Instructor:  Dr. Christopher Martin

Field Shooting and Post-Production Style Guidelines
(adapted from IPTV's Insight Iowa)

1. Preproduction

a. Be courteous and polite.
b. Plan for set-up time when setting a time for appointment.
c. Unless shooting in very public areas like street scenes, call ahead.  Establish with your contact/interviewee the set-up time, interview time, time and possibilities for cover/b-roll footage, and the time you plan to leave.
d. Develop and write down interview questions ahead of time.  The first question is always "Please tell us your name (and title) and spell it for us."  Listen to responses and ask follow-up questions if necessary.
e. Ask interviewees not to wear white clothing, or clothes with tight stripes.
f. Cover footage should relate to questions and the topic.  Shoot plenty of b-roll for cover.

2. Lighting

a. Keep foreground twice as bright as background.
b. Avoid partial shade (with changing light) on a sunny day.
c. On a sunny day, keep the sun in front of the subject.
d. If necessary, light interview subjects with 3-point lighting (key, fill, back).
e. Check white balance.

3. Audio

a. Use a lavalier mic for interviews whenever possible!  It is the preferred mic.
b. If you must use a hand-held mike, do not hand the mic over to the subject.  Frame shot tighter to crop out arm and hand holding mike.
c. Always use headphones to monitor sound quality and check the on-camera VU meter to avoid distortion!  Check audio before you begin taping, and preferably before you go out on the shoot.
d. Make sure to switch the level on the black mic box attached to the cameras to "mono." If you don't, you won't get audio on both the left and right channels (since the mic plugs into only one channel).

4. Setting

a. Use a tripod!
b. Use a setting that is related to the interviewee.
c. Keep it simple.  Avoid noisy settings for interviews.
d. Scout out settings in advance.  Don't settle on a setting that won't work.
e. Avoid streets used as background with cars passing by, and interior rooms with "white" noise like AC, furnace, or buzzing lights.
f. Set up interviews so that backgrounds have a minimum of activity.
g. Pull interviewees away from walls.  Don't create a mug shot, with shadows behind them.
h. Position camera within 4-6 feet of person to keep background out of focus.
i. Frame interviewee in a 3/4 face medium shot.  Interviewer should set up directly to left or right of camera, and have interviewee address him/her, not camera.  Camera should be set up on same level as subject, not shooting from high or low angle.

5. Always LABEL your tape with your name, phone, and content.

6. Post-Production 

a. Put at least 20 seconds black preroll on your tape (put it in on the timeline when you edit) BEFORE the countdown. In Adobe Premiere, go to File, New, Black Video) and then add the countdown. 
b. Put a brief slate over the black before the countdown, to ID the package topic, author, and date.
c. Use a 10-second countdown on all packages. In Premiere, go to File, New, Universal Counting Leader. De-select all video and audio cue blips.
d. Use 2-3 seconds of natural sound video at the beginning of the package before starting VO or other audio elements.  
e. End with at least 5 seconds of natural sound footage at the end of the package.  Then fade to black and put at least 20 seconds of black post-roll in the timeline and on your tape.
f. Use the designated font style for all text and c.g.s within the package. (Inscriber  TM Title, template 1103 Lower Third 3.)
g. Label script and tape with TRT (total running time) of package.  (Countdown and black isn't included in TRT.)