ON LOCATION

On a shoot where nobody thought you’d need one, someone comes up with an idea for a Steadicam tracking shot or dolly move. Problem is, you don’t have one on the set. If you are using a fairly light camera and tripod, you pull off a pretty good imitation of a simple Steadicam shot by using your tripod as an emergency stabilizer.

First, slap on your wide angle lens to help smooth out any camera movements. Then find the center of gravity, or balance point of the entire tripod/camera combination and place your hand just slightly above that point. You want find the same balance point as a Steadicam, where the rig remains upright, but is as close to balance as possible. That’s where your hands will support the camera and tripod with minimum effect on its stability. You may have to adjust the tripod legs or center post (if you have one) to put that balance point where you can handle the rig well. Now pick up the tripod, and using a supporting, but gentle touch, float the rig in the direction you need to move the shot. Let the mass and balance of the tripod and camera help to stabilize your movements. If you have problems with yaw stability, try spreading the tripod legs to extend their mass outward. It’s not the real thing, but if the move is short and simple, it can save the shot, and make it look much better than a walking hand-held shot. Just like a real Steadicam, takes practice, so try it in the shop when you have time first, so this idea becomes a well-practiced emergency tool in your tool belt. This idea has saved us many times, including one shot where I took the camera up a flight of stairs. Viewers have asked if I rode an escalator for the shot!

Jim Addie
Moving Bits Productions
www.movingbitsproductions.com
jimaddie@movingbitsproductions.com
708-296-3267

Need a third hand when working with your flashlight? Tom Hanninger, producer/director for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, created one my taping a small flashlight to a three-foot piece of 12-3 Romex electrical wire. The flexible wire can be formed into a freestanding holder, or it can be wrapped around an object to keep the light aimed where you need it. The plastic coating on the wire isn’t likely to scratch your equipment, but Tom suggests putting tape over the exposed ends.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Tim Underhill, electronic media coordinator at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, has a neat way to carry just enough Gaffer’s Tape. He wraps about six feet of it around a ball-point pen. Its much easier than carrying a whole roll while shooting ENG-style The pen wrap provides enough tape for mics, cables or even that little extra shade to stop lens flare. The added benefit is that Gary always has a pen when he needs one and “everyone know it’s mine, so it gets returned,” he says. A little bit of trivia: The name Gaffer’s Tape is a trademark of Lowel Lighting. The combination of a special glue and a cloth backing was discovered by Ross Lowel in 1959.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net

Many equipment bags and covers are supposed to close with zippers. I say “supposed to ” because the zipper pull usually is so small that it is almost impossible to hold when ht e bag is overstuffed – and, for most professional videographers, that’s most of the time. Recently, after fighting for some time with a particularly stubborn zipper, I “got a grip: by putting a large paper clip through the pull.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

When setting up cabling for RGB systems or other multi-cabling situations, it’s important to identify the red, green and blue cables. The cables usually come off the same roll of coax, so they look alike and confusion can rear its ugly head. You can mark a band of color on each end of each cable with the type of paint used on plastic models. Paint works better than colored tape, which can fall off with age.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

One of the most common dangerous situations on a set exists when a cable attached to a microphone, lighting instrument or other piece of equipment is allowed to take a diagonal course to the ground rather than being dressed to the bottom of the stand, then along the ground. These draped cables, sometimes called clotheslines, sing a siren song to feet, begging them to get entangled and send both body and equipment crashing to the floor.

Michael Simpson, a producer in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, reminded me of an old anti-clothesline technique for microphone stands. Simply tie the cable into a loose overhand knot around the stand’s base. Leave enough cable so the knot will stay on the ground even if the microphone is raised by a tall speaker.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

I would like to make the argument that you should have back up equipment on your next shoot.

When it comes to having equipment serviced, from a financial standpoint it makes sense to be able to avoid the rush charge, and from a repair stand point it also makes sense, because the repair technician can do a better job, if he is not working against a deadline.

The equipment we regularly use in this industry is incredibly dependable. However accidents happen, and something’s do wear out, like Pots, Jacks and Switches. When I worked at Universal Studios as a Production Mixer, even on the back lot where we were only maybe 5 minutes from the Sound Shop and replacement equipment, we always had spares of everything. The reason was to eliminate down time due to equipment problems.

