GUIDE TO FILMING LIVE THEATER - Miami
GUIDE TO FILMINGLIVE THEATERARCHIVAL FILMING GUIDELINES AND LESSONSLEARNED FROM THE CTDA PROJECTPUBLISHED BYDIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP AND PROGRAMSUNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LIBRARIESVERSION 0.1JANUARY 2012
GUIDE TO FILMINGLIVE THEATERARCHIVAL FILMING GUIDELINES AND LESSONSLEARNED FROM THE CTDA PROJECTVERSION 0.1 JANUARY 2012WRITTEN BY:NOELIS MÁRQUEZXAVIER MERCADOLILLIAN MANZORMARK BUCHHOLZBRYANNA HERZOGEDITED BY:BRYANNA HERZOGPUBLISHED BYDIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP AND PROGRAMSUNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LIBRARIESFUNDED IN PART BY:ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATIONUNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LIBRARIESCOLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCESWWW.CUBANTHEATER.ORGCOPYRIGHT 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction1Equipment List3Filming Guidelines4Stage Design5Camera Placement5Filming With Two CamerasFilming Considerations68Leadroom and Headroom8Avoiding the Audience8Light – Brightness Changes and Adjustments9Behind the Camera10Videographer –vs– Director of Photography10When do you use Close-ups, Mid Shots and/or Wide Angles?10When do you use zooms?15Showcasing production and costume design16How do you start and end the show?16When do you stop recording?16What do you do during Intermissions?16Audio GuidelinesEditing GuidelinesJustifying the Cut171818Catch the Emotion19Best Angle for the Action19Emphasizing Rhythm20Dividing a Series of Actions20Covering Personalities21Scene Changes21Concealing Errors22Editing pre-performance, intermission, and post-performance22The Dissolve Transition22Things NOT TO DO22Color Correction23Audio Editing23Lessons Learned in the Editing Room24Appendix A: Sony NXCAM Settings25Recording Settings25White Balance Settings25v
viTo select a White Balance Preset, follow these steps:26When to Use the MANU WB TEMP PRESET26Adjusting the GAIN Settings26Procedure for Operation of Gain27Procedure for Changing Gain Preset Switch Settings27Formatting the Storage Media (SD Cards and Hard Drive)28Audio Settings28Audio Input Settings29Appendix B: Boundary Microphones30Equipment30Preparations30Microphone Positioning31PrecautionsConnection to the Field Mixer3132Setup32Operation33Sound Check34Appendix C: Production Report35Appendix D: Editing With Final Cut Pro37Load Footage37Audio Editing37Editing Boundary Audio in FCP37
INTRODUCTIONLive theater and performance are probably two of the mostevanescent forms of cultural heritage. They are always provisional,ephemeral, and non-repeatable. As intangible cultural manifestations,they transmit an embodied memory that is extremely fragile and risksdisappearing. This non-repeatability points to two salient characteristics oftheater as live-art performance: 1) It is a transient and fleeting art form. Theontology of each performance is, of course, the present. It exists insofar asit is a representation without reproduction. 2) It is collaborative rather thanindividualistic in nature. Live-theater involves collaboration from a widerange of participants, which include, in addition to the theater artists andtechnicians, the participation of the film documentation team.Filmed documentation of performances is an ongoing process. Theadvent of digital technology offers us the possibility to maintain olderanalog recordings before they deteriorate completely. It also allows us thepossibility to record live performances as well as rehearsals and interviewswith theater artists, thus creating sources of documentation useful for artistsThere is no onemethod to filmlive theater fordocumentationpurposes.and scholars alike. In order to archive theater practices and movements,in other words, in order to “record” however partially the knowledgeconveyed by these live, embodied performances, we need to create a visualdocumentation for them.There is no one method to film live theater for documentationpurposes. One way to approach it is to consider the filmed record of thelive performance as a “final” product, a document of that one, unrepeatableexperience. Another way is to focus on theater as process and documentthe activities through which a group arrived at the product that is on stage.In either case, the filmed documentation process is also a collaborativeenterprise between the videographers, the researchers and the theaterdirector who may collaborate in the editing process. The researcher anddirector know the play on stage well and can assist in making appropriatefilming and editing choices such as the scenes, gestures, and movementsIntroduction1
2Introductionthat need to be captured. The videographers bring their knowledge oflighting, space, and sound and can bring to the fore visual and spatialelements that may escape the researchers due to the textual nature of theirtraining. The videographers then edit the production with the researcher’sor director’s “direction.” The resulting documentation is clearly not meant tosupplant the live performance. Rather, it is a digital document that tries tocapture the non-verbal cues of live-performance thus offering the traces orsupplements of the performance itself.
