Although most cameras now have some sort of built-in mechanism for evaluating exposure, a separate hand¬held exposure meter is very useful. Basic photoelectric meters need no batteries and register the amount of light available. Although reliable, they are not as powerful nor as sensitive as the battery powered meters; many of these can be used [...]

Since many tripods are often bulky, some places such as churches, buildings of historical interest and museums do not allow their use without a permit. One solution to this may be to use a monopod. As its name suggests, it consists of a single leg which can be adjusted to different heights. Obviously, a monopod [...]

In professional video, the budget may allocate as much money for the post-production stage as for the actual shoot. The complex computer-based editing equipment found in top professional edit suites is very expensive indeed. Hire rates can be calculated in terms of thousands of pounds per hour. However, there are opportunities for the amateur to [...]

The size of your crew will depend upon the project at hand and the resources at your disposal. For most people, these resources will be minimal, so what is the minimum crew to aim for in a reasonably ambitious video project? First, there must be someone to operate each camera. While it may be possible [...]

The golden rule in video is to let the action happen in front of the camera, not to let the camera chase the action. However, shots of the reception in progress taken from a fixed camera position could easily seem rather static, compared with the liveliness of the event, although this can be overcome to [...]

The first question to resolve is how to plan your approach to your subject. Research will have already helped you fill out your ideas, and may have suggested alternative treatments. Now, as you will see in this chapter s example of a video featuring a convent, a number of basic story lines immediately suggest themselves. [...]