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(An SLR from a company like Nikon gives you the option to rent from a specialty shop a superlong telephoto lens-500 mm or more-like the ones the pros use.) Instead of buying the package lens, pony up for a telephoto zoom-say, the 70- to 200-mm f/2.8 or the 70- to 300-mm f/4.5-that will allow you to get closer to the action. If you also want to capture still photos, consider a DSLR with best-in-class video capability, like the Nikon D7200. Shooting sports is demanding, so it pays to invest in a camera that gives you capabilities even the best smartphones lack. The cover shot can be a great teaching tool, but it’s also the basis for solid game footage. The goal is to follow the play as it develops.
#Prolevel camera for video movie making emateur pro
Pro tip: Vassallo’s bread-and-butter shot-and it should be yours, too-is what sports producers call a “cover shot.” It’s a medium-wide shot taken from an elevated position around midfield-like the 50-yard line in a football stadium.
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“You’ll have an indelible memory instead of a mediocre video,” he explains.
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Is it a really important game? Vassallo suggests-counterintuitively-that you might want to skip the video entirely and focus all your attention on watching the drama unfold. If you’re shooting a video to help with coaching and player development-or even college recruiting-you should record the action using a classic “cover shot.” (See how below.) “There’s a reason why we do these segments,” Vassallo says. A little action mixed with some casual sideline footage (a team huddle or a pitcher playing catch while warming up) and a few interviews. If you’re hoping for a keepsake to share with relatives and team parents, aim for a video that plays more like a pregame feature. Take a moment and think: “What do I want to accomplish?” Ready to try? Here are six pro tips from a big-league talent:īefore Vassallo heads to a game-for ESPN or a home video-he knows roughly what he’s shooting. “If people just recalibrate their thinking,” he says, “the results would be exponentially better.” Though having the right equipment is important (more about that in a moment), Vassallo explains that the difference between amateur efforts and professional-quality storytelling lies in smart planning and a creative outlook. In addition to game coverage, he produces shorter pregame segments and online pieces that are actually better templates for a home video. He produces the network’s college lacrosse coverage, but he has also shot football, hockey, and wrestling at a variety of levels, including his own kids’ games. His name is John Vassallo, and he has kids of his own. Well, we talked to an actual ESPN producer to find out. Try as you might to record the excitement of Little League baseball or Pee Wee soccer, you invariably get home and find that your footage is boring or-worse-unwatchable. And that leaves only so much time for creative pursuits, like, say, capturing the drama of the season on video. If your kids play sports, your weekends are filled with chauffeuring little athletes, supplying healthy snacks, and of course, the Search for Missing Cleats.
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