EQUIPMENT LISTWhen we go out to film a play, each videographer is in chargeof a kit. We have four camera kits that are identical to each other. Inaddition to these kits, we have other equipment that can be used forvarious recording scenarios.TYPICAL KIT:VIDEOCABLES- SONY NXCAM Camcorder- TRIPOD- 15 ft. XLR- 20 in. XLR- 20 in. XLR – 3.5mm Jack- 18 in. 3.5mm Jack- USB Cables- Component Out (RGB)- Composite AV (Red, Yellow, White)AUDIO- RODE Shotgun Mic- RODE Mic Shock Mount- RODE Windscreen- RODE Windshield- EV Standard Handheld Mic- SHURE Dynamic Handheld Mic- SONY HeadphonesWIRELESS AUDIO- SENNHEISER Receiver- SENNHEISER Transmitter- SENNHEISER Plug-On Transmitter- SENNHEISER Lavaliere MicMEDIA STORAGE- PELICAN SD Card Case- 32 GB SDHC Cards- SONY Flash Memory Drive 128 GBACCESSORIES- Mini Flash Light- Extra Hot Shoe- Lens Wipe- White Balance CardBATTERIES- SONY Large Lithium Batteries- SONY Standard Lithium Batteries- SONY Single Battery Charger- Rechargeable AA BatteriesOTHER ITEMS IN INVENTORY:VIDEOSTANDS- IKAN LCD Monitor w/ Battery Mount- Hot Shoe Monitor Mount- Articulating Arm- VARIZOOM Remote Focus/Zoom- LITEPANELS Micro On-Camera LEDLamp*- JAMSTANDS Mic Boom Stands- JAMSTANDS Mini Mic StandsCARRYING CASES- Pelican Case- Other Cases- BackpacksAUDIO- K-TECK Mic Handle- ZOOM Digital Audio Recorder- AUDIOTECNICA Boundary Mics- TASCAM Field Mixer- RODE Blimp Windscreen- K-TEK Boom PolesACCESSORIES- Gaffers TapeEquipment List3
FILMING GUIDELINESThere are many different ways to record a play and each will givea different outcome and effect. There is no one right way to film a play,but there are things you can do in order to maximize the quality of yourrecording.Keep in mind that when filming a play, it is important to be as “invisible”as possible so as not to disturb the actors and the audience. The play wasA great wayto make therecording of theplay better whenfilmed beforea live audienceis to go torehearsals.meant to be performed in front of a live audience before it was meant to bevideotaped, so it is important to honor the live performance.Make sure to arrive at the location at least 1 hour before the audiencebegins to take their seats; this means, you should arrive 1.5 hours before theplay is set to begin. For example, if the play starts at 8:30pm, you should beat the location at 7:00pm. This will allow time for you to get a good parkingspot, bring all of the equipment inside the location, talk to the director,figure out camera and audio equipment placement, run any cables neededfor audio recording, put away all equipment not being used, and be readybefore the audience comes in. If you decide to get to the location witheven more time of anticipation, you need to make sure that there will besomeone at the theater to let you inside and set up. You should have thecontact information for the Assistant Director of the play and the StageManager of the space. If you are going to film without the project director,introduce yourself to both once you arrive to the theater.A great way to make the recording of the play better when filmedbefore a live audience is to go to rehearsals. Take notes on the charactersand the dialogue, emotional moments, important props, scene transitions,light changes, and any other details that will help you make decisions aboutwhen to zoom in and out of a scene. Discuss with the theater director and/or project director the details that will help you in filming. Talk with the othervideographer(s) and make decisions on who will film what, who will zoomwhen, who will maintain the wide shot, etc.4Filming Guidelines
Filming GuidelinesSTAGE DESIGNThere are three types of stage design: proscenium, thrust, and smallarena. In the proscenium stage, the actors perform for an audience seatedon one side of the stage. In the thrust stage, the actors perform for anaudience seated on three sides of the playing area. In the small arena, theaudience surrounds the actors on all sides.Proscenium StageThrust StageSmall ArenaStage Design: Proscenium, Thrust, and Small Arena. Audience is denoted by orange; Stage is denoted byyellow.CAMERA PLACEMENTWhether you are using one or more camera, each one should beplaced facing the stage so that they can record the action as directly aspossible. Finding the optimal place depends upon the stage design andtakes into account the architecture of the building (in our experience, therehave been poles behind the audience that we had to work around). Theflexibility of recording changes when the number of cameras increases.Filming With a Single CameraIf there is only one videographer available to film the play, it isthe videographer’s responsibility to make sure s/he captures all of theinformation that happens in the play. Before the beginning of the play, talkto the director and ask about important moments in the play, how manyactors will share the stage, entrances or exits of actors that will happen offstage, and other details that will be crucial to your filming.If you are unfamiliar with a play and are unable to go to a rehearsalto take notes on the action, we recommend maintaining a wide shotwith enough space around the camera to pan left or right during suddenentrances of characters, abrupt movements, drastic light changes within theset, etc. When filming with a single camera, we recommend only zooming5
