Outdoor Video Production Can Be Tricky - by Mark Schulze

Over my nearly three decades as a video producer, Director of Photography and videographer, I have participated in both inside and outdoors shooting. The outdoor shoots can be a bit trickier because of several factors. Rather than working in a controlled indoor environment, when you are outside, the sun - your main source of lighting - will shift. The savvy camera operator needs to constantly be aware of where the sun is and how it is affecting your shot. You may have to white-balance the camera more than once, particularly if a series of clouds passes over the sun.

The above photo was taken at an Animal Planet shoot for their series "Baby Animals." We chose to set up under the shade of a tree with the morning sun at our backs. We sat our talent down in a spot that had consistent shade (not mottled). We used a reflector (a big round fabric disc that is shinier on one side than the other) to direct more lighting to her face. You want to avoid backlighting in which the subject is almost a silhouette and the background is blown out.

There is a fine tightrope you walk when you are working outdoors, not only when it comes to lighting but when it comes to sound. San Diego is notorious for its military bases and with military bases come big toys such as F-16s, helicopters and transport planes. These all crisscross the sky just when the talent has finally perfected their sound bite after the 20th take. You can check it out for yourself. Your location will be eerily quiet as you set up your camera, tripod and all the ancillary equipment. Just as you are pulling the trigger on your camera, you will be accosted by crows, and then the leaf-blowing gardener will get started fifty feet away.

Just joking. Not really.

If you really want to include outdoor shooting in your production, and you are a perfectionist like me, just budget a little more time than you think it will take to capture beautiful shots with clean audio.