week 8

Professional practice

Communication, e.g. talent, the production team

The ability to work with others requires all parties in the group to be able to communicate with each other following a number of key principles, these are;

respect for each others views and understanding.

being concise in the discussions that are being had.

organisation and time management

legal and ethical

health and safety.

Health and safety play an ever-increasing influence on what we can do in work/production settings. The legislation has been created in cases on the back of accidents that have occurred as a result of poor or no policy being in place. It is designed in its very nature to protect all individuals, no matter how much others may find it a barrier to creativity and practices they may have been able to do before.

Within the video production sector there are a number of legislations that are principles to everyday operation, these are;

Health and safety at work Act 1974 >> Link

The health and safety Executive has produced an information document that can be used to support those in the Audio-Visual sector >> Link

Camera operation:

settings, e.g. white balance, aperture, shutter speed

framing, e.g. close-up, long shot, medium shot, medium-long shot, medium close-up

movement, e.g. pan, track, tilt, zoom, hand-held

Stabilisation.

Stabilisation in digital cameras compensates for movement or vibrations that could otherwise cause blurry or shaky footage. There are three main types of stabilisation used in video production:

1. Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)

Built into the camera lens or sensor.
Uses mechanical elements to shift the lens or sensor in real-time to counteract small movements.
Especially useful in DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

2. Electronic (or Digital) Image Stabilisation (EIS)

Achieved through software by cropping and repositioning the image from frame to frame.
Helps smooth footage digitally but can reduce image quality slightly due to cropping.

3. Mechanical Stabilisation

External hardware such as gimbals, steadicams, shoulder rigs or tripods.
Keeps the camera physically stable regardless of operator movement.

Type of Stabilisation	Method	Ideal Use Case
Optical (OIS)	In-lens or sensor shift	General handheld shooting
Electronic (EIS)	Software stabilisation	Casual footage, mobile filming
Mechanical	Gimbals, tripods, rigs	Professional and dynamic shoots

Independently:
Task: Watch a short video clip shot without stabilisation, and another one shot with stabilisation (e.g., gimbal or EIS).

Compare the footage and write a paragraph answering:
Which clip looked more professional?
How did stabilisation affect your viewing experience?
What type of stabilisation do you think was used?

Optional: Try recording a 30-second clip handheld and then using a phone gimbal or a DIY tripod. Observe the differences.

Sound operation:

microphone use

levels and audio management

types of sound, e.g. ambient sound, wild track, interviews, presenter’s descriptions, studio sound, music.

Lighting management:

Colour temperature - The colour temperature can be measured in lighting using the Kelvin scale. This range starts around 2700 (Warm) and moves up to 5300 (Cool) in most cases this range can be found in typical lightbulbs, both LED and filament. The use of this colour range can create impressions of light at potentially different times of the day. The balancing of this colouring in video production can impact other colours in the scenes, washing out colours with excessive whites in the cool range to not enough. Within video production the scale for suggested use is 3200K or "Tungsten" to 5600k or "Daylight"

Temperature	Source
1,700 K	Match flame, low-pressure sodium lamps (LPS/SOX)
1,850 K	Candle flame, sunset/sunrise
2,400 K	Standard Incandescent lamps
2,550 K	Soft White Incandescent lamps
2,700 K	“Soft White” compact fluorescent and LED lamps
3,000 K	Warm White Compact fluorescent and LED lamps
3,200 K	Studio lamps, photofloods, etc.
3,350 K	Studio “CP” light
4,100–4,150 K	Moonlight
5,000 K	Horizon daylight
5,000 K	Tubular fluorescent lamps or cool white/daylight compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)
5,500–6,000 K	Vertical daylight, electronic flash
6,200 K	Xenon short-arc lamp
6,500 K	Daylight, Overcast
6,500–9,500 K	LCD or CRT screen
15,000–27,000 K	Clear blue poleward sky

Table sourced from: Color Temperature: What is it and Why is it Important? (cined.com)

light, e.g.
- natural,
- artificial,

Three Point

The use of lighting in video production is standard practice. The process of illumination of a scene allows for a focal point to be illuminated in the sequence being recorded, however, some of this lighting is used to counteract shadows created naturally by some natural or implemented lighting.

