Drug Shortage

ferlonjr

Member
I know I keep posting lately, but I'm just trying to see if I'm getting the idea from the tips you all have given me! I think this pkg looks good, but please show me where I could have done better. Before you guys get on me for not using the tripod in certain instances, I HAD to shoulder because we were running and gunning pretty much as the guy gave us a tour of the whole pharmacy. Thanks for the critiques in advance and please tear it apart for me :D, thanks!

here it is:

http://vimeo.com/20947969

Been shooting for 4 months now!

-Ferlon
 

FLotog

Active member
I know this is beyond your control but I hate seeing packages start off with a SOT. One thing I do to avoid this is throwing together some sort of nat sequence pertaining to what the person is talking about and beginning that way.

There was an obvious jump cut at :09. An easy out for this would've been cutting to a tight shot of the doctor writing on the label.

I counted at least a dozen pans or tilts in the entire package. Refrain from much camera movement like pans, tilts, and zooms. If you're gonna move the camera for a shot, do it with purpose and not just combining two shots into one. For example, if you were doing a story on a massive, out-of-control wildfire that burned every last home in a neighborhood except for one, this would be an acceptable time for a camera movement. If you were to begin with the burned out neighborhood and land around it then pan to the house that sat in the middle untouched. It's showing in comparison how devasting the damage is in relation to where the home is located.

Most of your b-roll was wallpaper. I was starting to get bored watching just medicine and labels and containers and drugs and viles. Try to shoot a variety of objects. Shoot a smooth sequence of one of the physicians filling prescriptions or working on a computer. Start with a wide shot of him or her in front of a computer, then cut to a tight shot of their fingers typing on the keyboard, then cut to a medium shot of the computer screen, then cut to a close-up of the person's face looking at the screen and so on.

I liked how you covered the SOT at :54. I'm a big proponent of covering soundbites with video, especially if the SOT is boring and lame.

Good job with incorporating the nat sound and adding nat pops where appropriate.

A tip for rolling without a 'pod. Put the camera down on something steady. Shoot from the ground and put your wallet under it to adjust the postition of your shot. Place the camera on a counter or table. Find something that's steady and solid to use as a tripod.
 
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ferlonjr

Member
Thanks FLotog for the critique! Yeah, I noticed that I had one million pans in the story as I looked at over and it did kind of get to me, more static shots would have definitely been more appropriate!

Thanks for your explanation of sequencing! I wasn't thinking like that before, the thing is I had every opportunity to shoot and edit like that but I didn't and now I regret it. It would have looked so much better, more of a storytelling edit, if that makes sense!

So is it not appropriate to show a cutaway of the person you're interviewing right after you're showing them being interviewed? Or is it about breaking the axis, or the 180 degree rule? (I'm speaking of the SOT at :09 when I went to the cutaway). Nevertheless I think I'm getting the hint.

I'll definitely keep in mind what you said about opening with a SOT, I hate that as well, and now I guess doing the nat sequence will help it a lot more.

Thanks a lot for the critique!
 

Latin Lens

Well-known member
So you can't always avoid starting a pkg off with a SOT but you can do your best to not make it so boring...if its a good descriptive bite then b-roll over it with the adequate shots. Thats one way to jazz it up because a talking head off the top equals boring....reporters need to learn that too.

There are two obvious big axis breaks...one at :09 secs from SOT to first b-roll shot of the doctor and another a :40 secs with the blue panel things. I think this happens alot to you because you are NOT using your tripod to get the proper shots (tight) to help you in your editing. Your getting creative with the advice but I think its overload on you and you are trying to do too much. Some stories are simple run and gun and some are more elaborate and creative. Don't force one way or the other...take what you are given and do the best with what you got...but get the basics...sequences, wide, medium, tights, good nat sound.

You need to start using your tripod in these situations to learn how to get faster with it...if you don't then your are seriously limiting your development. I go nowhere without my tripod and that includes on hikes or even in tight confined spaces. You will find it hard to convince me why you don't have your tripod with you.

And again this goes back to the tripod issue...vary your intv looks....wide, medium, tight...foreground objects to be creative...you can't do that unless you have a stable shot to work with. All your SOTS had the same framing...so by the third time I see it I am bored...variation is the key to keep it looking fresh.

Don't get over your head too soon because you will be losing the lesson...keep it simple...work on your foundation then improve it.
 

FLotog

Active member
No worries bro! I'm glad I could help.

So is it not appropriate to show a cutaway of the person you're interviewing right after you're showing them being interviewed? Or is it about breaking the axis, or the 180 degree rule? (I'm speaking of the SOT at :09 when I went to the cutaway). Nevertheless I think I'm getting the hint.
Just to be straight, breaking the axis and the 180 degree rule are essentially the same thing.

I know exactly what you were trying to accomplish.

You were editing to script. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. When the script introduces that person you naturally want to see who the person is.

Even though I have a tendency to feel the same way, I will not sacrifice continuity by putting in a jump cut. This is just me being weird but I would have cut to a tight shot of him writing (in spite of what the script asserts) THEN put that shot you had of him in. Not only was it an obvious jump cut but you broke the axis. Double fail. This could come across as harsh but those are two basic rules of shooting. I may be a bit more picky about this than others but as I said, these are simple rules of thumb. I know it sounds like I'm harping on this subject but I want to be as articulate as I can.

A remedy would have been to move 45 degrees to the left of the doc while he was writing on the label and go in closer on him. A tight shot of his face would've sufficed without breaking any rules. One other option would've been a dissolve as a last resort.

You're being very receptive to the criticism so that will only help you in the long-run.

It's alot to take but you're only going to improve from here on out. Keep 'em coming! And don't hold back in ripping what I post! Feel free to call out my ef-ups!:D
 
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