When I left Universal Studios and went independent I begged, borrowed, stole, and rented enough sound equipment so that I had at least one spare of everything. The reason was, even though I could blame the equipment or I could blame the Rental House, or I could blame my boom man for an equipment problem, and the producer would seem understanding and sympathetic, he would really blame me for the problem and I would not be called when he did his next project.

When I suggest backups to people they often respond that they are not getting enough rental income or salary to afford backups or spares, and I disagree with that. I am not saying that you should have 2 top of the line items in each category, I am saying that the backup could be an older or simpler item that would get you by until the primary item is repaired.

For example, your mixing panel. You don’t need to have a $3500.00 backup mixing panel sitting on the shelf, you can get by with an older Shure FP-32 or the like while your equipment is in the shop. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to begin accumulating a collection of backup equipment. Remember, backup equipment is not an expense; it’s an investment in your business and the best and most cost-effective insurance policy you can buy.

One last point, when it comes to spares, most rental houses will deeply discount equipment that is going out as backups, when you have rented the primary equipment from them, and that includes our rental department as well.

From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429

It is well known that frequent and/or repetitive charge/discharge cycles produce an apparent inability in the battery to provide more than a portion of its normal capacity beyond a certain discharge level.

This means if you do not use-up the full charge on a battery before you recharge it, you can build-up a memory wall at that point. So in future use of that battery, it will fail at that wall.

This is where recycling machines come into play. The following is from an article by William Todd, Product Manager at URDC Measurements. The article is entitled “Why Battery Conditioning Extends the Life of NiCads.”

Since the time they were first noted, the memory effect and the deep discharge cure have become two of the best-known attributes of NiCad batteries. Because NiCads have become so popular for use with portable radios, countless radio technicians have tried various methods of curing battery memory, and have freely shared their methods with each other and with non-technical radio users. Some commonly used methods include forced discharge across a passive resistive load, such as a light bulb or large resistor, and forced discharge in the radio itself by turning up the squelch control and leaving the radio turned on for a long period of time.

It is also possible to reduce dendritic short circuits by discharging a large capacitor once or twice through a battery. All of these techniques have serious shortcomings, however, due to lack of precise control, and may cause more harm than good by driving cells into reverse polarity or damaging the plate separator.

Remember that it is harmful for a multicelled battery to be discharged at too low a level because of the danger of cell polarity reversal. For this reason, manufactured discharge equipment all offer an automatic discharge cut-off, accomplished either by a timer of by sensing a predetermined voltage level.

Since the deep discharge itself may not always have the desired effect of restoring battery capacity, some direct measurement of actual capacity is also important. Incorporating the two features of discharge cut-off and capacity measurement into a single machine has resulted in the modern battery conditioning equipment now available.

What happens to a battery when it is processed by one of these machines? Generally, it goes something like this:

The battery is connected to the machine, given a top-off charge, and then a deep discharge. The discharge parameters are accumulated and displayed, the battery is recharged, and the process is repeated on another battery. Not all machines provide the initial top off charge. Connection is made by placing the battery in a receptacle, by clamping to a set of contacts, or by lead wires and connectors. The charge is controlled either by sensing battery temperature, detecting peak battery voltage, or measuring the rate of charge of the battery voltage.

Charge current may be straight DC, rectified AC, or pulsed. A pulsed charge is best, since it has the effect of reducing the size of the dendrites over and above what the deep discharge can accomplish. Discharge is controlled by elapsed time of battery voltage. Discharge parameters may be displayed in terms of time, current, or percentage of specific capacity. As with so many other things, it is easier to prevent a battery from going bad than to repair one which has failed. That is why it is recommended that batteries receive periodic, scheduled discharge treatments beginning when they are new. This way, discharge conditioning will correct minor problems before they are noticeable, as well as provide a complete record of battery history.

To put a new battery into service, first give it three complete charge/discharge/charge cycles to eliminate the passivation layer and to provide an adequate first working charge. Thereafter, give the battery a complete charge/discharge/charge at monthly intervals and record the discharge parameters.

The results of this type of program will extend the average battery service life, pinpoint weak batteries, identify faulty charging equipment, and help people learn why not to inadvertently mistreat batteries. Even so, no battery will last forever. Plate separators will eventually break down, cases will break if dropped, and minute physical deterioration’s will eventually add up to failure. But an honest effort in this area can have important and beneficial results. Battery conditioners are used extensively in LSC’s rental department and are available for sale from LSC’s sales department.

