Re: help for pricing on live concert 4 hours 2 cameras

Great. And thanks for not getting offended.

- It looks like you're going for that shaky handheld look which is fine. But the constant zooming in and out is a bit much. There is just way to much cam movement for my taste.

- Dutch angles are great as a quick go to, but shouldn't be used as a standard shot, also try not to cut to them until the angle has been achieved. On numerous occassions, the cam op looked like he was in the process of finding his shot.

- I would seriously invest in a third camera to be used as a static wide. There were times when neither cam had a decent shot. A static wide is a great way to insure you always have something. Also you and your other camera are free to iris up or down when the lighting changes

- Invest in some two way headsets so the cam ops can communicate. That way one can tell the other to "stay on shot while I move", bettering your chance of having something decent all the time. Eartec sells a decent kit for around $300. You can orchestrate your shots much better this way.

- Make sure when you're cutting that you cut dead on the beat. 2-3 frames either way can make your edit look sloppy and unprofessional.

- Know what you're shooting. Attend band rehearsals, know the songs inside and out. Know who will be doing what and plan accordingly. A few days before a show, I would get a songlist from the band and listen to those songs over and over again until they're ingrained in you.

These are just a few things I can think of off the top of my head. But most importantly, work on you camera skills. Practice holding the camera on a subject while moving. I have a shooter who can handhold on a sidestep and you'd swear he was using a Steadicam. Thanks for being open to some suggestions and good luck.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media