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Television Production & Broadcast Journalism
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
of the person as they walk. If the scene is shot without enough nose room,
the talent appears to be pushing the frame of the picture with their nose as
they walk. If the person is moving laterally, the shot should be enlarged to
at least a mid shot. Otherwise, the talent is likely to walk right out of the
camera’s view.
Imagine a scene in a horror movie. One of the characters is
about to be attacked by a vampire approaching from behind.
It would be appropriate to leave space behind the talent in
the frame so the vampire can enter the picture. When space is left behind
someone in a horror movie, however, the audience expects a monster to
jump in behind the talent. To mislead the audience, place the space behind
the talent in the frame and either make sure nothing happens from that
direction, or have action occur on the unexpected opposite side of the
screen.
Doing this once or twice is effective and increases the reaction of the
audience. Using this technique too often reduces its effect and will be laughed
at by the audience.
Visualize This
White Balance
Each time a camera is powered up, it needs to be “told” what white
is—this is called white balancing the camera. Every color is defi ned by
its relationship to every other color. So, when the white balance is prop-
erly set, the camera “sees” all other colors correctly. Some cameras auto-
matically perform a white balance, others require the white balance to
be manually performed, and some cameras give the operator a choice
of automatic or manual white balancing. When given the choice, always
manually white balance the camera because it is usually more accurate.
If white balancing is not performed, the recorded image of indoor scenes
usually has a yellowish tint and outdoor scenes in daylight have a bluish
tint, Figure 4-4.
The white balance settings may not always be stored by the camera
when it is powered down. The camera may have to be “retaught” each
time it is powered up. Check the instruction manual that came with the
camera for info on white balance settings. To perform a white balance:
1. Zoom in on a white object on the set until it fi lls the screen. The set
lighting must be turned on.
2. Activate the white balance circuit on the camera.
3. Zoom back out and shoot normally.
1. Attach a color monitor to the video output of a camera.
2. Point the camera at a white object.
3. Notice that it does not appear white on the monitor. It
may appear greenish, grayish, or even pinkish.
4. Press the white balance button on the camera.
5. Watch the monitor carefully to see the object transformed to a true
white color.
Application Activity
white balance: A function
on cameras that forces the
camera to see an object as
white, without regard to the
type of light hitting it or the
actual color of the object.