Headroom and underscan

[Starman]

How much headroom do y'all give on your interviews? I noticed some chopping of head tops sometimes. I like that look. On these I had 4:3 safe, so I was also giving a little more headroom. I also know that 16:9 TV's also underscan a little bit so some extra space is good.

I wanted to post examples but I don't know how to paste a picture in here, without using the "attach url image" function.

 

[BluesCam]

It's all over the map these days. Some guys don't believe in headroom.

 

[prosheditor]

For static closeups, I usually shoot shoulder's and up either screen right or left with slight top headroom. If they start tearing up or showing other emotion, that warrants a slow push with the possible loss of the top frame as you described but it works. If you're already that tight, you have nowhere to go and you lose the effect.

I've heard the cropped head shot referred to as the 60 Minutes frame because it is one of their signature framing styles. Among other things, it can show emotion and the sincerity of a subject.

Like any extreme closeup, it's great to use it to accentuate a subject's emotion but some people just don't need to have their face fill the screen, especially in HD.

 

[Douglas]

There is no one-size-fits all. As I teach in my interview lighting classes, the correct amount of headroom is completely dictated by a modified use of the rule of thirds. Once you learn that method, then determining the proper headroom becomes natural and instinctive. Come to a class and all will be revealed.

http://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/filmmaking/art-lighting-shooting-interviews

 

[1911A1]

There is no one-size-fits all. As I teach in my interview lighting classes, the correct amount of headroom is completely dictated by a modified use of the rule of thirds.

This.

I use the eyeline as my guide. If a person's eyes are framed so they're about where the upper Rule of Thirds line would be, the headroom should be correct no matter how loose or tight the framing is.

 

[mongo]

Wow, thanks 1911A1 for framing that concept in those words!

This will now replace:

{within the context of starting full wide and pushing in all the way to cover all zoom levels} "put the top of their skull (ignoring hair) at the 90% line, up until the point where the bottom of their nose is vertically even with the crosshair, and then ride that"

in my mind and teachings. Don't know why I never made that particular connection...