8 On-the-fly Guerrilla Production Tips
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Click to EnlargeNow more than ever, it's possible for one person to venture into the world and capture great video. By following a few simple guidelines, you too can be an on-the-fly guerrilla filmmaker!
Your buddy calls you at the last minute - there's a great event going on in your area, and you absolutely need to get it on video. You agree, knowing it would make a terrific mini-documentary. Unfortunately, the event is tomorrow, and there's no way you'll be able to assemble your usual crew in time. No worries - you'll shoot this one on your own!
Shooting on the fly is one of the most exciting ways to capture video, due to the mobility and flexibility it offers the shooter. The trick is to be as organized as possible up front. The more glitches you can anticipate ahead of time, the more energy you'll have to focus on the sounds and images you're capturing.
1: Know Your Mission
Have a clear sense of your goal and what you're trying to capture. Be able to boil it down to one sentence: I'm going to learn why people come from all over the country to attend this event.
Write out a list of the images and interviews you'll need in order to achieve this goal, and bring it along with you. Having this focus helps you stay on target and gives you a strong sense of purpose and direction.
2: Assemble Your Gear
Visualize what equipment you'll need. Can you get it all together in time? Once you have everything, lay it all out before you. Take nothing for granted - make sure all the gear works, that you have enough tape stock (then throw in a couple more tapes for good measure) and that your batteries have a good charge. Try to anticipate the types of audio you'll need to capture, how much running around you'll be doing and how accessible your gear will be once you move away from your original setup.
3: Lighting Up the Action
Shooting without a light kit means working with whatever light is available, be it daylight or tungsten overhead lights. Whatever the layout is, you'll need to think fast and be creative when it comes to illuminating your subject.
When indoors, zero in on your primary light source. Decide if the space is predominately illuminated by indoor tungsten lights or daylight spilling through the windows.
Go with the strongest source of light, and set your white balance to that. If it's outdoor light, consider moving your subjects closer to the window to brighten things up. If it's indoor light, look around the room for floor or desk lamps you can move closer to the subjects, so there's more light on their faces.
When shooting outdoors, keep in mind that midday full sun often creates harsh shadows, especially when it's directly overhead. Try shooting in the shade, where the contrast isn't as great and the light is more forgiving. Rigging a bounce card to illuminate the dark side of your subject is a nice way to supplement direct sunlight.
Many cameras have a neutral density filter built into the camera that will automatically kick in when the image is overexposed. This knocks the intense brightness of the sunlight down a bit and makes it easier to adjust your exposure in harsh sunlight. It's worth picking up a couple of filters if your camera doesn't include this feature.
You may also encounter situations outdoors where part of your shot is overexposed, while other areas aren't. Always keep your subject's eyes properly exposed, as long as they're the central focus of the shot. If you're worried about losing details in the background, you can always pick up more detailed footage with B roll.
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