Filming A Live Gig For Dummies in Ten Tips
I scowered the internet for tips about shooting live music before the Walls gig but alas got busy looking at porn. Here's ten tips to do if you find yourself having to shoot a live gig and have no idea what to do. Damn I wish I made this post before the gig...things woulda been so much better...
1) Get as many cameras as possible. Three is great. Twenty is better. Two is a OK. One is amazing. But two is good. The more cameras you have, the more songs you'll be able to edit together and show to people.
2) Find out what songs the band want specifically and make sure they don't play those songs until after the third or forth song so you have time to figure out what the fuck you are doing.
3) Get lots of audience shots. If you don't have shots of the audience rocking out it will just seem like the band are playing to themselves and shit. You need those shots to show that the band fucking rocks!!
4) Make sure you have a camera on the lead singer at all times. If you only have one camera, leave it on him for the song you want to edit, then for the next few songs get shots of the other members and then edit them into final piece.
5) If you have a second camera, use it to get shots of the various bands members. Lead guitarist, drummer, bass guitar, piano player, triangle player, saxaphone player, you get the message.
6) Make sure the song they want put together is played at the same tempo live as it is recorded, so that, it can match up right and shit.
7) Or else get a minidisc recording of the gig.
8) The speed of the song should determine how long you stay on a shot. You want as much coverage as possible but you might not have enough cameras for that. If it's a fast song stick on a shot for about 5 - 10 seconds, if it's a slow song stick around a bit longer. 11 seconds for example.
9) Try and figure out how to grade the final piece so it gets rid of the crappy digital look and looks a bit cooler.
10) When telling people how to film a live gig don't say there is ten tips when you can only think of nine.
1) Get as many cameras as possible. Three is great. Twenty is better. Two is a OK. One is amazing. But two is good. The more cameras you have, the more songs you'll be able to edit together and show to people.
2) Find out what songs the band want specifically and make sure they don't play those songs until after the third or forth song so you have time to figure out what the fuck you are doing.
3) Get lots of audience shots. If you don't have shots of the audience rocking out it will just seem like the band are playing to themselves and shit. You need those shots to show that the band fucking rocks!!
4) Make sure you have a camera on the lead singer at all times. If you only have one camera, leave it on him for the song you want to edit, then for the next few songs get shots of the other members and then edit them into final piece.
5) If you have a second camera, use it to get shots of the various bands members. Lead guitarist, drummer, bass guitar, piano player, triangle player, saxaphone player, you get the message.
6) Make sure the song they want put together is played at the same tempo live as it is recorded, so that, it can match up right and shit.
7) Or else get a minidisc recording of the gig.
8) The speed of the song should determine how long you stay on a shot. You want as much coverage as possible but you might not have enough cameras for that. If it's a fast song stick on a shot for about 5 - 10 seconds, if it's a slow song stick around a bit longer. 11 seconds for example.
9) Try and figure out how to grade the final piece so it gets rid of the crappy digital look and looks a bit cooler.
10) When telling people how to film a live gig don't say there is ten tips when you can only think of nine.
