Thank you for stopping by, and I want to start off by telling you a little about myself and the new the blog format. My name is Jimmy Rhymes, and I have been a television news producer in Shreveport, LA for nearly ten years. I am also the producer, editor and lead videographer for Team Hammerdog Outdoors. Through this new blog, Focused On The Shot, I hope to pass along some tips I have found useful in the field, as a cameraman. Why? Because not only does video taping your hunt allow you to relive it over and over, and share it with friends and family, but you might be able to make a little payola off the footage, too.
More and more video cameras are being packed along on hunting and fishing trips. Cabela’s has recognized this growing trend, and a few years ago their television producers created a show around everyday hunters and anglers who capture their outdoor moments on video. The show is called Memories In The Field, and Cabela’s pays contributors $100 via gift certificates if their footage is selected for use during an episode.
I have watched Memories In The Field numerous times, and it’s clear that the content is shot by mostly inexperienced amateurs. But the show’s editors do a great job of telling a story with the provided footage, and make the video as easy as possible on the eyes (and stomachs) of the viewers. But there are also regulars on the show, who submit hunting and fishing footage on a pretty frequent basis – and you can see that they have mastered the basics of capturing quality footage.
So how does a person with only the experience of shooting their child’s birthday party capture decent footage with a video camera in the field? It boils down to three things:
1. Get to know all of your video camera’s settings and functions and what they do
2. Practice shooting with your video camera – get good a feel for focusing and zooming
3. Use a tripod, or some type of camera support
That’s it. It’s pretty basic. But, out of those three tips, the last one is the most important. You can be the best videographer in the world – but if you don’t have steady footage it’s worthless. You don’t need the steady hands of a surgeon, and some shot instability is accepted – but at a minimal level. You don’t want your footage to be herky-jerky, and run the risk of giving viewers a headache (or nausea). The cheapest tripod on the market will still allow you to capture steady, smooth video. Of course, a tripod is intended for ground use, and treestand hunters will get better results from a camera support that mounts to a tree or the stand they are hunting out of. There are hundreds of tripods on the market, with prices that range from the teens to the thousands. And there are several models of “treepods” on the market as well. We’ll discuss this topic in another blog entry.
Along with tripods and camera supports, look for future blog entries that will focus on everything from choosing the right video camera and which format is better, to editing software and what to do with your footage after the hunt. Plus, since I am a Louisiana native, from time-to-time you will see news and headlines pertaining to Sportsman’s Paradise.
Keep checking back, and happy hunting…
doodaa
