 Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to document Federal Land's Highway Project X-7-7-4-8-3-G-5-8-3-6-1, codename Construction Documentation. You'll find further instructions in the main file. Before starting your assignment, it is imperative that you view the classified information contained in this videotape. Your predecessor failed and currently paves dog runs in the desert. Don't let us down. Shooting good video doesn't have to be a mission impossible. I'm Bob Byheller and I've been a video producer for over 20 years. I picked the scenes you just viewed because they're good examples of bad video. You can't really see what's going on. The camera really never stops moving long enough to focus on anything. Here we see where someone spent hours videotaping construction. And the result was very little of it was usable. Also, there will never be another chance to document this event. The video you shoot on a project is used in a variety of ways. Most importantly, it's used to document the when and where of daily construction activities. It can also be used to subtle disputes between us and a contractor. This means it must be good enough to serve as evidence in court. It could also be used for in-house training and could ultimately be part of a video seen by the public. This video will show you what good video documentation should look like and give you some ideas on how to get the job done. Before you begin, always check your equipment. Fresh batteries make sure they are recharged each day. Sufficient videotape? This is also a good time to remember to label the tape. Is your lens clean? Before you shoot, clean your lens with soft paper or cloth. And now it's time for the two most important pieces of video equipment. Your tripod and the camcorder. Always use them together. It's one of two rules for getting good video. As steady as you think you can hold a camera. When compared to the tripod, your video will look like an earthquake just hit. The second rule is never zoom or pan. Static shots are easier to shoot and much easier to watch. Now why don't we go out to the construction site? Say that today you've been assigned to document the construction activities on this project. The first thing you'll need to do is find the best place to shoot your video. Make sure it's a place where you won't be aiming the camera into the sun. Also, nothing should block your view of the activity you're going to shoot. Now you're ready to tape. With your camera on the tripod, check your camera controls. Generally, leave your camera's white balance, exposure and focus in the automatic mode. At the beginning of each scene, say where and what you are taping. It's a concrete pour, east of Buttman on the Pine Creek bridge. And make sure to shoot each scene with the time and date for legal purposes. Of course, all our video needs are not for settling disputes. Documenting some activities without the time and date is greatly appreciated. Let each shot run for at least 30 seconds. There are three basic video shots that can be used to properly document an activity. A wide shot, a medium shot and a close up. One of the most used shots is a static wide shot. With this shot, you are trying to show the entire activity being documented. Use the zoom control to set the camera for the widest shot. Then pan left and right until it is correctly framed. In other words, you see just the things you want to see. In a wide shot, that means you can see all phases of the work in relation to each other. Remember, what you see in the viewfinder is what you get. Notice what happens when too much sky is in the picture. The camera adjusts automatically to that bright part of the picture, making everything else too dark. But by moving the camera, so we see very little of the sky, the rest of the picture lightens and can be seen. Next, you might want to get medium shots of individual pieces of equipment working. A medium shot isolates individual activities. By panning and using the zoom control, you can arrange your shot. Not too close, but not back too far either. Just right. Then if necessary, you'll want a close up shot of the work. A close up shot shows the work in great detail. Again, don't forget to tape each of these activities with the time and date. Many times you'll find that you can't take all the video you need from one position. Move to as many locations as needed to complete the documentation. When a tripod is unavailable, find something solid to set your camera on. Like the hood of your car, a tree stump, or even a piece of construction equipment. By using a piece of clothing, you can easily aim the camera at your subject. If you must hand hold your camera, make sure your weight is evenly placed over your feet. Keep your elbows close to your sides. If possible, find something solid to lean against. Never zoom in for a close up shot when you hand hold your camera. Instead, walk up to the action with the camera zoomed out to a wide shot. This keeps your shot as steady as possible. The only time you should pan with your camera is to follow action. When you do, remember not to use a close up shot and leave room for the action. Don't let the action bump into the edge of the picture. Although you're not quite ready for Hollywood, follow these simple tips and you'll be able to shoot good video. Video that not only documents your work, but video that you'll be able to show to others. Now let's recap. Check your batteries. Make sure they are fully charged. Use new video tape and make sure tapes are properly labeled. Clean your lens before taping. If you're on a particularly dusty construction site, clean it more often. Leave all settings, white balance, exposure and focus on automatic. Never shoot into the sun. Make sure it's at your back. Use a tripod to stabilize your camera. If one isn't available, find something to steady you and your camera. Never zoom unless there is no alternative. Shoot a wide shot, medium shot or close up instead. Pan only to follow in action. Follow these video tips and you'll be shooting video like a pro in no time.