Do you plan your filming or do you just wing it?

[yoda313]

So when you start videotaping do you layout a plan? Or do you just wing it and hope for the best?

I'm curious to find out how many people try to layout a structured videotaping session. Or how many just flick on the camcorder and go for it.

I guess I wing it. I don't really film much so when I do I just turn it on and go.

[CogoSWSDS]

I'm usually filming family events, so I do tend to just flip on the camcorder and go. Birthday parties are obvious, but some of the other stuff less so. You just never know when one of the kids is gonna do something irresistably cute that just has to be recorded.

CogoSWSDS

[gadgetguy]

I plan as much as possible, depending on the subject matter. The planning doesn't always work out because I seldom get to plan the event that I'm taping, but I try not to just shoot a bunch of footage in hopes that I'll get something usable.

[yoda313]

You know I would also be interested in knowing how many people try to use two cameras.

That would be hard to do (budgetary reasons being one unless bought used or upgraded and retained old one). But also would be a great way to cover everything.

Leave one for wide shots on a stationary platform (if working solo) and have the other as the roaming cam....

[filmboss80]

Commercial film and video production is my livelihood, and money is at stake. I've got two kids to put through college. You'd better believe I plan everything out as much as possible. I also stay prepared for Murphy's Law, and have contingency plans when things start going awry. When you have all the bases covered, you can also be flexible and make the most out of those spontaneous unexpected situations that can sometimes be magic.

Note to Yoda: yep, I often use multiple cameras, depending on the budget and situation. But I've also shot a lot with a single camcorder. Depending on the location and situation, I may go from a high-end Red One to a consumer Panasonic miniDV cam. I love the tools and techniques on this site as much as the big dollar stuff. It's all fun.

[racer-x]

90% of what I shoot is sports, so not too much preparation is needed. I got it down pretty well. I don't use a two camera setup, but I've got a convincing "fake two camera shot" that I use regularly for baseball down to a science. It's fooled everyone so far.

filmboss wrote:

I may go from a high-end Red One to a consumer Panasonic miniDV cam.

What format does the Red One record in and what do you edit it with?

[gadgetguy]

Back in my VHS wedding video days we used 3 cameras. One in the back, high up and unattended for consistent wide shot. One up on the "stage", manned but unobtrusive. This was on a tripod and the only movement was to stay on the bride as much as possible. The third camera roamed around to get close shots on the bride, groom, and minister's faces. This worked great except that at the time we couldn't afford the tools to do the editing right so switching from one scene to another was glitchy. Our customers were happy, but we weren't, so we gave it up.

[misterbill]

Whenever she is in the mood, I'll fire up both cams.

[MJA]

how much is this "high-end Red One' cost .lol

[filmboss80]

Red One is modular, so prices vary:

http://www.red.com/store

Personally, I rent.

Oh, I missed racer-x's inquiry. Red One has a proprietary codec, Redcode RAW, which can be downconverted to Quicktime for offline editing. Then, you have to take the footage and your edit decision list and farm it out to a 4K house like Cinesite. This is not the native format I have in-house, so I have to hire the high-end stuff out for those special projects. Most of my day-to-day stuff is shot on 16:9 anamorphic DV. What I was saying in my earlier post is that all the toys are fun, regardless of price and capability. Nothing should stop you from shooting, if you enjoy it.

[Epicurus8a]

Whenever possible, I plan things out. But sometimes you just have to "go with the flow."

edit

Whenever I "go with the flow," I try to edit in-cam, then tighten up the edits later on.

[MJA]

But sometimes you just have to "go with the flow."

specially with infants/kids

[lordsmurf]

I edit video, convert video, restore video. I shoot stills. I create graphics and effects. I don't shoot video more than maybe once per year. That almost always happens before I get the project. But I do know a lot about it, as it's really nothing more than a lot of still images in a row!

Maybe someday. Busy enough with everything else!

And if I shot, I would most definitely plan. Even when flying by the seat of your pants, you really need to have at least a vague idea of what you want to shoot. Even the best editor can't fix craptastic haphazard shooting.

[zoobie]

I'm shooting a movie in HDV...kinda helps to plan it out :P

[Nitemare]

I like to play with special effects so pre-planning is a given. For day to day stuff I just wing it.

[yoda313]

@nitemare - do you fool around with green/blue screen stuff at all??

[Nitemare]

Not if I can help it.

On occasion I will, but mostly with inserting stills into the video to decorate my set, hide equipment, or stuff like that. I only have a single ccd minidv camera so I try to stay away from blu-screen stuff unless it's only for a REALLY quick shot.

I'm familiar with how it's done, but I haven't got the right equipment to do it well. I'm more of an "old school" effects experimentor... although if I had the money (and the time), I'm certainly not against the technique.

Here is my one serious attempt at it back when I was first playing with it on my equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhFSdobE7wI
As you'll see... having RGB all on 1 ccd made for a poor green screen shot. I've since learned some "tips" that would probably make for a better video, but I haven't had the time/interest/right project to try them on.

Although I do have drive-by footage of half completed bridge that I've always wanted to crash a matchbox car off of... hmmm....

[markannab]

It depends on the event but there's always planning involved - be it a wedding or getting a shot of a bird on the bird stand!

Wedding or Similar
I enlist help of one or two friends and their cameras. Unless they are very good with their camera work, I have them on stationery tripods and I do the mobile footage. Though I'm an amateur and unpaid for my efforts for friends getting married, I plan in detail. I do thumb sketches of the location, go to rehearsals, consider lighting at the time of day the wedding is, chat to those involved, etc.

Informal Event
I may want to capture an event like activities on a camping trip. I don't go to the lengths of writing things down but am conscious of discussions about a game of cricket or other activities long before they actually occur. I think about the best angles, etc.

Planning, even for simple things, pays in my opinion.