When
you’re videotaping an event, whether a political campaign, a soccer
game or a birthday party, you need to capture a variety of images to
have some good material to edit. For most people to enjoy sitting
through a lengthy video, it has to be a compelling event (such as a
grandchild’s soccer game for a grandparent). Editing is important, but
it can be difficult if you don’t have the appropriate
shots.
We reviewed the new JVC GZ-MC200US Everio camera, in part because the Everio camcorders make working a scene much easier with nearly instant review of any shot. These cameras record video onto a hard drive or memory card instead of tape, so you can immediately access any part of the video from a menu of scenes. You can review any scene, whenever you need to check a shot, without rewinding—a major hassle with tape-based recorders.
There are four main shot types to look for when shooting video, reviewing shots and selecting scenes to edit in the computer: wide shot, medium shot, close shot and cutaway. If you try to cover each shot, you’ll have good material to work from when editing, making it easier and more fun.
Look at your camera’s zoom range. The JVC GZ-MC200US has a reasonable 10:1 zoom lens, which is quite good, considering the camera’s small size. The key to getting a variety of shots is to use a zoom effectively in combination with physically moving closer to and farther from your subject.
Following are the four key shots:
Wide shot. The wide shot is the overall view of the scene. Typically, you use your wider focal lengths and zoom the lens out to reveal the scene. This establishes a setting for the action and gives the viewer a context for any other shots. A wide shot is an arbitrary size—it might cover a huge area if you’re shooting a track event or a small room if you’re videotaping a toddler’s birthday party.
Medium shot. Action and relationships can be emphasized with this shot, which focuses in on the main subject and excludes most of the surroundings, but it’s not so close that you only see details. The medium shot does its magic when it reveals the action of the subject, such as the runners in a 100-yard dash or the relationship of the subject to something or someone nearby, such as the toddler with his or her mother.
Close shot. Watch commercials and you’ll see a lot of medium and close shots used. The close shot brings you in close to your subject so that you see no relationship to its surroundings, and intimate details are revealed. Extremely variable in size, close shots of that track meet might range from a view of the high-jump poles and landing pad to a close-up of a runner’s exhausted face. Close shots of the birthday party might include the details of the cake or joy in a toddler’s eyes.
Cutaway. This is a somewhat random shot from the area, usually a close-up, but not necessarily something specific to the action or the main subject (though it helps if it is). A cutaway is used to bridge problem edits, such as when a shot goes too long and has to be cut in sections, removing dull action in the middle. The cutaway is a short segment to cover the missing middle section. Good cutaways at the track meet might be wide shots, medium shots and close shots of spectators. Shots of people watching an event are always useful for editing purposes (watch television news for these cutaways in action). Cutaways at the party might include other kids, presents or balloons.
Using these shots in editing is a personal choice, but here are some tips to keep in mind:
• Wide shots are great to introduce a scene and to help the viewer occasionally gain context for the action.
• Medium shots will provide the bulk of the shots because they show action and relationships. Use a close-up or a cutaway between shots if two medium shots are too similar in appearance, otherwise they fit together awkwardly.
• Close shots provide needed variety and give the viewer closer looks at important details. They can be used as a montage all together or as punctuation in the medium shots. Some videographers prefer these shots and use them as much as or more than other shots, and they still work for variety.
• Cutaways are used strictly to “cut away” from the main action. Consider them as punctuation and bridges to help bind together problematic or awkward edits.
The key to your videotaping is to shoot for variety, constantly looking for the wide, medium, close and cutaway shots as you’re videotaping your subject. You may realize you missed certain shots when you’re editing, which will be a disappointment for the subject at hand, but it will motivate you to get them the next time.
JVC GZ-MC200US Everio
JVC’s little Everio camcorders are remarkable, compact units. They’re truly pocketable camcorders and can go everywhere with you. I had a chance to work with the GZ-MC200US unit. Don’t you love these names! Regardless of the challenge of remembering its full moniker, this Everio proved to be an excellent camcorder.
The size and unique design, which JVC calls Cube Style, certainly make this camcorder stand out. One thing that really sets it apart from competitors is the way it records video onto a memory card. This Everio comes with a 4 GB Hitachi Microdrive, or you could use a CompactFlash card, which means no moving tape. You can instantly access any scene you’ve shot by going to a menu of scenes that’s much like the thumbnails of still photos on a standard digital camera.
Another advantage of the tapeless approach is that, instead of using software to import video frame by frame, you can simply download any or all video from the camera by plugging the memory card into a card reader and dragging and dropping the files to your computer, just as you would digital photos.
The camcorder would be absolutely ideal except for a little glitch. The video is in JVC’s MOD format, a proprietary MPEG-2 format. You can read and edit it in the software that comes with the camera, but this software isn’t particularly easy to use or effective for any serious editing. Luckily, Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 recognizes the MOD format, allowing you to edit video in that program. Other video software will probably recognize it in the future. MPEG-2 is a compressed video format that JVC claims to be DVD-quality. That’s not a useful standard, since a DVD is only the medium, and all sorts of video can be put onto it. I thought the finished, edited video I worked on looked quite good, however, matching the quality of most MiniDV camcorders.
I liked the way this camera fit in my hand; it’s palmable without feeling awkward. It only has an LCD for a viewfinder, but it’s bright and viewable, even in sunlight. This Everio also shoots 2-megapixel still photos, which is okay in a pinch, but this is really a secondary use of the camera. It’s a fun little camera, offering video that’s easy to view and access and is quickly transferable to the computer. Plus, it tucks neatly into a free space in a photographer’s camera pack.
Contact: JVC, (800) 882-2345, www.jvc.com.
SPECIFICATIONS
Camera Type: Compact camcorder
Lens: 10x optical zoom lens with a digital stabilizer
Sensor: CCD
Still Photo Resolution: 2 megapixels
LCD: 130,000 pixels; 1.8 inches
Media Type: Microdrive, CompactFlash
Exposure Modes: Program AE and manual
Program AE Modes: Sports, Snow, Spotlight
Shutter Speeds: 1/2 to 1/4000 sec.(video); 1/2 to 1/500 sec. (still)
Power Source: Proprietary Li-Ion battery pack
Size: 2.9x2.25x3.75 inches
Weight: 0.8 pounds
Estimated Street Price: $999