The three-point lighting set-up requires 3 separate lighting sources, each of these lights will play individual roles in lighting objects and talents.

The first light that is used is the "Key Light" the role of this light is to provide most of the light towards the object in focus and is best at an angle of 45- degrees

The "Fill Light" is a softer light than the "Key Light" and is like the key light best at an angle in this case of 30- degrees from the object in focus, however, this light is used to lighten the effect of shade produced by the "Key Light"

The "Back Light" is used to elevate the object in focus away from the background as the use of the "Key" and "Fill" lights can make the subject look flat against the background.

Some great discussion and interactive content can be found on the BBC's Bitesize site. Visit using the link below and discuss where this may have been used in other productions

BBC Bytesize

Gels

Lighting gels are used in video production and photography to enable;

Correct Colour Temperature
Create Mood or Artistic Effects
Soften Light
Balance Different Light Sources
Add Visual Interest or Symbolism

that can be applied to scenes. Made from thin sheets of coloured or diffusion material, gels are heat-resistant and normally polyester or polycarbonate. Most gels use colours, however some can be shapes to simulate window frame shadows.

Types of Lighting Gels and Their Uses

Type	Purpose	Example Use
CTO (Colour Temperature Orange)	Converts daylight-balanced light (around 5600K) to match tungsten light (3200K)	Shooting indoors with a daylight LED light
CTB (Colour Temperature Blue)	Converts tungsten light (3200K) to daylight (5600K)	Shooting outdoors using tungsten lights
Plusgreen	Adds green to match fluorescent lighting	Matching LED/tungsten lights to fluorescent-lit environments
Minusgreen	Removes green tint (often from fluorescent or LED lighting)	Neutralising an unintentional green hue in skin tones
Coloured Gels	Add aesthetic colour (e.g., red, blue, purple, green) for creative scenes	Creating a nightclub effect or dramatic lighting
Diffusion Gels	Scatter light to soften shadows and reduce harshness	Creating flattering soft light for interviews
Neutral Density (ND) Gels	Reduce the intensity of light without changing its colour	Balancing light levels or preventing overexposure
Reflector Gels	Bounce or reflect light rather than filter it	Sometimes used for shaping or controlling spill light

Create a Mood Board:
1.Watch a short scene from a film (e.g., Stranger Things, The Matrix, or La La Land).
2. Identify any coloured lighting effects used.
3. Research what gel colours were likely used (e.g., deep red = theatrical gel, soft white = diffusion).
4. Present your findings with screenshots and explain how the gels affected the scene’s emotion or realism.

Reflector

Lighting reflectors are often seen used out in the field as these are inexpensive and portable ways to add additional light to a person or object by simply reflecting light from the sun or ambient light using a silver reflective flexible panel

Effects and animation, e.g. key frame, green screen, 3D assets, visual effects.

Last Updated
2025-07-08 14:38:06

Links to Learning Outcomes

Links to Assessment criteria

C1 Video production

B.P3	Carry out appropriate esports/game pre-production planning.
B.P4	Source and create appropriate pre-production assets.
C.P5	Create an appropriate esports/game video using generally adequate production and post-production techniques.
C.P6	Apply professional practice, working safely within legal and ethical constraints.
B.M2	Develop effective planning and pre-production for esports/game that is clearly informed by research.
C.M3	Create an effective esports/game video using effective production and post-production techniques.
BC.D2	Create an accomplished and thoroughly developed esports/game video that applies video production and post-production techniques fluently.

English

Maths

How 2's Coverage

Anonymous Assessment - Learners assess an anonymous piece of work containing deliberate mistakes against given success criteria.

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