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OPERATION

While the following Sony camera manual excerpts mention specifics of a particular model,
the underlying principles governing basic camera operation are the same.

To insure faithful color reproduction in a variety of lighting color temperatures,
click here to review white balance.

Autofocus is the amateur default setting of most video cameras.
It offers the professional minimal image control, however.  Click here to review manual focus.

Intentionally manipulating depth of field allows for composition in the "z" axis,
inviting viewers further into the frame of a two-dimensional medium.  To increase depth of field...
 
1    decrease aperture opening (increase f-stop).  Click here to review exposure control.
2  decrease focal length (widen angle of view or shorten the lens)
3 

increase shooting distance

 


SOUND & SHOOTING

The first shot at every new location should be one minute of "room tone."

For clean exits and entrances -- and to allow for continuous overlap of time code -- start every shot with a ten-second head, conclude every shot with a ten-second tail.

 

TAPE LABELING

It's important in the post-production phase that every single tape has a unique systematic number.  Thus, the spine of each tape (and tape case) must be labeled in the following format:
tape-label.gif (1815 bytes)
well... this would be a video tape, now, wouldn't it?		  
 
Calvin Log-In Username
Because this is also used to denote your place on the DeVos Unity server, your username associates the raw footage on your tape with your edited footage.
 
Today's Date
That is, the day of your shoot in six digits (MMDDYY).  Multiple days on the same tape?  I don't recommend it.  If you must, however, use the date of your first shoot.
 
Letter indicates how many tapes you've used on any given day.  "E" would designate your fifth tape for the day.


Improperly labeled tapes will not be accepted.  Really.  Please -- for the sake of your own sanity -- remember to slide the tape's record-inhibit tab to the left immediately following every shoot.

I recommend you print this page and its linked .pdf documents for reference as you shoot.


Camcorder photo by Daniel E. García.