I was covering a three day breast cancer walk last month and we were on location 24/7 for all three days. While shooting interviews with some of the volunteers at night in small dome tents. I needed to light the interviews but did not want that camera light look.

I had packed a fluorescent camp light with my gear.

My camera light is a 5600K LED With a dimmer. So I grabbed the camp light and set it just out of the shot. I used it as my key and used my led light dimmed way down as a fill the combo provided a flattering soft light.
When I pulled wide for a two shot the camp light was in the shot but it did not look out of place.

The camp light worked great and provided a fast set up as it ran on its own battery.

It’s great to read interesting tips, but Mike “SVP” Johnston of Scioto Valley Productions has taken it to the next level. He’s put his tips to video.

Thanks for the tip Mike.

Join Mike and upload your tips and ideas to b-roll.net TV and share your knowledge with the rest of us.

One thing that has always annoyed me is when a producer or intrepid reporter would want me to shoot a video off the computer with sound (especially off the laptop in the field… Can we say YouTube?). After repeatedly being frustrated by micing up the (usually tiny) speaker with the stick or even a
lav, I turned to a few items in my bag of tricks I call an old fishing tackle box: A Hi-Z to Lo-Z adapter (mono female 1/4″ to male XLR), a female 1/8″ stereo to male 1/4″ mono adapter, and a stereo computer speaker cable.

Attaching these three items and connecting the hi-Z to lo-Z adapter to
channel 1 or 2 and the computer speaker cable to the headphone port of the
computer, and I’m all set to go with crisp, clean audio, with no worries if
any noises in the background interfered.

Load up your rain jacket’s pockets with necessities on a dry day, so you don’t have to fumble with what you need in the rain, and you don’t have to carry a bag.

We’ve all been caught in the rain with something giving us trouble, and knew if we’d prepared, we would have been fine. The best way to take care of bad weather is to prepare for it, every day. Here is a simple system to make sure you have everything you need in a rain storm, preloaded, and on you at all times. Here are three things that make life easier when you have them around, and they cost pennies. You will always need:

1. Plastic sandwich bags.
2. Some kind of dry towel scraps.
3. Cheap, thin, clear plastic trash bags.

Put several little dry towels in a plastic sandwich bag and throw them in the same pocket. I’ll take that Nobel Prize now.

If you load up at least three plastic sandwich bags with dry towels, you’re golden. Open up the first bag, and use the plastic sandwich bag as a “rain hat” for your AB Ultralight or Frezzi. You now have two guaranteed dry wipes left, and you can get as wet as you need before you have to go back to your vehicle. The big secret is to keep the wipes separate, and dry, and you don’t ruin the bunch. Sandwich bags also make good all weather tape protectors for reporters who don’t take care of tapes in rain like they should.

The trash bags, (I keep at least three in my jacket) can bag up cords and devices that you use for lives, and make a good temporary camera jacket if you didn’t expect it to do anything but mist, and then the rain came. Always opt for the clear bags… talent can still see the off-air TV, and you can see what’s going on inside, without opening the bag. You just can’t count on the live truck having plastic bags. You can count on your producer wanting a liveshot, if there isn’t a safety issue. Bring your own trash bags.

These are obvious tips, but the real advice is to PRE-load them so your rain jacket is grab and go.

Many years ago, we created a Tips and Tricks section of b-roll.net. Posted ideas ranged from shooting a train coming at you via a mirror to finding an inexpensive dimmer at IKEA. Some are things you already know; others give you a total “why didn’t I think of that?” moment.

We’re unveiling the new, searchable Tips and Tricks section of b-roll.net TODAY. You’ll now have easier access to the great knowledge base of our impressive readership.

We want to add your Tips and Tricks to our library, and we’re not afraid to bribe you. Not only will you get the bragging rights of seeing your name in lights on b-roll.net but, we’ll also send you one of our brand-new b-roll.net STICKERS.

Email us your Tip or Trick (with b-roll.net TIPS in the subject line) to: info@b-roll.net. Please include a solid write-up of your idea, along with your name and the company you work for. You’ll have a better shot at being published if you include some good photography to demonstrate your idea. And don’t forget to include your mailing address – we won’t publish it, but we need to know where to mail your sticker.

So that’s your homework assignment… get writing, and we’ll see you in class tomorrow.

This is a trick/tip for Ultralight users. Ok, you’re a million miles away from the crew car and you of course didn’t bring a run bag. Now it’s time for some MOS or an impromptu presser and the 9V in your TX or RX is flaking out. Well if you use an Anton Bauer Ultralight then simply tilt the light head up and in the small cavity underneath will be your backup 9V discreetly taped in place! Problem solved!!! Of course having your run bag is a better option but as we all know; stuff happens.

I stumbled upon a flashlight made by EVEREADY that has over the years become my secret weapon(s) for interior car lighting. The flashlight is about 6 inches long is flat and uses a fluorescent bulb. It will fit in the middle of a steering wheel, in the sun visor, on the dashboard, even on the ceiling. I have put this sucker and at times several of them almost everywhere in a car (with the help of some “G” tape) It has provided me with some of the most natural “source” lighting you can get. The best part is they’re only $6—take seconds to install and can be stored anywhere!