is in focus... I use a 23" Asus 1080p HDMI computer monitor. Check your waveform for exposure feedback (overexposure = BAD QUALITY, underexposure = BAD QUALITY), and use your iris to roll back any hot spots.
Tape down all wires and sandbag the base of your lights so that you don't trip and kill your client. That's just bad for business!
This should point you in the right direction. Any questions? Ask away!
Welcome to the DVXuser boards!
-J
Jason, thank you so much for your well written and informative post. I'll try and incorporate as much as I can in what you said. I liked "don't trip and kill your client. That's just bad for business!" Yes thats the golden rule! Dont kill the client. "So ya your wedding album came out great...ogh...um...sorry about killing the groom, how do you want to pay"?
I'll do a test run at home and let you know if any difficulties/questions arise.
I'll do a test run at home and let you know if any difficulties/questions arise.
Jason Allen
Well-known member
Glad I could help!