Basic Training: What were you THINKING?! (page 2)

7. Burned Out
We're easily sated with the overused cheesy effects in 1980s sitcoms, but is anyone else starting to feel the same way every time you see the "Ken Burns" effect? You'll either see tracking and zooming on every still, or they track waaaay too quickly, especially when panning, thus losing the subtlety and beauty of the effect.

I love the effect, if done correctly. If you do zoom in on picture 'A', then you should begin your next shot tight on picture 'B' and zoom out. This is a lot less jarring to the viewer, and has a more fluid flow. If you're tracking and zooming to a particular spot in the picture, don't track too quickly. The original reason for this effect is that going from a moving picture to a still shot has an abruptness that bothers the eye. But editors have now so over-used the pan-and-zoom that audiences want to yell, "enough, already... you're NO Ken Burns!" A simple dissolve sometimes is all the effect you need, and subtlety is the key to good pan-and-zoom.

8. Walk don't run. Hey, don't walk either!
Some people just can't seem to settle down and... well... shoot. Anyone can record events as they happen in front of a camera. Just turn on the camera, press "record" and wave it around. But if you're chronicling the events of the world around you, you should NOT be a part of the action. Settle down and record from a distance. Short, far, it doesn't matter. Sure, an occasional POV (Point of View) shot is fun, and putting the camera into the action makes for more interesting video, but not every shot.

Even worse is what I call the Waving Camera Syndrome. The shooter follows the action, then sees something else in his peripheral vision and swishes over to that, only to decide that the first shot was better after all, then swishes back. Unless he's shooting a one-camera baseball game where the action happens all at once all over the field, he just ruined both shots. Professional videographers know when it's proper to swish quickly from shot to shot. They always begin each shot from a steady still position, then swish to follow the action, ending the shot at a still position. It gives the eye the chance to settle down before the next clip. Learn to make a decision, follow through with the shot, then quickly frame up, compose and focus for the next shot. It's not that hard and it makes for a much more visually pleasing video.

And Finally
Keep the zooming to a minimum. Just because your camcorder has a zoom control, doesn't mean you should always use it. The stationary shot with the subject matter supplying the action is most often all the movement you need. When you do zoom or pan the camera, start and end your shot with a still shot.

Of course, our Videomaker readers are savvy shooters and all know these simple rules, so you can pass these tips to your next door neighbor, Uncle Buck or the parents at school afflicted with the waving camera syndrome. Meanwhile, keep your eyes and ears open and clean up these production peeves for us, OK? That way we can start picking on something else.

Jennifer O'Rourke is an Emmy™ award-winning videographer & video editor and Videomaker's Managing Editor.

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