This was one of our first interviews. I interviewed Nejla on the stage of the theater in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
This is Nejla performing Echoes of Hope Still on the Ground. The audience loved it so much. It really affected the people. I had a wonderful time filming it. This is from the second night of filming.
The next two video stills are from the workshops Nejla taught at the National School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. These students were so in love with these classes and could not get enough. I had such a wonderful time filming!!
We arrived in the second city two days ago – San Salvador. This is completely different then Honduras. I feel like I am in the middle of a jungle. I can’t really see the city from the hotel. We have a pool, outdoor restaurant and rooms that look like a 70’s beach house.
I have not filmed anything yet. Today we go to the theater, which is gorgeous by the way, and Nejla and the dancers perform tonight. I will be filming the outside of the theater, the inside, tech rehearsal, the show, the dancers backstage, the audience.
I do want to go back a little bit, because I was hoping to post more often, but the schedule has been quite full. Last week Nejla did 3 days of workshops with the students from the National School in Honduras. These students just completely soaked it all in. I had such an amazing time filming these students. It was also enjoyable for me to get a bit more artistic with my shots. My lens on my camera is really amazing and the depth of field that I can capture is very shallow, so faces and bodies pop off the screen.
Nejla and I have also had some great sessions looking at footage and discussing how the story is unfolding. It is still a definite act of patience to watch it unfold. With out giving too much away, it is intense and the story is so worth telling. I am so in it now that I almost feel like the story is bigger than me.
Now prepping for the theater. I will be shooting backstage, up on the 3rd balcony, center of house and down house right – can not wait!!! I am not posting any video as we don’t want to give it away!
We have been here 6 days now. Last night was the last performance and it was so beautiful. The theater was full and I was sitting next to a man that drove 5 hours to see the performance! I of course had to interview him after the show. The interview was in Spanish, so I had no idea what he said, but I got the gist when he said magnificent and excellent!
I filmed from the first row of the theater. I can not tell you how much I love doing that. I feel so connected to the performance and what is going on, on the stage. I have not looked at my footage yet from last night. People are so touched here, this is what art is about.
I interviewed Nejla on the stage of the theater and she got a little choked up talking about how the performance touched the people here. She didn’t want to cry, but who does want to cry in front of the camera. There is an underlying intensity here from the people. It is very interesting how everyone looks like they are completely fine and then they say to me “don’t walk alone, don’t go there.” I wonder are they all just putting a smile on for us. I guess it is a big lesson in when it gets tough do we walk around with a frown or do we make the best of it.
I have a great sense of compassion for the people here.
I am very excited to be here in Central America. I am creating a documentary about Nejla Yatkin of NY2 Dance. She asked me to work on this film back in November and we seemed to immediately click, I just could not pass on the opportunity.
Nejla has an incredible story about her courage that brought her to dance. Born of Turkish Muslim parents in Berlin, Germany she had to hide the fact that she was dancing from her parents. Through overcoming a lot she courageously left her home and became a professional dancer in the United States.
This film will tell her story, celebrate her 10 years with NY2 Dance and show how she touches communities with her art. We are currently in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Already I have seen the impact that she is making. Honduras is going through a lot right now and one man told me last night that she is the first International artist to perform here since the coup many months ago. One of her pieces is called “Echoes of Hope – Still on the Ground,” how fitting for the people here. Nejla and I were speaking with a local here last night and he brought it up, he said this is what they need is “hope.” Nejla started to cry and I got a little teary eyed as well. I think he thought she brought the piece intentionally. She didn’t.
She is a force for bringing art to communities to bring change and I am really impressed. I hope to share a few video clips. I have been here for about 48 hours and shot about 3 hours of video. When you consider that I will be here for 3 weeks, that is a lot!
Whether you are a novice videographer capturing your child’s first performance on stage, or an expert shooting at the Joyce Theater, the foundation of a good shoot is your tripod.
When you are filming events like dance, sporting events or anything that moves, you want to be able to tilt and pan with ease.
