Learn everything you need to know about producing single-camera video, from preproduction planning to setting up, rehearsing, shooting, editing, and delivering. Master lighting, audio, and editing techniques that will enhance the quality of your video projects and captivate your audience.

    Simple, elegant, and easy to use, Single-Camera Video Production, Sixth Edition is a staple in any video student or artist’s library. Whether you’re just learning the basics of video production or you’re a veteran who needs a refresher, this book provides you with a toolkit for understanding and implementing single-camera workflows, as well as how to use the single-camera format to its best advantage by emphasizing the importance of goals, audience analysis, and technology. This new edition has been updated to include:

      • Expanded sections on digital workflows, field and studio production, preproduction planning, audio, lighting, distribution, and editing techniques
      • Detailed gear lists covering the latest camera, recorder, audio, lighting, and stabilization equipment used in the industry today
      • Fresh tips on creating video for your target audience and exhibition platform and shooting for the editing process
      • Insider career advice, including tips on how to get an internship, interviewing, finding a job, and earning a promotion
      • A companion website (www.focalpress.com/cw/singlecam) with video examples of the techniques discussed in the book, as well as evolving updates on key technological shifts

    Introduction

    Additional Comments on the Sixth Edition

    Acknowledgments

    CHAPTER ONE

    Production Philosophy

    The Production Process

    Importance of Goal, Objectives, and Audience Analysis

    Importance of Workflow

    Difference between Studio and Field Production

    Importance of Technology

    CHAPTER TWO

    Aesthetics in Media Production

    Importance of Aesthetics

    Criticism and Critics

    Cultural Differences

    Reality

    Summary

    CHAPTER THREE

    The Technology

    Connecting the Read World to the Digital World

    Limitations of Equipment

    Audio Signals

    Frequency

    Amplitude

    Measuring Audio Signals

    Compression

    Video Signals

    Changing Light into Electrons

    Scanning Systems, Formats, and Frame Rates

    Measuring Video Signals

    Video Compression

    CHAPTER FOUR

    The Equipment

    Equipment Development

    Cameras

    Camera Types

    Consumer Cameras

    "Prosumer" and Industrial Cameras

    DSLR Cameras

    Professional Broadcast Cameras

    Digital Cinema Cameras

    Specialized Digital Cameras

    Image Sensors and Optics

    CCD and CMOS Chips

    Optics

    Focal Length

    Focus

    Aperture

    Depth of Field

    Viewfinder and Camera Controls

    Viewfinder

    Camera Controls

    Bars/Gain Selector

    Color Temperature Control/Filter Selector

    White Balance

    Camera Supports

    Tripods and Body Mounts

    Cranes, Dollies, and Pedestals

    Handholding the Camera

    Digital Recording

    Recording

    Recorder Operation

    Audio

    Microphone Types

    Electronic Impedance

    Pickup Pattern

    Mounting Devices

    Non-microphone Audio Sources

    Which Audio Track to Use

    Connecting Equipment

    Cable Coiling

    Power Connectors and Plugs

    Audio Connectors

    Video Connectors

    Digital Connectors

    Lighting

    Properties of Light

    Light Intensity

    Hard vs Soft Light

    Color Temperature of Light

    Light Instruments: Floodlights

    Light Instruments: Focusing Spotlights

    Light Instruments: Fixed-Focus

    Controlling Light

    Power Sources

    Measuring Light Intensity

    Lighting Ratio

    Contrast Ratio

    CHAPTER FIVE

    The Production Process: Preproduction

    Preliminary Forms

    The Proposal

    The Treatment

    Legal Considerations

    Script Formats

    Scene Script

    Shooting Script

    Script Formats

    Single Column Format

    Dual Column Format

    Organizing Forms

    Storyboards

    Location Scouting

    Sire Survey

    Organizing Equipment and Crew

    CHAPTER SIX

    The Production Process: Production

    Setting Up

    Field Equipment Considerations

    Camera Setup

    Audio Preparation

    Prompting Devices

    Sets and Properties

    Lighting Preparation

    Controlling Color Temperature

    Controlling Light Intensity

    Contrast Range

    Basic Three-Point Lighting

    Backlight

    Key Light

    Fill Light

    Kicker ad Set Lights

    Multiple or Moving Subjects

    Creative Lighting

    Mood Lighting

    Lighting for Time, Date, and Location

    Directing and Rehearsing

    Directing Talent

    Rehearsal

    Shooting

    Shooting and Faming

    Standard Shot Names

    Framing Principles

    Aspect Ratio

    Critical Area

    Lead Room or Edge Attraction

    The Rule of Thirds

    Creating Movement

    Subject Movement

    Camera Movement

    Movement through Zooms

    Z-Axis Movement

    Graphic Force Movement

    The Third Movement: Editing

    Shoot to Edit

    Continuity of Action

    Continuity of Direction

    Continuity of Location

    Cover Shots

    In-Camera Effects

    Iris Fades

    Roll or Rack Focus

    Swish Pans and Zooms

    Reversing Polarity

    Digital in-Camera Effects

    Logging and Striking

    Striking

    CHAPTER SEVEN

    The Production Process: Postproduction

    The Soul of Production

    The Mind of an Editor: Equipment, Technique, and Aesthetics

    Editing Workflow and Interface

    Process Background

    Nonlinear Film

    Linear Electronic

    Digital Nonlinear

    Editing Equipment and Interface

    Hardware

    Software

    Accessories

    Technical Choices and Editing Workflow

    Choices and Decisions

    Operational Interface

    Editing Workflow

    Basic Editing

    Transitions

    Titles

    Adding audio

    Rendering

    Aesthetics od Editing

    Finishing, Output and Distribution

    Finishing Workflow

    Output Process

    Destination Choices

    CHAPTER EIGHT

    Your Future

    Introduction

    Internship

    Resume Writing

    Composing a Cover Letter

    The Portfolio

    The Interview

    Summary

    FURTHER READING

    GLOSSARY

    INDEX

    Biography

    Robert B. Musburger is a Professor Emeritus and former Director of the School of Communication at The University of Houston. The owner of Musburger Media Services, he has worked for 20 years in professional broadcasting, serving as camera operator, director, producer, and writer.

    Michael R. Ogden is a Professor and Director of the Film and Video Studies Program at Central Washington University. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with over 20 years’ experience in the television and film industry as a cinematographer, editor, director, producer, and scriptwriter.

    "A leading text in the field of visual arts education, this new edition of Musburger and Ogden's authoritative guide to single-camera video production will continue to find widespread use in universities and schools. Emphasizing technology and technique, it brings clarity and up-to-date thoroughness to all aspects of its complicated and multifaceted subject." - Raymond Fielding, Dean Emeritus, Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts; Author, The Technique of Special Effects Cinematography and A Technological History of Motion Pictures and Television

    "The sixth edition of Single-Camera Video Production is informative, packed with details, and serves as an
    effective reference for those wanting to integrate more video into their research, teaching, or content creation. This book provides the scaffolding needed to build your understanding and experience in shooting and recording video... The book walks the readers step-by-step through the pre-production, production, and post-production processes using multiple screenshots, visual examples, charts, and tables. It’s a great reference resource to have on one’s bookshelf."
    - Dr. Gregory Zobel, Western Oregon University, USA