6Filming Guidelinesin during scenes of dialog, while including as much detail as possible.Remember, more information is good (the wide shot), but quality and detailscan also be important. We want to get close enough to capture the detailsof the characters and the set, but we want to leave sufficient space to beable to follow the actor(s) and not film them out of frame if they move.Proscenium StageThrust StageSmall ArenaN/ACamera Placement-Single Camera: Place the camera center stage, behind the audience. Be sure to have a clearview without getting the audience in the shot. We do NOT recommend filming with one camera in a SmallArena stage design.Filming With Two CamerasThe optimal setup for filming with two cameras is to place one at thecenter of the stage and the other at either stage left or right and angledtoward the center of the stage.When filming with two cameras, it is very important that bothvideographers communicate with regards to what they are going to film andhow they are going to film it so as to cover as much of what is going onin the play as possible. Before you begin to film, the videographers shouldmake a decision on which one will film the wide shots and which willfilm the close up shots. Since our crew consisted of two people, one wasresponsible for handling the audio recording equipment as well.The camera that is closer to the center of the stage should alwaysrecord the wide shot, this is because center stage is usually the best angleto record a play. The second camera, which will be the close-up camera,should be placed at an angle that will allow for good recordings of all of theactors as they perform around the stage. It should be strategically placed sothat the actors’ faces and gestures will be seen as they perform and can beintercut with each other in post-production.
Filming GuidelinesProscenium Stage (A)Proscenium Stage (B)Thrust Stage (A)Thrust Stage (B)Small ArenaCamera Placement-TwoCameras: In both theProsceium Stage designand Thrust Stage design,one camera should beplaced in the center ofthe stage. The secondcamera can be placedon either stage left orstage right and be usedto capture close-up shotsof the actors. Choosingleft or right is arbitrary,unless the set design orplay director determine apreference.Camera Placement-Two Cameras:For the Small Arena stage design, thecameras can be setup at any point,dependent upon the placement ofactors and the set design. However,you should do your best to NOTfilm the other videographers. Filmingthis type of stage is tricky and it ishighly recommended that you attendrehearsals to work out the details offilming from the best angle to obtainthe most of the play.7
8Filming GuidelinesFILMING CONSIDERATIONSThe Cuban Theater Digital Archive project was designed with twoprinciple objectives: (1) All work should be conducted with an archivalpreservation mindset; (2) We must preserve the experience of the liveaudience. Because of those objectives, there are a few things to think aboutbefore you hit the record button.Leadroom and HeadroomWhen filming with a single camera, you should leave enoughleadroom and headroom in your frame so that you capture any importantinformation (set design, actors’ movements around the stage, etc.) thathappens at any given point during the performance. If filming with 2 ormore cameras, the close-up camera should leave enough leadroom andheadroom in your frame so that, if the actor suddenly moves, he/she willstill be in the frame of what you are recording.Avoiding the AudienceA play is meant to be presented for a live audience, not to berecorded on camera. That said, the audience is an active part of the entirepresentation. For this reason, it is important to not only incorporate theaudience’s reactions through sound, but also not to completely avoid theirpresence. If the heads of the people in the first few rows interfere withyour shot and there is no way to get around that, find a way to make itwork. Remember, your camera ultimately is another audience member inthe crowd, so you have to find a way to capture the best material withoutinterfering or altering the other audience members’ theatrical experience.Additionally, for archival purposes it is always a good idea to record theaudience a few minutes before the play begins and after the play ends whenthey start to exit. It is also a good idea to record the exterior and interior ofthe space before the play itself begins.
