Shooting Tips
1. Scout your locations carefully before you shoot. Make a note of lighting at different times of the day. Remember how lighting can support mood. Don’t overlook shadows and reflections. These kinds of things create visual interest and challenge the audience to figure out what they are seeing and can add mystique to your scene. Similarly, things passing closely be the camera can create a natural wipe, allowing a seamless transition from one scene to another.
2. Make a shot list of all of the things that you would like to shoot and think about how they might edit together. A big mistake that beginners make is not getting adequate coverage. On a related note, when shooting make sure to hold your shots long. You can always cut it shorter in editing.
3. Check Batteries
4. Black Tapes before going into field. This will help you to avoid time code breaks. To do this simply leave the lens cap on and press record until the tape reaches the end. This will help you to avoid time code breaks and actually save you time in post-production.
5. Bars and Tone. If you have a camera that can generate bar and/or tone, put a minute at the head of your tape.
6. Slate your Tape
Name, Date, Name of Production, Reel #
7. White Balance
8. Use a tripod, especially when shooting static subjects. It’s really hard to hold still enough when you are zoomed all the way in to a CU. When shooting handheld, a wider lens (i.e. zoomed out) will allow for a more stable look to your image.
A few other notes.
Zooms, Pans, shot lengths–make sure you hold them long enough—slow may equal boring in the finished product, but make sure that you don’t paint yourself into a corner.
Zooming and Moving are not the same thing.
If you move in or out the foreground object get smaller or larger relative to the background.
If you zoom in the object foreground and background are changes similarly.
Long lens (zoomed out) to make things seem smashed or closer together
Short lens (zoomed in) to give great sense of space or separation to elements in the frame
Keep in mind your goal and make the shooting style support that goal.
You might wish to read more on these things. I recommend.
http://www.cybercollege.com/port/tvp_ind.htm
It’s even in Portuguese!