Tips For Filming Outdoors
“Filming outdoors is better,” or at least that’s what we keep hearing, but in reality, the harsh and unflattering rays of the sun will ruin your shoot. Not to mention all the background and bird noises that are going to sweep in the microphone.
Shreehans Arts will provide you with these six tips to address these potential issues.
1. You Can Use the Sun for Backlighting
If the subject is facing the sun directly, it will create unnatural skin tones that will potentially ruin your shot. Instead, we suggest that you put the subject in between you and the sun. This will not only help you achieve a backlight but will also create a shot that will be perfect for a romantic or an emotional scene. But it may not be all that perfect for you, depending on the time of the day. For this to work, the sun must be at a 45-degree angle, and if it’s any lower than that, you will end up getting nasty lens flares.
2. Understanding the Importance of the “Golden Hours”
The term “Golden Hours” refers to the time when the color of the sunlight is golden, which is about 1 hour after sunrise and just about the same time before sunset. The golden color of the sunlight gives the ambiance a very nice look that is perfect for a lot of scenes. So, use this knowledge to plan your shots ahead, depending on what is shot is planned to be.
Also Read: How To Start A Film Production Company?
3. Using a Wide Aperture
By zooming in on the subject and opting for a wider aperture will allow you to get a natural background blur, while the subject’s appearance will look sharper. This type of scene is perfect for a shot where you want your audience to focus on just the subject and nothing else.
4. Microphone Shields
The unnecessary background noise, bird calls, wind noises, etc., can ruin a perfectly good shot. Surely you can somewhat fix that in the postproduction, but prevention is better than cure, or so they say, but you get the jest. Dedicated microphone shields and microphone foam covers minimize background and wind noises. The foam cover takes care of the ambient noise, while the shields deflect the wind noise. The shields also allow the microphone to hone in on the subject when the video production is underway.
5. Dedicated Filters
Distractions in films such as annoying reflections, glare, and lens flares can be bad for a shoot, but high-end cameras these days come equipped with filters such as UV filters. The UV filter clears our annoying glares, while filters such as polarizers can reduce the reflection of windows and water. Do check if your camera is already equipped with these filters. If not, you can always buy one. They are relatively cheap and help achieve the one shot you have been waiting for.
Conclusion
Outdoor filming will always be challenging, but the whole scenario can become much easier with the right knowledge and tools. We have a production house in Delhi and if you need a guide, connect with us.