Filming GuidelinesLight – Brightness Changes and AdjustmentsThe lighting design of a play is one of its most important componentsand how you setup your camera to capture exposure will highly affect theend result of your recording.If possible, talk to the lighting designer and/or the director and askthem about important cues for changes of light exposure and placement,especially if these will take place while the actors are performing. Youdefinitely want your recording to be faithful to what is being seen by theactual audience; however, you also want to capture as much detail aspossible.If the lighting design calls for many changes during the performanceand you find yourself capturing underexposed or overexposed material,make sure that between these changes you can adjust the Iris of youcamera to capture more or less light. If you do not adjust the exposure whileyou are filming, it will be more difficult to fix these issues in post-production.Please refer to the “Filming-Technical Guidelines” portion of this documentfor instructions on how to adjust the exposure setting on the camera.9
10Filming GuidelinesBEHIND THE CAMERAThe use of different shots while filming a play depends on manyfactors, which include but are not limited to: Amount of actors on the stageat the same time, genre (Comedy, Drama, etc.), movement and use of thestage throughout the play, entrances and exits from actors, set design anduse of props, and lighting design.Videographer –vs– Director of PhotographyWhether you decide to use a close-up, medium, or wide shot atparticular points throughout filming is up to your discretion.When do you use Close-ups, Mid Shots and/or Wide Angles?Close-up shots are good to capture when an actor/actress is having avery intense, emotional moment in a particular scene. These shots are alsoimportant when there are details that would be hard to capture in a wide oreven a medium shot, such as makeup, crying, particular facial expressionsand gestures, small props used by the actors, etc.Medium shots are important because these maintain a balancebetween the detail provided by a close-up shot and the amount ofinformation in the frame provided by the wide shot. Medium shots can beused when an actor or actress uses drastic body movements, when 2 ormore people are talking in a scene, and or when an actor/s moves aroundthe space.Wide shots are very important because they capture all of what isgoing on in the play. Wide shots are good “establishing shots”, and alwaysgood to have when a play is starting so that the person watching the videoknows the space and can relate to it as an edit may move to a close-up or amedium shot as it progresses.
Filming GuidelinesMedium Shot: Captures the action where the dialogue is happening and captures detail that cannot beappreciate in a wide shotTeatro de las Estaciones’ Por el monte Carulé, by Norge Espinosa, Rubén Darío Salazar director. From left toright Rubén Darío Salazar and Iván García.Medium Shot: Captures the action where the dialogue is happeningMaroma Players’ Si vas a comer espera por Virgilio, by José Milián; Rolando Moreno director.From left to right, Jorge Hernández and Ariel Texidó11
12Filming GuidelinesMedium Shot: Keeps all of the action in the frame and captures more detailTeatro de La Luna’s Delirio habanero by Alberto Pedro Torriente. Raúl Martín director.From left to right Mario Guerra, Amarilis Nuñez, Laura de la Uz.Wide: Captures all of the action of the scene in the frameLa retirada de Moscú, director Rolando Moreno.From left to right, Teresa María Rojas, Javier Siut, Jorge Hernández
Filming GuidelinesWide Shot: Captures all of the action in the frameTeatro de las Estaciones’ Por el monte Carulé, by Norge Espinosa, Rubén Darío Salazar director.From left to right and Iván García and Rubén Darío Salazar.Wide Shot: Captures all of the action in the frameMaroma Players’ Si vas a comer espera por Virgilio, by José Milián; Rolando Moreno director.From left to right, Gerardo Riverón, Jorge Hernández, Ariel Texidó13
14Filming GuidelinesWide Shot: Captures the action where the dialogue is happeningTeatro de La Luna’s Delirio habanero by Alberto Pedro Torriente. Raúl Martín director.From left to right Laura de la Uz and Amarilis Nuñez.Extreme Wide Shot: Capture all of the action related to the scene in the frame (On stage and Off Stage)Obba by Excilia Saldaña. Eddy Díaz-Souza director.Oneysis Valido
Filming Guidelines15Extreme Wide Shot: Maintains all of the action happening within the frameTeatro de La Luna’s Delirio habanero by Alberto Pedro Torriente. Raúl Martín director.From left to right Mario Guerra, Amarilis Nuñez, Laura de la Uz.When do you use zooms?Zooming in and out during a play is very much up to thevideographer’s discretion on when it is necessary to do so. If you are filmingwith a single camera, the zoom should be used subtlety and slowly. If thereare 2 cameras recording, the zoom can be used more creatively and fasterbecause this can be covered by the other camera and edited together inpost-production. However, you should always do so cautiously and onlywhen you think it is necessary. We recommend zooming in if t
Introduction 1 There is no one method to film live theater for documentation purposes. INTRODUCTION Live theater and performance are probably two of the most evanescent forms of cultural heritage. They are always provisional, ephemeral, and non-repeatable. As intangible cultural manifestations,
Please note that this Filming Guide was created pre-Covid-19. On 1 June 2020, the UK government & PHE gave endorsement to the British Film Commission's Working Safely During Covid-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production, signalling a green light for production activity to resume. The film & TV industry are implementing extremely
Ivna Žic studied Applied Theater Studies, Theater Directing, and Dramatic Writing in Giessen, Hamburg, and Graz. Since 2011 she has been working as a freelance author, lecturer and director at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, Schauspielhaus Vienna, Lucerne Theater, Theater Neumarkt, Schauspiel Essen, Theater St. Gallen, and at uniT.
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