After another hiatus from both the blog and the photo and video efforts (while cycling, yogaing and personal-training instead) the focus in the past week shifted back to video. This of course meant I got no workouts of any sort accomplished. The cycle continues.
Over the weekend I picked up the video camera for the first time in several months for a re-indoctrination to quick, efficient and effective shooting and editing, through the New York Magazine Video Academy, run by Rosenblum TV. The instruction was fabulous, and in most ways was very similar in philosophy and approach to the equally wonderful NPPA video workshop that I attended last year.
Key to everything: the compelling character, and the storytelling. And the need for perfection. And the need to keep it short and simple and direct. And to lead with the best stuff.
All of this I know. Unfortunately, when I do this so sporadically, what I know doesn't necessarily translate into what I do. It didn't help that I took the XH-A1s, and used it off the tripod (that part is notably different from what NPPA teaches) and I was having a very hard time holding the camera steady as a result. Plus, because I wanted to tell the story of a young woman who moved to NYC from New Zealand, I managed to overlook the fact that her location was 1) not very visual and 2) hard to shoot in.
So the resulting footage left a great deal to be desired. OK, it was dreadful. But at least I managed to resurrect something usable during the editing. (Once an editor ...)
Then yesterday I did my first gig shooting an interview that will be part of the New York Cycle Club's 75th anniversary commemoration. Because I and the interviewer (I was the shooter -- how funny is that?!) were meeting the subject in an office building (ugly overhead flourescent lights) I decided to take part of my light kit. This despite the fact that I've never actually used it, and haven't even touched it for a year.
So I spent some time in my living room just figuring out how to set the lights up, and how to pack everything I needed to take (XH-A1s, large tripod, three light stands, Rifa, prolight and Litepanels MicroPro, plus wireless lav mic kit).
Ultimately it worked out reasonably well. Not great, but reasonably well. At least I didn't burn anything down. And mainly, I got more confidence that I can pull this off the next time around. And there will be several more rounds of this, which I'm greatly looking forward to, for the practice. Plus in a related endeavor I can practice greenscreening.
Maybe tomorrow I'll remind myself how to shoot still photos ...
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