Pieter de Vries Cinematographer & Camera Craft Educator

Setting up a tripod

There are a number of different styles of tripods available. Regardless of whether it’s the telescopic type or the dual tube type, always try to use a tripod/fluid head combination that has a "levelling head". A tripod that has a adjustable rising centre post is designed for stills photography - it has no place under a video camera.

Video and stills tripods consist of two parts - a tripod and a fluid head, however it is common to refer to the whole unit as a tripod or a tripod system.

The low-down on low angles

There are times when wider shots look flat and one dimensional.video cameras record impressive high resolution images however this clarity can also be a disadvantage.

Lighting car interiors at night 

Sequences recorded inside vehicles at night will only look convincing if they are under-lit. 

Setups that look fake, are usually the result of using too many lights, or by placing them in the wrong position -  less is more. Lighting vehicle interiors should be approached with a low key look in mind and these has to be a balance of artificial and ambient light to get realistic results.