Filmmaking On The Go: An Introduction to Videography

Choose a compact, interchangeable-lens camera with strong low-light performance (aps-c or full frame) and 4K, then add a camera cage to protect the rig and enable easy upgrades.

Understand lens basics by reading focal length ranges, apertures, and focus marks on zoom and prime lenses, including distance scales, infinity, and lens diameter for filters.

Choose a good quality telephoto or cine prime lens to explore focal lengths, depths of field, autofocus, and image stabilization, while considering de-clicked aperture and gear teeth for follow focus.

Choose storage for filmmaking by comparing memory cards’ capacity, speed, and class. Back up with portable drives and consider SSDs or HDDs for on the go and archive storage.

Explore microphone types for videography, including shotgun mics, lavaliers, and field recorders, and learn why built-in camera mics fail to meet professional audio standards.

Explore how a five in one reflector enhances on the go lighting by balancing natural and practical light, with quick setup, compact storage, and affordable versatility.

Discover lightweight stabilization options for run-and-gun filming, including monopods, guerrilla pods, and gimbals. Learn budgeting tips, test before buying, and explore gear options for DSLR, mobile, and GoPro setups.

Field monitors improve visibility in low light, let you adjust brightness independently, help pull sharp focus and review footage on a larger screen, with presets and longer battery life.

Master the consultation process to align client expectations, gather details on weddings or concerts, and apply a transparent price breakdown with a one-reedit policy.

Plan shoots with a shot list to track progress, capture key moments, and shape camera angles, movements, and shot compositions, using the attached example and blank template.

Prepare the shoot the day before by checking equipment, cleaning lenses and filters, formatting memory cards, and charging batteries. Review the itinerary, confirm details, and set a sleep-ready alarm.

Explore aspect ratio and frame size, including 3:2, 16:9, widescreen 1.85:1, and anamorphic 2.35:1. Shoot in 16:9 as the standard on DSLR or mirrorless cameras.

Compare SD, HD, and 4K file formats and explain how pixel counts shape quality, then guide choosing between HD and 4K based on project type and editing timeline.

Controls motion by sequencing frames. Choose 24 fps for cinematic feel, 30 fps suits tv, and 48, 60, or 120 fps enables slow motion; maintain a base rate.

Learn how white balance ensures natural colours by the camera, with tips on matching settings to indoor, outdoor, shady, and cloudy light, and when to use auto or custom.

Explore how ISO controls a camera's sensitivity to light, balancing exposure and grain. Learn about native ISO, practical testing, and pushing limits in on-the-go videography.

Discover how shutter speed controls exposure and light, apply the 180 degree rule by doubling the frame rate, and adjust speeds for weddings, concerts, and sports to manage motion blur.

Explore how aperture controls exposure alongside ISO and shutter speed. Learn how f-stop and t-stop affect iris size and depth of field, and how lens elements influence light.

Master how aperture, ISO, and shutter speed combine to achieve proper exposure, and use native ISO with iterative adjustments to explore motion blur, depth of field, and mood.

Explore the three main shot types—wide, medium, and close up—and their variations, with camera angles from straight on to high and low angles, to convey setting, emotion, and conversation.

Adjust focal length to shape your shot: low millimeters create wide shots, high millimeters deliver tight closeups; 24 to 50 mm for scenes, 85 to 105 mm for closeups.

The rule of thirds uses a three-by-three grid to guide shot framing. It balances foreground and background along grid lines and directs attention.

Explore how foreground and background shape composition and depth in videography. Use practical examples to improve framing, add background interest, and manage wardrobe and color contrasts.

Master proper headroom and noseroom using the rule of thirds to frame interview subjects, improving natural, balanced shots by adjusting subject position or camera pan.

Master the 180 degree rule, camera placement, and line of action to preserve continuity in dialogue scenes, and learn how crossing the line disrupts viewer intuition.

Explore fundamental camera movements like zoom, pan, tilt, dolly, trucking, crane, and static shot, understand when position or angle changes, and practice smooth handheld shots.

Compare auto and manual focus for on-the-go videography, explaining when autofocus suits tracking shots and wide lenses, while manual focus ensures precise close-ups and selective focus across scenarios.

Learn how aperture and focal length shape depth of field, from wide to shallow depth of field, and apply camera placement and shot choices for on-the-go storytelling.

Apply depth of field to focus pulls that guide attention, transition scenes, and follow action. Use manual focus with a follow focus to hit marks and practice for smooth pulls.

Learn to use shotgun, field recorder, and lavalier for high-quality audio, avoiding the camera's poor mic; place shotgun two feet in front of subject, chin level, out of frame.

Open camera menu and set recording levels to mid to high green for clean audio. Avoid red peaks that cause distortion or clipping; occasional red is okay, but stay green.

Identify audio hazards and apply fixes to protect dialogue: shield wind with blimp or windsock, position mics to block wind, enable wind reduction, listen for noise, and use airplane mode.

Learn what room tone is, why filmmakers record it, and how to capture it for a natural soundtrack. Record one minute of tone to fill gaps and smooth dialogue edits.

Utilize natural light as the main source by positioning the subject relative to the sun and using reflectors to soften shadows, guiding white balance with blue and amber color temperatures.

Identify practical lights as any light source in the shot, such as streetlights or neon signs, and use lights in space to avoid distracting film lights and maintain set dressing.

Explore how a 5-in-1 reflector shapes light for videography. Use silver for strong bounce, white for soft, diffuser for shadows, gold for warm, and black to block light.

Explore the pocket on-board light, its built-in battery, and when to use it for interviews or background lighting, including its settings to simulate sirens or flickering light.

Combine footage, music, and sound effects in post-production to bring your vision to life. Begin at the very start and steadily guide your edit through to exporting the final video.

Explore the editing section of filmmaking on the go, learning project settings, importing footage, the editing process, main tools, adding titles and transitions, colour correcting, exporting, and saving properly.

Open your editing software, create a new project, and name it Course Example Video. Set the project location and scratch disks to the same folder, then prepare to import footage.

Import footage and organize media in bins, using command+I to import folders such as audio and photos/graphics, assign color labels locally, create and rename bins, and maintain a Sequences bin.

Create a new sequence, build a rough assembly by syncing audio first, then color correct and finalize transitions and titles toward picture lock.

Master the core editing tools and window layout, including project, source, program, timeline, and effects windows. Use selection, razor, zoom, markers, and snap to cut and arrange clips.

Learn to add text and titles using the graphics menu or the t key, customize font, color, stroke, alignment, and animate with keyframes at markers for scale, position, and opacity.

Learn to add transitions to your videos, using fade ins like dip to black, cross dissolve, and opacity keyframe to signal scene changes and add interest when switching between shots.

Discover how colour correcting adds life and continuity to footage using brightness, contrast, colour balance, and Lumetri Colour, with Lumetri presets for quick looks.

Set in and out markers to the last clip, so only the highlighted area exports; then export with h.264, 1080 hd preset, maximum render quality, and name and save file.

Configure auto-save in preferences to save every five minutes and keep up to 30 versions. Remember, auto-save is backup; it won't replace manual saves.