Webcasting 101

These are standard or basic features found on most cameras.  
(Your camera may have different features according to model and brand)

• View Finder - A small eyepiece or screen on the camera that allows you to see the image you're recording. (The camera also acts like a VCR, so that you can play back and watch what you have already recorded through the view finder).
• White Balance – Most of the time this will be automatic and you will not have control over this.  This is a good thing as you are learning to use a basic camera.  If you upgrade to a better camera, you may have this feature.
• Battery – Your location power source if you’re not using AC power. Make certain you charge them!
• Fade - a slow increase or decrease of the image and sometimes sound. You can fade an image to black, or do the reverse. Check to see if your camera’s fade controls the sound also.  Most cameras do not.
• Focus - There are two ways to focus - auto and manual. Use the autofocus most of the time unless you have a special need to control the focus.  When you focus in manual, you control the focus. To make sure your shots are in focus, zoom in and focus up close first, then zoom back. This ensures that what you are shooting is focused to the greatest extent possible. Manual focus is good to use when there is a lot of movement of dominant figures. When the camera is in "auto focus" it will automatically focus on the center of the view finder. Because it focuses automatically on the center, it will adjust to whatever is there. For example, if you are focused on a person several feet away, and someone walks in between the camera and the other person, the camera will adjust to focus on the new figure - the person who walked in front of the camera. 
• Back light - this increases light sensitivity if you have bright light behind your subject.
• Frame - a single, complete video image that lasts 1/30th of a second. There are 30 frames in a second. If your camera or editing system can measure frames, you can use this as a counter to log your video tape.
• Date/Clock - generally much easier than setting your VCR! This will show the date and time - sometimes the date and time will not only appear through the view finder, but also on the video (which you may not want). This is controlled by the display button.
• External Mic – Not all cameras have this feature.  Use this to plug in a better microphone for specific recording of a voice, such as in an interview.  Any cheap microphone will give you better sound than the built in one.
• Record Button – Usually on the back of the camera and part of the on/off switch.  This switch will determine if you are in the camera or playback mode.  The actual button is usually a different color.
• Playback Controls – location of these controls can really vary.  They may be on the camera or they could be a touchscreen on the flip-out viewfinder.
• Flip-out Viewfinder – Most modern cameras have these so you can see what you are shooting without having your eye pressed to the standard viewfinder.  Just remember if you are shooting with battery this is a big, constant drain on your power.

Shots -There are several basic camera shots.  It’s good to know their names so you can talk with                                  others about how to shoot a scene for editing or in the studio.

• Wide Shot (also known as Establishing Shot or Long Shot) - Shows the whole scene. Frequently you'll see video pieces begin with a wide shot because it sets the stage - the viewer knows where s/he is. These shots are also good if there's a lot of movement.
• Medium Shot - Shows less of a scene than the wide shot.  Use this for a closer look at your subject, or when you need to transition between shots.
• Close-Up Shot - Shows an even smaller part of the subject or scene. Great for showing detail, like a person's emotional face or individual leaves on a tree. This shot would show the person from the top of the chest or shoulders up (also known as a Bust Shot).
• Extreme Close-Up Shot - Even closer than a Close Up. For example, it is just a person's eyes, or hands with something in them.
• Over the Shoulder Shot - Shooting video of the interviewer over the shoulder of the person being interviewed. (An over the shoulder shot is a type of cutaway, see below).
• Cutaway Shot - Usually a shot of the interviewer, who can be listening, nodding, or responding to the guest or something related to the scene. This is used in interviews to show the interviewer.
• One Shot/Two Shot/Three Shot – A one shot has one person in the frame.  This is usually a close-up.  A two shot has two people in the frame and a three shot has three in the frame.

Shot Movement

• Pan - Moving on a horizontal plane (from left to right, right to left).  As your subject moves from side to side, you might pan to follow them.  You would also pan to show a line of objects.
• Tilt - Camera movement in a vertical plane. (up or down). Moving from a face to hands manipulating an object would be using a tilt.
• Zoom - This shot brings you closer to the subject or further away.   The zoom changes the lens length and perspective.  A longer lens flattens the scene and also makes for a smaller area that will be in focus.  The opposite is true of the wide-angle lens.

Composition or Framing

There are many ways to compose a shot, depending on your goals. You want to be aware of what is in the shot and what isn't. Can you clearly see what you intend for the viewer to see?

• Rule of Thirds - this classic rule suggests that the center of the camera's attention is one-third of the way down from the top of the shot and in the middle third.

• Headroom - Term used with shots of people. This refers to the space above the subject's head. You'll see different amounts of headroom, depending on the intent of the creator of the video. In general, if you're standing right in front of someone, you'll see that they have space all around them - they aren't cut off by a frame. By leaving headroom, or space beside them, you are imitating what you see in real life.
• Walking Room - If you are interviewing someone, you want the person to be looking off to the left or right of the camera. Frame your shot for some talking room.  Leave extra space in front of their face as if you were going to draw a dialogue box in for them.  If the subject is moving, give them space in the direction they’re moving.

Shot Angles - Your shot angle is the level from which you look at your subject.

• Eye-level angle - most commonly used shot because of it is so comfortable and normal for us, our usual perspective.  When shooting a person, shoot at their eye-level, not yours.
• Low Angle - the camera looks up at the subject.  This makes it seem important, powerful, or even larger.  Use this angle to give a unique perspective to a subject, or to make a psychological statement.
• High Angle - the camera looks down on the subject.  This gives the impression of less importance. Use this angle to give a unique perspective to a subject, or to make a psychological statement.

Composition is one of the most important elements of good television.  Try your best to always center your subject except in the cases noted above or for dramatic effect. 

One of the normal mistakes of amateur videography is to stay too far away from the subject.  If you ever look at vacation pictures, the subject is usually a speck with a wide vista of background, making the picture uninteresting.

Television is a two-dimension medium.  Careful placement of people and/or objects in the foreground and background along with good lighting adds the third dimension of depth to your picture.  Also strive to add depth to any pictures you create.