The Art of Video Switching
Anytime you have more than one shot to work with it instantly begs the question ”how often should I switch between camera angles?. Its a good question but, its also the final question in the “why” of video. In both live and prerecorded video, we should have one goal, to tell the story (deliver the message) as clearly as possible. In the film world the phrase often used is “story is king” This is the “why" of everything we do with video. So through that lens, lets dive into the process of creating a video experience.
The Beginning
Before we ever pick up a camera or plug in a microphone, we have to know what the story is that we are trying to tell. This could be a testimony, a service, a short film, whatever the story is that you are trying to tell. This story needs to be planned out in an order that makes sense. Often times it helps to think about the three part narrative (that thing from high school english class however long ago that was). Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is basically the setup, it introduces the characters and the main plot. The middle is the main plot line where the rise to the climax happens. The end is the resolution and wrap up.
When telling a strict narrative like in the instance of a short film (maybe used to be a live skit), its pretty straight forward. The story, when its written, should follow this arch anyway in order to make sense. When recording a testimony, all of the narrative elements exist but sometimes the subject may need help putting them in order as opposed to just rambling events off in the order they remember them.
Side Note: Its more work, but it is sometimes possible to put things in the right order during editing, even if they told the pieces out of order. To save time, I still recommend having them tell it well to begin with.
When it comes to a service order however, the narrative order can seem a little more ambiguous. Thankfully it doesn’t have to be. Typically the beginning is either an opening song or a host setting up the day, they may talk about what is going to be happening during the course of the service, or providing ways for attendees to further engage with the organization. The middle is the main worship set that draws people into the message which is followed by the message itself. (often a 3 part narrative within itself) Which then leads to the climax of the service. Finally the closing song and closing comments provide the resolution and take-aways from the experience.
The Middle
Now that we know what the story is, we can move on to how we are going to tell it. In the case of a prerecorded video this could mean: what the “set” is going to look like, or what type of B-roll is needed. In the case of a service, it is what will the stage look like during each element. This is all the pieces of what people see and hear coming together to create an experience. From lighting angles, to color and movement to musical expression and tonality, all of these things should be meticulously crafted to tell the story of that event. That is what turns it into an experience.
This brings us to how we are going to capture the experience. If the intentionality isn’t taken in this moment to capture it well, it won’t really matter what camera you switch to at any given moment because all of the shots will be random anyway.
So when it comes to how we are going to capture the experience, there are a few things to consider within your context:
What are the opportunities/limitations of the space? What kinds of angles and distances do you have to work within? Will the shot quality change based on the number of people in the room?
2. What tools do you have available? It doesn’t matter what you wish you had, (unless you plan to rent something for one time use) you have to work within the tools you actually have available and what their limitations are. Now there are 2 attitudes you can take here. First you can throw your hands up and say “I don’t have what I need, so I’m not even going to try.” Or you can look for creative ways to make the tools you have available work. You may even change an element up a little to work within what the tool you have can do well. (This requires good two way dialogue and discussion with your leadership).
Once you’ve identified what you have to work with, you can begin working through how you are going to use the tools available to capture the story. Do you have a front on tight shot and wide shot? Can you get an alternate side angle? How much motion can you incorporate? What mounting options do you have? Are you close to the stage? Do you want the focus on one person, multiple people, or the overall platform? Look for the shots that will allow you to best capture the story that is being told.
The End
Once the story is known, the experience is crafted, and you know how you want to capture it, its finally time to look at putting it all together. So, how do we know when to switch to a given shot? It all comes back to the “why”. What shot best tells the story in that moment? When the speaker is driving a point home, and connected with the audience its perfectly fine to sit on that tight shot until they move on to something else. When the speaker is jumping around and excited, the wider shot of them ensures that you don’t miss the excitement in their body language or the prop sitting next to them. When the song is high energy, handheld motion that adds a little movement into the shot adds to the energy thats already being created. Choose shots and pace based on what is happening and what best captures the experience.
Now, for this to be possible, the person calling the shots needs to know all the information listed above. They need to know the story, what's going to happen, and when it will happen. This has a couple implications depending on your context. Either: The person calling the shots needs to have been a part of the planning process OR It needs to be clearly communicated to them/you in enough time for them/you to really know what the story is thats being told.
If you would like to discuss more specifically what you can do to capture the story well, send me a message, I’d love to talk with you.