e. Shoot a lot of cutins and cutaways. Cutins very often can be obtained before
or after the event. About 1/3 of your footage should be devoted to cutins and cutaways.
These are absolutely necessary for the editor to put together a film that will fit into
the time available. The final thing to do is to submit detailed caption information.
This subject will be discussed in the next lesson.
5.
Problems with sports.
a. Photography of sports and action demands the utmost from the photographer.
Shooting this type of assignment requires considerable mental and physical agility, and a
great deal of emphasis is placed on mastery of equipment and anticipation of the action.
If you are not ready at the right place and at the right time, you may as well have
remained at home. Sports photography requires a little different approach from that
needed for an action sequence. The difference is in preparing for the assignment.
b. The first step in a sports assignment is preparation. You must research the
sport. Usually, the sports assignment goes to the cameraman with an interest and
knowledge of the activity, and you may meet these requirements. But regardless of your
knowledge of the sport, it pays off to refresh your knowledge by researching the players.
Players are specialists in their field. Some break fast and move with deceptive speed.
Others excel under the basket, or with a bat. Know the players and their characteristic
specialties. If a ballplayer known for his base stealing prowess is on first base, you
should be ready for the action at second base. Also, a scene showing players arguing
with officials can add color to your coverage.
c. Being familiar with the playing field can help you select the best camera
angles, best distances to action centers, and so forth. For example, some ball fields
have a short left field that invites home runs or action on the third base line.
Research the coaches or team managers. Their individual characteristics and
personalities can provide vivid color for your report. Coordinate your desires with
these individuals. Clear your way to get some shots during timeout, or in the locker
room.
d. A major point to remember when shooting sports is that you cannot ask the player
to go back and redo the play for you. You get only one chance for the big one. To be a
competent sports cameraman, you must be physically alert, agile, and aggressive. You
must always remain mentally alert to anticipate the action and be decisive when it occurs.
6. Understanding how to shoot uncontrolled action, whether it is documentation, sports,
a field training exercise or a combat documentation, requires the same techniques. If
you can shoot under one type of uncontrolled conditions, you can film or tape under all
conditions.
Learning Event 2:
WRITE OUTLINE
1.
Before you can shoot an uncontrolled action you must have a plan. The first part
of planning is gathering the data necessary to prepare a plan.
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