What should I do for filming practice?

I will be filming my first short film this summer....

It is a basketball film, so there will be lots of action.

I have this idea of filming myself play basketball one of these days, and maybe some buddies of mine, just to get a feel for what angles I want, etc.


Does anyone know what else I can do for practice in the meantime? There really doesnt seem like much to film other than outdoor scenes.

MY CAMERAS

CANON T3i

EVERIO HD Camcorder

I feel like I should maybe get 2 more cameras...maybe 2 more EVERIO HDs for my film...OR 1 really good camera, like http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802773-REG/Panasonic_AG_AC7PJ_AG_AC7_Shoulder_Mount_AVCHD_Camcorder.html


Also, here are some videos I took last year with the EVERIO...also for practice, but more home video type stuff.

AIR FORCE HOLIDAY PARTY
http://youtu.be/G5RaqCJg2JI

AIR FORCE FAMILY FUN DAY
http://youtu.be/b0Itvtqd-eI
 
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First step is to choreograph the players' moves. Then do what you mentioned and practice filming from different angles. Then see if you can follow the action to make it make sense in the editing. :)
 
Hi Sojio21

If it’s your first film then be sure to get some experience on other film makers sets, you should be able to find out what low budget productions are going on in your area on Mandy.com. If it’s not a documentary perhaps a DSLR (such as the Canon 7D) would be better to use.
All the best,
Amy
 
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Get some 'global' experience as well.
Shoot a scene (and edit it) of 2 people meeting and talking about the weather (or something else) to practise framing, directing and editing interaction between 2 persons.
Learn about the 'axis-rules' to keep a sense of direction in a scene. (The rules are very logical, but last week I saw an Steven Seagal movie from the '90s with a scene that was all over the place, so it seemed like people were looking away from each other in stead of talking to each other.)
This is also an opportunity to practise soundrecording.

Shoot a match of basketball to get used to the speed and to see what shots could work.

Shoot a basketball-scene.
Write what should happen, pan it and shoot it.
Than edit it to see whether it works as you think it would.

Will you shoot handheld with a shoulderrig or with a tripod?
Or a combination of both? (In the match a tripod could get in the way.)
Practise what you use.
Tripod: practise panning, focuspulls, etc.
You can shoot thing in your kitchen or on the street.

Shoulderrig: practise walking with it. (When walking backwards get an assistent who can be the eyes on your back: you don't want to trip on something.)
Practise standing still and shooting long stable shots with wide lenses and zoomed in.

Shoot under different light conditions (dawn, noon, dusk, tungsten) and try different ISO's and exposures to see what the effect is on your footage. (In terms of brightness, grain/noise and depth of field.)
Knowing your tool is essential.

Amyuk's advice is also good:
besides doing things on your own to face bottlenecks and to learn your tools and skills, helping on other projects is a way to see how other people handle things and it's a way to get to know kindred spirits, who could even advice or even help you on your own project.

Good luck!
 
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No need for more than one camera. Like Dready said, you should choreograph it, and then you just keep running the same plays over and over again, getting all of the different shots you need, from different angles. Just like regular filmmaking.

What should you practice shooting? People playing basketball. And, people not playing basketball. :D

If it were me, I'm thinking I would want a lot of tight shots, with lots of movement. So, I would get a long lens, and practice keeping the shots steady, with pan and tilt, on a tripod. That's not to say that you wouldn't also go wide and medium, but for basketball, I personally think it's more intense when the audience is right in on the action. Actually, come to think of it, you might also want to go with a wider lens, and shoot handheld, with the camera right in the middle of the action. Two different types of close-ups, with completely different effects. Try both, practice both; neither is easy.
 
I am having this problem...

Filmed my buddy and I playing basketball the other day.

Had two cameras set up:

1) Canon T3i set up under the goal

2) EVERIO HD camcorder set up at half court


I got some good footage, and I will post the edit job soon.


My problem is that the T3i's footage looks more clear than the Everio HD, and you can tell when the views switch. I dont know if this is because of the sun or what.

I will post the video soon so you guys can get a visual.


My other problem is that the T3i does not take long videos...12:30 tops.

Do I need to buy another camcorder in the same price range? $1000-1500
 
How long do you plan on a shot lasting? If you want a shot to last more than 12 minutes then no, there is no need. It's a short film right, so the game won't go on for that long anyway. Try to follow the ball between players as you shoot. I saw a movie like that and thought it was good, how they did that. If it's the time that's a factor than you can buy a datacard that goes up to 45 minutes if that's good enough.
 
Those DSLRs are limited by a max file size of 4gb for a single file... which just happens to equate to 10-ish(?) minutes at HD quality. I believe there's a function in the free Magic Lantern software that automagically kicks over to a new file when the size limit is reached. Haven't tested it myself, but you should look into Magic Lantern anyway.
 
My problem is that the T3i's footage looks more clear than the Everio HD, and you can tell when the views switch. I dont know if this is because of the sun or what.

Nine times out of ten you are going to have this problem. If you want to use multiple cameras (which is not actually common for narrative filming, at all) they should be the same model.
My other problem is that the T3i does not take long videos...12:30 tops.

In narrative filmmaking, you won't ever need a take longer than 12 minutes, not that there aren't a handful of films with really long takes. But the likelihood of that is pretty nill.

Most films are shot with one camera, doing the same things over and over from different angles. That's why C-Funk and I suggested that you choreograph the gameplay and film it from different angles over and over again.
 
Nine times out of ten you are going to have this problem. If you want to use multiple cameras (which is not actually common for narrative filming, at all) they should be the same model.


In narrative filmmaking, you won't ever need a take longer than 12 minutes, not that there aren't a handful of films with really long takes. But the likelihood of that is pretty nill.

Most films are shot with one camera, doing the same things over and over from different angles. That's why C-Funk and I suggested that you choreograph the gameplay and film it from different angles over and over again.


Really? I did not know that...very interesting.

Though, wouldnt filming with multiple cams of the same model be more efficient? That way, they can just play and the footage would be more genuine?

I will have to try some choreography stuff...will probably need to find a choreographer.
 
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That would be the case if you were filming actual live sports. Or sometimes multiple cameras are used when you only get one or two chances at a shot. Like if a helicopter explodes or something.

What's going to happen if you've got your two cameras rolling at the same time and let them 'just play' is that you don't know where you should be pointing your camera at any given moment to follow the action. When you get into the editing room you're going to find that there are a lot of shots 'missing' and it will be very difficult to cut it together in a way that the audience can tell what's happening.

:)
 
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