Last time I went through a basic run-through of setting up the camera and what not. Now let’s figure out some angles to film with. If you pick the wrong angle your viewers stop watching for a number of reasons: the driving seems too slow, there is nothing interesting in the shot, it makes the viewer sick, they’re tired of the same view everyone else is showing.
Picking the right angle(s) makes any footage that much better. The viewer will start to pick up on the feel of speed (matters in racing videos) and they will keep their attention focused on your video (rather than your YouTube comments).
If you are filming racing events you are going to be limited to angles by how versatile they are. You can only put so many cameras on a car (or on a track) and editing in footage from non-race events would confuse people. If you are filming to cut pieces together for a highlight-esque reel you can get a lot more creative with your angles. First lets cover some basic effects of angles:
Basic Effects
The inside and outside of the car require different placements for the same effect, they’re essentially opposites. The higher inside the car you are, the faster it will seem, while being on top of the car will make it seem painstakingly slow. This is because you need a reference to feel speed. Inside the car, if the camera is in your lap you might have clouds or reflections off of the windows as a reference. Clouds are far from the car, making it seem slower. While if the camera (or even your eyes) were higher up and looking down onto the ground close to the car, the perceived speed increases because the speed reference is moving that much more.
Getting the camera too high outside the car results in cutting off the close speed references and again makes the viewer focus on the ones that are far away (horizon). Unless you angle the camera down and can include closer ground.
I think of it this way: including mostly ground is like an extreme close-up, it increases the energy of the frame. Including mostly sky/non-moving parts is like a wide shot, it reduces the energy of the frame.
Now lets cover your bread and butter angles:
Behind the Driver(s)
This is one of the more common, especially in Rally, shots to see. It includes both drivers from behind. But height placement and angle from vertical are the most important aspects of this shot. You will hardly ever see a non flat setup of this shot as it will confuse the viewer and make them feel like the car is rolling (even when it is not).
Most of the action comes from the windscreen and whatever is on the other side of it. However, the drivers do provide an acceleration reference with their heads, but that is besides the point. So getting the camera up high enough in the rear of the car is the best idea as you want to see some of the road and at least the horizon. A low shot with no horizon/ground is one of the more boring shots available. Not only can we barely see the human aspect of the racing, but there is hardly any perceivable speed.
Good example of this shot.
A great example incliding Colin McRae’s wild driving.
Cop Car Shot
The POV view, the driver/passenger view, whatever you call it, includes almost none of the interior and at least some of the car for reference. This angle is great because it lets the viewer think they are driving or a passenger. It includes a good amount of ground for speed and some of the car to remind the viewer that this was filmed in a car and not on Superman flying super-low.
This angle is subject to some problems. In bad weather much of the view can be obstructed by rain/mud/snow on the windscreen. The more centered this is in the windshield the less likely that problem is.
Example of this shot. I included too much of the interior and not enough of the outside in this shot, but it’s acceptable. The setup was largely due to the limitations of camera and camera mount. Now that I use a lipstick style camera much better shots can be setup.
Better framing of the same shot in the same car.
Facing the Driver(s)
One shot many people like to see is of the driver’s face. This even applies to full face helmets. Seeing the helmet, or the face connects the viewer with the driver. This shot is even more effective for open face helmets. It really highlights the driver’s concentration and sometimes hilarious facial responses. It can even show off the wheel work (which is plenty in most racing).
When framing people, the two thirds rule really helps. Keep their eyes about 2/3rd up in the frame. If the shot is from the side, give them what’s called lookspace. Lookspace means there is space in the frame in front of their face (to where they’re looking). It may seem obvious to put the back of their head at one end, but I’ve seen some awkward framings. A tip: don’t zoom in too much, get the bottom of the frame to include at least their shoulders or chest.
Looking up from below the people also makes people look better, to an extent. An extreme up shot would be awkward but a camera placement at around neck level or a little below aimed upwards could add some depth and perceived good feelings about the driver(s) to the shot.
Example with lots of lookspace. It gave me enough room to fit in the pedal shot, but this is more of a “I need to talk to the viewer” shot.
Great example with some tilt. Notice the walls for a speed reference. Because of how close they get to those walls, they can use them as a speed reference.
Creative Inside Shots
There are so many interesting shots available to you, but most of them will involve either the moving components of the car (wheels, suspension, guages, etc…) or the people and the outside world. This is where your imagination as a producer comes into play. Some ideas for some more shots inside the car are:
- Pedal Shots - get that footwork on camera.
- Out Rear Window - if you’re kicking up a lot of dust, or leading the pack this shot can be really nice.
- Guages-to-Driver - look through the steering wheel at the driver’s face.
- Helmet Camera - Strap the camera to the driver’s helmet. It shows you exactly where the driver is looking and how their head moves. You start to notice how far through the corners the driver is looking (quite far if they’re good).
So get at it and be creative. Just go out and play! Next time we’ll cover putting the camera outside of the car, but still attached to it.
February 25th, 2009 |
