Thursday, December 27, 2007

video etiquette

Often when I go and shoot videos of events, one of the wierdest request I get is when someone pulls me aside and ask me to shoot them with their friends or relatives. They assume I'm carrying a still photo camera.

 

In that split second in my mind, a few things are running through my mind:

1. Whether I should tell them that I'm holding a video camera, not a still photo camera.

 

2. I just let them assume it's a still photo camera and 'pretend' to shoot them.

 

Most of the time, I just go with option 2 because it saves me the hassle of explaining things. I have a feeling sometimes they know its a video camera but they still stand there in front of the video camera posing as if for a still photo camera.

 

I just shoot visuals for 5 seconds or so and then I move on. Most of the time, I don't use the footages most of the time. It's just wierd footages of people standing still looking at the camera.

 

Unless it's a press conference and people are holding a product for a launch where all the press photographers are at the front taking their pictures, then it should be okay. If you watch the news, you've probably seen it before.

 

Some CEO or politician is holding a giant mock check at a presentation; or they're posing as if they're shaking hands. Their hands are locked and they're smiling at the camera. In the background, you can hear the photographers asking them to look at them.

 

I prefer if people are actually doing something in the video, like hugging each other; or actually shaking each other's hand. It's acting but on camera it looks real.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

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