Shooting Vacation Video Like a Pro
By EMILY BRENNAN
No longer is travel programming the sole territory of
television and big budgets. A younger generation of filmmakers like Daniel
Klein is producing Web travel series pretty much on their own, thanks largely
to new digital cameras that are (relatively) small in size and price.
“The visuals you’re able to get for the cost of the camera
is stunning,” Mr. Klein said.
Which is perfect for filming food — the subject of the
online videos he produces with his girlfriend, Mirra Fine, “The Perennial Plate.” In its third
season, the documentary series follows the couple to sustainable farms,
seasonal markets and organic restaurants in countries like China, Morocco and
Argentina.
Below are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Klein
on how you can shoot professional-quality videos while you travel.
Q. Do you need equipment worth tens of
thousands of dollars to shoot like a pro?
A. No, the average traveler can totally make it
happen with a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, which looks like any
other still camera but has video capabilities. We use theCanon
EOS Rebel T2i, about $700, and the Canon
EOS 5D Mark III, which is more high-end, about $3,500. DSLR cameras can
film at 24 frames per second — the standard for film stock — so the image looks
more like film, with colors that are vibrant, beautiful, as opposed to a soap
opera. It’s also smaller, so you can go anywhere. Having a camera that doesn’t
look “professional” is key to capturing an authentic experience. Most people
don’t even know you’re taking video.
Q. What other equipment do you use?
A. One drawback of these cameras is their
limited audio capabilities, so you have to have an external audio recorder. We
use the Zoom H4N and
then plug Sennheiser lavalier mics into it when we interview subjects. We also
bring along a tripod and a shoulder brace to steady the camera.
We edit on Final
Cut Pro X, which is slightly more user friendly, slightly less professional
than the old Final Cut Pro, also much less expensive, about $300. Apple
computers work with whatever the voltage is — we’ve never had any trouble in
any country.
Q. You’ve got all the gear. Now what?
A. Find a story that’s visually appealing,
beyond just being an interesting topic.
We once tried to do an episode on this nonprofit in Iowa
that preserves heirloom seeds. Fascinating topic, but it didn’t work visually;
all you had were shots of refrigerators with seed packets. But when we did a
similar seed-saving story in India, we had the visual backdrop of a beautiful
organic farm, women in their traditional dress, and it really worked.
Q. How do you go about finding stories
abroad?
A. English-language blogs are a great resource.
That’s how we met a woman in China’s Yunnan province who uses her family’s
organic produce in her restaurant. She invited us to the countryside, where we
made tofu with the soybeans her parents grew.
Q. What was the tofu like?
A. So much more delicious than any other tofu I
ever had. The video shows how first you drink a cup of the warm soy milk while
it’s cooking. Then they put this limestone in it that sets the tofu, and it
becomes kind of custardy, silky. You drink that too. Then they press it and fry
it. It has an almost grassy flavor to it.
Q. So the video really captures the process
of making it. Is that important?
A. Absolutely. Whatever you’re filming,
capturing actions is key. Food on your plate, for example, is one second of
interesting content. It’s that much more interesting if someone is plating that
food, eating that food. The experience, the scene, the colors, the heat are all
part of it.
A version of this article appeared in print on March 3,
2013, on page TR3 of the New York edition with the
headline: Want to shoot video like a pro? DANIEL KLEIN offers some tips..
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