This week we head back to London to film a three camera shoot for a leading consultancy.
This client needs great looking TV broadcast quality in order to add content to their website and engage people with what they are doing.
Shooting with three Sony EX3’s and taking XLR feeds from the desk. But where do we put the cameras?
In an ideal world its always best to have one on stage left, one stage right and in the centre at least 10 – 30 metres away from the stage. Exact distances will vary depending on the stage, design, amount of people and where you can get to.
In my experience it’s always good to try and get the right and left cameras shooting forward at 5 or 10 degrees but no more than 50 degrees. If we start shooting at a large angle we end up having a profile shot which will not look too hot if you only have three cameras to mix from.
The right and left cameras can vary in distance. For example one can be a little closer at a different angle. If your camera crew are changing shot then a different angle and shot will offer your Director or editor far more to choose from and will make the shoot look far better.
However , if you are changing shots too much and you don’t have communication between each other you risk the chance of both cameras moving at the same time. This is when your third wide shot at the centre can come in.
To save on costs the centre camera close to FOH ( Front of house / Back of event space ) may be locked off. The other option is to have one person shooting on that camera offering a wide or medium wide shot. This way you get a third moving shot and an idea of the audience, stage and full design of the event or backdrops.
Lastly always make sure all cameras are set to the same Iris, white balance and picture profile. If you have different cameras on the shoot it’s worth running a test to check colour temp and light.
Enjoy the event and the edit!