Cameraman’s exercise
[Film Technology]
Here is a number of
exercise to help practice your camera work. Do them slowly at first,
progressing to faster versions later. Doing several operations simultaneously
can test the most experienced cameraman.
[1] Pan across a detailed wall surface,
at a very constant speed using a wide lens angle,
normal lens angle then narrow
lens angles. Now slowly tilt up and tilt down, at a constant rate.
[2] Pan across a scene in which a number of objects
at different distances from the camera, focusing on each object
in turn as you pan (a) stopping at each, (b) in
one continuous pan. Try this at different speeds and distances.
[3] Focus hard on a close foreground
subject, then tilt or pan to a different
subject, pulling focus(focus
pulling) [refocusing] as you do so.
[4] Alter your camera height while keeping the subject exactly in center frame. [Make a small mark in the viewfinder at picture centre.]
Go from maximum to maximum height at different speeds. Use closer and subjects.
[5] Move the camera
towards a subject [dolly in], continuously refocusing for the sharpest image.
Use wide lens angle, normal
lens angle and narrow lens angles in
turn. Try this for various distances, including table top objects. Now practice
dollying out similarly.
[6] Move the camera
across the scene [truck]
from left to right, then from right to left, focusing whatever comes into shot.[objects at
various distances.] Do this again, but holding a static
subject in center frame.
[7] Arc around a static subject
[keeping it center frame], using wide, normal
and narrow lens angles.
[8] Take a close shot at a near by subject, tilt up and quickly zoom in
to some distant detail without refocusing, this
becomes hit-or-miss. Now refocus to distant subject and try again.
[9] Repeat the effect
of [5] by zooming instead.
[10] Put a detailed
object nearby, then check the maximum focused distance and available depth of field, using wide, normal and narrow lens
angles.
[11] With the [10]
set up, use various lens angles, and change the camera distance so that the screen
image of the subject remains exactly the same size. [Note how other
subjects’ proportions change.