If you have ever seen a video that is jerky this is typically because the videographer was perhaps fighting with the tripod. Incessant shaky tilts, zooms and pans are the hallmark of an amateur shooter.
With all of this said, it is so much more fun to work with a tripod that flows.
If you are thinking of getting into video, amateur or professional, be sure to invest in a great tripod.
Things to ask about when you purchase:
Weight: We recommend over 30 lbs. This can make a huge difference when you are shooting as it is much less likely to get bumped around by you or others.
Fluid Head: Get a tripod that has a nice fluid head. See if you can try the tripod with your camera on it and make sure you like the feel of the fluidity both in tilting and in panning the camera.
Balance: It is great to get a tripod with a carpenters level bubble built in. This helps to make sure your camera is even balanced when you go to shoot your footage. If you are shooting from far away, make sure to take in the horizon line (stage level) of what you are shooting to make sure it is level in the frame.
Let me know if you have any questions about video and I would be happy to help.
For some of you uploading videos to YouTube or sharing them on the web is easy. For some, it seems like a daunting process. I wanted to break it down for you.
First, if you have not already, check out the Flip video camera. You can choose HD or SD. Honestly SD is just fine unless you have bigger plans for your video. Here are the steps to take to share your video:
Record your fabulous video with the Flip camera
Flip open the USB connection on the Flip camera
Plug into your computer & transfer files to your desktop
Log into your YouTube account (click here to sign up for YouTube)
Click upload video
Browse for the video you want to upload and voila it is ready to share
(*Note you can click private or public in YouTube)
The amazing thing is, you don’t need any editing software or special programs, you just need the camera and a youtube account.
My mother was not able to join us in sunny California, so my husband sent her videos to keep her in the loop. She loved it and felt connected. Here is video we sent her of my daughter eating sweet potatoes for the first time. (Click Here)
Why two-cameras is a question that comes up often in my line of work. It can be quite obvious as we are all used to watching many different angles on television (the last Super Bowl had more then 30 cameras), but when it comes to documenting dance it might not be so obvious. Here are a few things to think about as you consider what to do for your next concert.
A two-camera shoot offers a multifaceted experience. Your wide shot will provide you with an archival version of the concert, ideal for remounting works. The close camera can be used for promotional materials, highlight reels, video stills etc. Together, the close and wide shot make for a beautiful two camera edit, maintaining the integrity of your artistic vision and choreography while creating variety and a nice balance of close and wide angles.
When shooting with one camera I always shoot as wide as the action, and for some concerts that can mean that I stay pretty wide at times. When you add in the close camera, you can pick up the nuances of the piece and focus in on where the eye takes you as if you were in the audience. I do feel it is very important to keep the full body of the dancers in the frame most of the time.
The close camera can move with the dancers and capture the feeling of what is happening on stage while the wide camera establishes where the dance is in space. Two-cameras is preferable because it is more interesting to watch.
Here are a few reasons why two cameras may be right for your show:
* There are set pieces or video projection in the concert and it is important to capture those elements throughout the show.
* You would like to create a highlight or promotional reel which require engaging shots.
* The theater is large and the cameras will be pretty far away from the stage.
* The wide camera needs to stay as wide as the action if not wider for reconstruction purposes.
* You have more then 4 dancers on the stage at one time.
* Your dancers or actors have important facial expressions that need to be captured on video.
* You want to create video stills from your concert.
* To give presenters a real idea of your show, so they can visualize it on their stage.
* To make it more compelling for the grant panel to watch.
The summer was full of so much dance and such inspiring companies. Two weeks ago I highlighted Keigwin + Company in my newsletter. They were definitely a highlight of the summer. I put together a very short clip of K+C for your viewing pleasure. This was a two-camera shoot filmed at the Joyce Theater in June of 2009. Keigwin + Company is one of those companies that just makes you feel so good when ever you watch them. Larry Keigwin just has an incredible sense of humor and timing. Enjoy!!