From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429

Did you know you can help our Service Department perform faster, more cost-effective repairs while increasing the quality of the services rendered to you?

It is true! Send in all cables and accessories you use with any equipment you send in for service. As simple as it sounds, giving us the ability to test everything you use, as you use it, ensures every performance aspect of your equipment is checked with your accessories, not just our test cables and equipment. Many products we service have special after-market enhancements added or other modifications, many of which are not visually apparent and utilize custom cables built specifically for that application. Supplying these custom cables (and stock ones too!) speeds up the repair process while thoroughly testing all areas of your equipment, minimizing the likelihood of technician oversight.

Remember it is always advisable to have at least two complete sets of cables for adequate backup.

We have found that at 90% of all equipment problems are related to cables. To summarize: Always supply all cables and accessories used in conjunction with any equipment sent in for service. If you are not quite sure what to send, please call and we will be more than happy to assist you.

From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429

This column’s focus is the improper use of household wiring (110 Volt AC power) on the set. Our service department is seeing an alarming increase in the number of mixing panels which have been subjected to household wiring on their line outputs. Depending upon how the mixer is wired, exposure to 110 Volt AC can produce damage ranging from something as minor as a blown fuse all the way to the total destruction of the mixing panel. I’ll bet I have your attention now!

The scenario I am referring to is sending an audio feed to a video assist system. In the past, it wasn’t much of a problem because most sound mixers used Nagra based, battery powered systems. With the increased demand for DAT based recording systems and their accompanying increased power demands, we see more people resorting to AC to power their equipment. This means that the recording channel is grounded, and if there is a wiring error in the AC feeding the Video Assist or in the Video Assist system itself, the potential for disaster is set. My recommendation is never, ever send a hard wired audio feed to anything running on AC power without using an isolation transformer – or better yet, send the audio out using a Comtek or any other wireless system, and the potential for this problem is eliminated.

From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429

By Ken Berry of K&H Products, Ltd.

Now and then, people ask us for advise on cleaning Porta-Brace® cases. As we recondition older cases, we have accumulated quite a lot of experience on this subject, so we thought we would pass along to you what we have learned. First, a word on what not to do. Don’t try to clean your case in a washing machine. It won’t hurt the materials, but it will beat up the case as a whole and distort its shape pretty badly. Dry cleaning, too, seems to be out of the question. We have been told by people who have tried that dry cleaners won’t accept padded cases.

Anyway, there is no need for a machine to clean a Cordura® case. For removing accumulated dust and grit, a good going over with a regular vacuum cleaner with a venetian blind attachment will brighten things up. We also use a brass bristle brush-the kind sold in super markets for scrubbing pots and pans. Cordura® is tough. A vigorous brass bristle brushing won’t hurt it. For dirt that will not simply brush off, we use upholstery cleaner with applicator, which we buy at an auto supply store. We use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions and find that it does a good job. Any stains that the upholstery cleaner won’t remove-such as spots of tar, etc.-we can usually get off with lacquer thinner (available in hardware or paint stores). We keep some in a small bottle with an applicator, but it can be dabbed on with any piece of absorbent cloth or cotton, and then wiped off. Lacquer thinner will not harm Cordura® nylon or interior foam padding (paint brushes with nylon bristles are used with practically all common solvents), but it should not be used on vinyl, so keep it away from clear vinyl windows and don’t use it on white balance cards.

To clean vinyl windows and white balance cards, we use either soap and warm water or the kind of hand cleaner that you can buy in auto supply stores-the kind without grit. Gritty cleaners will scratch vinyl and should certainly be avoided in cleaning clear windows. “Novus” Plastic Polish will do the job for cleaning plastics and clear vinyl, and it’s available at art supply stores. However, cleaning the removable white balance cards with a bar of (gritty) Lava soap will give them a “matte finish” that may be quite practical.

Once your case is clean, you can spray the Cordura® with a water repellent product like Scotchgard® (made by 3-M and widely available), which will cause water to bead up on the fabric and will help to keep it clean. However, this will not make the case much more waterproof than it already is, since the real waterproofing is the urethane coating on the inside of the Cordura®. The only thing that you might do, if you are a stickler for waterproofing, is to treat the seams with Seam Seal (the gooey stuff that comes in a tube, sold by those who sell tents and rain gear). But generally, this too is unnecessary. The cases obviously are not designed to be immersed in a river, but they are designed to shed rain effectively without further treatment-even when dirty. In fact, if you like your case just the way it is, proudly wearing the dust and stains of long and faithful service, there is no reason to think about cleaning it at all. You can save yourself the cost of a brass bristle brush and a can of upholstery cleaner.

