basic video and audio recording question

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Eric Holzapfel]: “I have seen various video/audio recordings where there is one camera on the subject, like an interview. As the interview goes along, there is a complete scene change (like interviewing a P-51 Mustang pilot), and they cut to the plane flying, and then cut back to the subject, with the audio going along nicely with no break (talking while the scene of the plane is showing). How is this done?”

These kinds of things are done in the editing process using tools like Final Cut, Avid, Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc., and are done using cuts that are referred to as “J cuts” and “L cuts” and if you search out those terms using Google or here in the COW, you can find out a lot more in-depth on what they are and how they work.

The short and easy version (though this is greatly simplified and doesn’t at all cover all the bases) is that there are multiple cameras and angles, etc., represented on multiple layers and video tracks in the editing software.

You can drop out the video track of one layer while letting the audio continue to play while pulling the video from another track — or vice versa.

I have been meaning to do a tutorial for the library on this, so thanks for the reminder.

Best regards and welcome to Creative COW,

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

[Eric Holzapfel]

Hello,

Wow! thanks for the reply. I learned something (again)!
I will do a search for “J” and “L” cuts! (I could use 2 cameras!)
Thanks,

eric

[Richard Herd]

It is also called “B-roll.”

The “A-roll” is the news anchor talking to the camera about the baseball team, the “B-roll” cuts in, from that days game: the highlights.

B-roll can be literal or non-literal. The above example is literal.

A non-literal example aims at taking a picture of the emotion. For example, the news anchor talks about a tornado (or something), and the B-roll cuts to the people searching through the ruins. (Film history is full of better examples, Ingmar Bergman movies for example.)

[Rennie Klymyk]

[Eric Holzapfel] “(I could use 2 cameras!)”

A talented camera man will give an editor enough variety that it looks like a project was shot with 2 cameras when it likely was only 1 camera. The example you used above could easily be done with 1 camera as the pictures used in the edit are from different moments in time.

Live events like hockey games require multiple cameras for good coverage but most documentaries can be done with only one camera. You will need to build up your equipment arsenal with microphones, lighting equipment and camera support (tripods etc.) next.

“everything is broken” ……Bob Dylan

[Jeff Brown]

Also, when shooting an interview in particular, there is usually B-roll of “noddies”. That’s a minute or two shot before or after the interview of the interviewer nodding at the camera, as if they were listening to the interviewee. That way, you can edit the answers of the interviewee, and cover the disjointed video that would otherwise result.

-jeff

[Eric Holzapfel]

I like these tips. I do have a mic, and even a tripod!
I am also thinking about recording the audio not on the camera, but on a laptop. I will have the internal mic running on the camera, and use two hands or a home-made clap board to provide a sound sync.

Thanks,

eric