Shooting with two cameras

If you film a live event with a single camcorder, you've immediately got problems in the edit: If you want to cut from one shot to another, you'll have to cut out a section of the event. Every time you move or re-focus the camera, that move will show up in your final edit. Plus, if you're not set up perfectly, you may miss an important moment.

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If on the other hand, you've got two cameras running throughout the event, you'll be up to cut between them whenever you like. You have much more freedom to take the shots you want to, and the finished edit will look much more interesting and professional.

With camcorders now much cheaper than they ever have been, and much more common, it's quite possible to consider taking two cameras on a shoot. If you're shooting a staged event, like a performance, a music gig, or even a wedding it's well worth considering borrowing a second camera for the day.

This is the first of a three-part series on how to film and edit a two camera shoot using Pinnacle Studio.

The covering camera

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When using two or more cameras, designate one as a covering camera. The covering camera should be set up on a tripod to cover the whole event in a wide shot. This camcorder shouldn't move during the whole event, so you don't need someone there monitoring it all the time. You should turn off auto focus, and try to ensure that the camera is placed so that it receives good sound. With this done you can relax. You know that whatever happens, your event is going to be recorded in its entirety.

The roving camera

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The other camera(s) can either be handheld or mounted on a tripod which can be smoothly moved. Use a roving camera to get cutaways, close ups, panning and moving shots. Because you know the covering camera is getting all the footage you need, you can be as creative as you like with the roving camera.

Keep to one side

Imagine covering a football match - if your cameras are on different sides of field, one will show your team playing from left to right whereas the other will show them playing from right to left. When you edit, the viewer won't know which way the ball is supposed to be going. The same holds true for any video sequence. Always keep the roving camera on the same side of the action as the covering camera. That way everybody in shot will appear to be looking in the right direction.

Keep the camera running

If you're filming a sequence of events that will be continuous in your film, don't keep starting and stopping the roving camera. In the edit you'll want to synchronise the action from both cameras, and you'll have to do this each time you turn off the camera. Remember -- you may want to use the picture from one camera and the sound from the other.

Next month

Next month, we'll be taking our shot footage into Pinnacle Studio, and looking at ways to quickly cut together multi-camera shoots.