From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429

With the high incidence of camcorder theft among tourists, it’s sometimes necessary to use unusual tactics to ward off criminals. While on vacation with your video gear, instead of using a professionally made camcorder bag, find a suitable diaper bag. A soft, rugged container that’s made to store clean and dirty diapers, talcum, clean wipes and other sundries should work fine for storing camcorder, lens accessories, blank tapes and perhaps even a collapsible tripod. Thieves will usually leave such an item alone, because they’re not interested in stealing dirty diapers.

Morris Osedo
Kailu, Hawaii
From:
Videomaker
May 1997

Serious tripods are a lifetime investment, needing all the protection you can give them. Dedicated bags and hard-shell carrying cases are expensive and sometimes difficult to procure, du to limited production quantities.

As an alternative, try storing your tripod in a golf bag. Most feature a number of zippered side pockets suitable for storing mounting plates, battery packs and other accessories. The shoulder straps are strong and designed for walking long distances with a heavy load. Some golf bags include a rigid plastic travel cast with wheels for shipment on airlines. Many suitable golf bags can be had for around $20 at a discount pro shop; plastic shipping cases are available for $50 and up.

John Nemeth
Brookings, Oregon
From:
Videomaker
May 1997

Here’s a simple way to gain extra stability while shooting pans from a tripod, especially if yours doesn’t have a good fluid head for smooth movements. With a pair of hose clamps, securely fasten a broomstick to the tripod’s handle. By increasing the arc of the panning movement, the system requires less energy from the operator to execute smooth, jerk-free movements. If you use a portable monitor on the shoot, you can follow the action in football games or other sporting events with ease.

Mike Competillo
Groton, New York
From:
Videomaker
May 1997

My system for logging previously recorded video footage should please videographers at any level. First, label each tape with tape number, length of recorded materials and camera number (if appropriate). Next, while searching through footage, log each shot or series of related shots on a separate index card. Be sure to include as much information as possible on each individual index card – description , date and time, tape and camera number, real-time counter or time code numbers for in and out points, shooting conditions, miscellaneous notes, etc.

This system my not be as powerful as some computer-based loggers, but it’s easy to rearrange, portable, requires no electricity and frees up your computer time for other tasks.

Yvonne Keller
Wesconsville, Pennsylvania
From:
Videomaker
May 1997

When I shoot video projects that require a set located in a fancy or “rich” environment, I’ve found that furniture stores are the perfect answer. They offer expensive new furniture, often arranged into a living room scene, kitchen scene, etc. Talk to the manager at the store and ask if you can shoot after hours. Keep your time on the premises to a minimum and arrange it so that the store’s name gets listed in the credits of your video. It’s a great, inexpensive way to get fancy-looking sets for your production needs.

Colt Hansen
Internet
From:
Videomaker
March 1997

An important piece of video equipment that’s rarely written about is the surge protector. When you’re running of AC power a single surge could ruin thousands of dollars in electronic equipment (computers, edit controllers, VCRs or even camcorders). At about $50, a good surge protector offers cheap, reliable protection against this kind of tragedy. When looking for a good surge protector, be sure to look for a company that promises to replace your equipment if it fails.

Jack Allen
Medford, New Jersey
From:
Videomaker
March 1997

Most homes and offices aren’t wired for the kind of power our instruments require, and we’ve all wondered whether plugging equipment such as powerful lights into a second AC outlet in the same room will overload the circuit breaker. You can find out without causing a blackout: Plug in the second instrument, then turn it quickly on and off. If the two outlets are on the same circuit and there is a chance of overload, the first instrument will dim slightly when the second is turned on.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

When using a tripod, power, video and audio cables should not droop to the ground. Dressing them to the center of the tripod head will keep them out of your way while preventing strain on the connectors and making it easier to keep the camera balanced. Rocky Thompson, a producer from Boulder, Colorado, suggest cutting a thin slice of lightweight, two-inch-diameter electrical PVC pipe, then cutting along one side of the ring to create a flexible clip that can be left on the tripod handle when not in use. The clips are also handy for suspending cables from the rails of a drop ceiling, Rocky says.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

When you paint a wall on a set, apply some of the color to a small piece of wall material. You can take the sample with you when you shop for color-coordinated set dressings.

