ABSTRACT

The simplest method of shooting a scene is to use one video camera and to record the action continuously from start to finish. These are occasions when you can do exactly this, and produce a satisfactory result. You do not have to edit the tape. It can be replayed straight away. But even if you do zoom in and out at times to vary the shot, a long ‘take’ of this kind can become tedious to watch, particularly if it is from one viewpoint. Of course, if you are shooting a particularly fascinating subject, or the action is very exciting, you may get away with it; but don’t rely on that! There will invariably be dull periods, and the lack of visual variety soon palls. To hold the attention on the small screen, and build enthusiastic interest, we usually need to change the shot size, the viewpoint, and even the locale, quite frequently. If you were shooting an event such as a marathon race, you would not expect to record every minute of the occasion. It would be impossible for the camera to be everywhere, seeing everything. Instead you select the highlights, such as preparations for the race, the start, difficult moments, the winning tape, talking to the contestants, etc. In other words, you excerpt from the action, and join the sections together to form a continuous presentation (continuity editing). You shoot events in the order that is most convenient or practicable, then join these takes together so that they appear consecutive. The eventual ‘running order’ may be very different from the order in which you shot them (the ‘shooting order’). Sometimes you will shoot action through from start to finish – e.g.