In this day of computer-mixed paints, it’s much easier to match a color if you’ve saved the original paint formula. Write it on the back of the set piece. If you’re working in a practical room, jot the formula on the back of a switch plate.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Some panel-discussion organizers put participants’ photos in the printed programs. To help manage multiple mic controls, paste the photos to the respective controls. If that’s not possible, or if each microphone will be used by a number of speakers, use wind screens of different colors and place matching pieces of tape on the controls.

Harrison Hunter, a sound technician in Fremont, California, uses the video term “RGB” as an aid when he color-codes microphones. Number 1 is red, 2 is green and 3 is blue. A fourth microphone would be black. After that, he is on his own.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Here’s an inexpensive way to create your own custom-designed Cuculoris. (A Cuculoris is a device, usually a piece of board with random holes cut in it, that is place in front of a lighting instrument to make a patterned shadow on the background.) John Beebee, a producer at Public Television Services in Mobile, Alabama, splatters and splotches rubber cement on a common household window screen. You can make any pattern imaginable, he says, for a total cost of about $5.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Michael Parker of Los Gatos, California, has devised one of the easiest and least intrusive ways to keep doors from closing on, and damaging cables. He tapes a two-inch piece of wood in the upper doorjamb. The wood protects the cable by preventing the door from closing completely. The size of the opening can be varied by moving the wood along the doorjamb. The wood is out of the normal line of sight and, unlike other door stops, it won’t move when people use the door.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

You are all set to photograph the company boss but the shine from the backlight on his balding head is brighter than your key light. Here are several possible cures (for the shine, not the balding):

1) Move or defuse the backlight.

2) Apply translucent powder makeup. This type of makeup basically has no color of its own and can be used on a wide range of skin tones. I carry “dark”, “medium” and “light” shades to cover all the bases. Avoid contamination by applying the makeup with a disposable cotton ball, which is never dipped back into the powder after it has touched the talent’s skin.

3) If there’s no time for other cures, you may be able to save the day by putting a polarizing filter on the camera. This will cost you about two stops, but it will sometimes cut enough glare to make an acceptable picture

If you know if advance that this problem may come up, try “four-point” instead of “three-point” lighting. Use two backlights, each at about 45 degrees off to the side. That way their bounces miss the camera.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

I recently created a gadget that helps me make sure that a camera lens at the rear of a large conference room is level with the speaker’s eyes or that a projector’s lens is centered vertically on the screen. I combined my pocket laser-pointer with a small bubble level. When placed next to the lens, the red dot on the stage tells me if I need to raise or lower the camera or projector.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Here’s a tip directly from the Hollywood bag of tricks. In real life, “Streaks ‘n’ Tips” is a spray hair coloring. Because even after it dries, it can be washed off with plain water, in the hands of a Hollywood propman it becomes a removable spray paint with a thousand uses.

I have seen different colors used to apply graffiti to walls and vehicles. Gray used to hide yellow safety lines on the cement steps of a modern museum being used as an ancient Egyptian set. A misting of brown made the new lumber of a hitching rail match the other aged wood on a western set. Black can hide mud on the tires in a car commercial. Silver sprayed on tubular chrome furniture will avoid hard reflections of your lights.

In all cases test the paint on a hidden surface before sprayi9ng anything important. Streaks ‘n’ Tips can be ordered in an assortment of colors at most motion picture expendable outlets or from your local beauty supply store. A very handy thing to have in your goodie bag.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

We are often asked to videotape a meeting where a public address system is in use. If we must attach our microphone to the PA mic or stand we wrap tape around our mic to prevent direct metal-to-metal contact between the two systems. That could cause a ground loop hum. Be careful not to tape over any side ports on either microphone.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

To make cut flowers last longer and look better under hot photographic lights: Always cut the stems at an angle using a very sharp scissor or knife so you don’t crush the stem. Cut them under water so air bubbles can’t form and prevent the free flow of water into the stem.

Keep the flowers in a refrigerator until they are needed on the set. Once in place mist them with water. The tiny droplets will add highlights to the leaves and make them easier to photograph.

To add length to short-stemmed flowers, slip the stems into drinking straws before placing them in the vase.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

An ordinary white bed sheet can be used in many ways when you are on location.

THE PROBLEM: You are having trouble lighting one side of your subject, who is sitting near a dark wall that does not show in the picture.

THE TIP: Tape the sheet to the wall and bounce a light off its white surface.

THE PROBLEM: The subject is standing outside in the noonday sun and his eye sockets look like they belong to a panda. If you are very critical, you may have noticed that if most of the light is coming from overhead, shadows on the subject’s face will take on the color of the reflective surface on which he or she is standing (green grass = green shadows, orange carpet = orange shadows, etc.).

THE TIP: Spread the sheet on the ground in front of the subject. It will bounce the overhead light and fill the shadows without coloring them. We also use the sheet to cover our equipment when it is in the back of a station wagon or van. The white cloth reflects the sun’s heat and helps prevent possible theft by keeping the gear out of sight.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

The next time you or your talent are having problems seeing the video monitor during an outdoor shoot, try this tip from Thomas Garland. Put the monitor in the bottom of an empty tall trashcan. (If a new can is not available, a plastic liner bag will keep your monitor clean.) Tilt the can and you will have a very effective shun shade.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

When shooting video of people outside, keep your eyes open for large white objects to reflect light, such as large white walls. Just stand with your back against the wall and your subject facing you8. The wall will act like a giant reflector lighting them. This will keep them from squinting – like they would facing the sun, and the sun behind them works as a backlight.

Bruce Hampton
Madison, Wisconsin

Your Tips
Videomaker Magazine
July 1998

Reflections of lights and other objects in our subject’s glasses can be annoying and distract from the message we are trying to communicate. Still photographers have the option of posing the subject’s face to eliminate the problem, but we are usually not so lucky.

Of course, the easiest cure is to ask the subject if he or she can COMFORTABLY remove the glasses. We don’t want to replace the glare problem with a picture of someone straining to see.

If the glasses are not needed but are part of a person’s image, you might think about removing the lenses. (Comedian Phil “Sgt. Bilko” Silvers wore empty frames for years after switching to contact).

If the glasses are really needed it’s a good idea to remember the old physics rule that “The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.” That means that you can frequently get rid of the reflection by changing the height of a light or the camera so the reflection doesn’t hi the lens. I have often found that raising the eyeglass temples or earpieces slightly so the lenses are angled down solves the problem and is unnoticeable from the front.

If the subject makes frequent appearances before the camera, you might want to suggest that the next time they purchase glasses they get the non-glare treatment. The cost is small and the improvement substantial.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Here is another tip that results from our continuing effort to avoid effort whenever possible.

To solve the problem of loose cords, I attached a power strip and roll-up type AC cord to the side of my vide/sound cart. Now, whenever I move to a new location, there is only one cord to plug into the wall. After I finish, a flip of the cord makes it automatically roll itself up.

Before you begin a frantic search of hardware stores for this reel, I should tell you that I don’t think it exists. I removed a female socket from the cord’s loose end and replaced it with a male. The fixed end, which originally had a male plug, was wired directly into the power strip.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

When wearing an intercom belt pack is inconvenient, you can attach it to a table or tripod. Grover Washington of Staging Techniques in Hollywood suggests hanging the pack from an “H” made of Gaffer’s tape. Position horizontally a five inch-long piece of tape, folded with the sticky side in. Hold it in place using two vertical pieces of tape. The pack’s belt fastener can then be hooked over the horizontal piece.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

I knew it would happen sooner or later – I arrived for a shoot without a tripod quick release plate! I created my own plate using a rigid plastic VHS tape box, a screw with nut, and electrical tape. It worked perfectly.

Here is how to do it:

1) Cut one panel from the tape box and punch a small hole in the center with a knife of scissors.
2) Insert a screw that is of the same diameter through the hole and into the bottom of the camcorder. If the screw is too long to fit snugly up to the tape box panel, attach the nut onto the screw before attaching the panel. Use the nut to create the exact length necessary.
3) Carefully place the camcorder/panel on to the tripod. If the tripod head does not have a level surface, use doubled-up tape to create shims.
4) Tape the camcorder/panel to the tripod until it is securely attached to the tripod.

I attached a lens controller to the tripod arm for zooming and focusing I was also careful to use only the tripod arm for panning and tilting. Applying pressure to the camcorder when panning, tilting and zooming may cause slight unwanted camera movement.

Beth Machall-Dwyer
Fort Wayne, IN
1-800-342-3135 x4020