Filming Essentials
Your one-stop pit stop for all info on SA training/equipment rental to film your videos.
Step 1: reserve a workshop time slot with your SA team at the New Media Center (Feb. 25 - March 8)
Please email Paula Brett at the Princeton New Media Center (NMC) to reserve a 30-minute workshop with your SA team for an introduction to storyboarding and filming (camera use, lighting, and sound recording).
NOTE: Your team must plan to have their workshop before Friday, March 8. After March 8, the NMC won't be able to train you using the same specialized equipment available for your actual film shoot. And yes, you and your team members should all try to come together for one workshop time slot.
Step 2: review the NMC storyboarding primer
Please review the following 5-page primer on storyboarding before showing up for your workshop. It's a quickie, lots of pictures, this won't take long.
You can download the primer here:
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Step 3: please be on time for your appointment!
The New Media Center is located on the ground floor of Lewis Library. You can confirm the location of Lewis Library here in the PU interactive campus map.
Step 4: contact your Writing Mentor and arrange a storyboard meeting (March 6-12)
Once you and your team have completed your storyboard, contact your Writing Mentor and arrange a time to meet for half an hour, to review your storyboard. Try to arrange this meeting before the end of Week 5 (March 4-8) or very early into Week 6 (March 11-15), as most of you will be very busy with mid-term exams during Week 6. It would ideal if the entire team plans to make it for this feedback meeting.
Step 5: your video production is underway (March 12 - April 20)
Plan out your storyboard in as much detail as possible, so that you know exactly what sorts of props to acquire in advance and be prepared to complete your film shoot in 1-3 days of filming, at the most.
More info on reimbursement of production expenses, coming soon...
Plan in advance (ideally, before you leave for Spring Break) for which dates your team will plan to rent the following items from Princeton Media Services:
- a High Definition digital camera ("Digital DV Camcorder"),
- a camera tripod ("Camcorder Tripod")
- a lighting kit ("Student Video Lighting Kit"), and
- a sound kit ("PZM Mic" or "Wired Lavalieres").
NOTE: many other courses on campus assign end-of-term video projects, so it's essential to plan ahead and reserve your equipment for filming during the weeks after Spring Break (weeks 7-10, March 25 - April 20). Equipment can be rented by calling Media Services at (609) 258-3196, or emailing them at media@princeton.edu.
The equipment rental charges for items 1-4 can be be found here.
Supplemental Workshop events: please refer to the right sidebar for location, dates and rsvp info to attend a number of supplemental/optional animation, filming or editing workshops after Spring Break, at the NMC and J Street Media Center in Wilson College. These workshops are not required, but they're highly recommended!
Step 6: screen raw footage (<3 min) at the SA Test Screening Night (Thursday April 11, 4:30-6:30pm, Rocky/Mathey theatre in Rockefeller College)
Screen your raw film footage and get professional editorial feedback from journalists Teresa Riordan (Senior New Media Editor, School of Engineering and Applied Science) and Lisa Jackson (Video Producer/Editor, Office of Information Technology). More info on this event coming soon.
Step 7: post-production editing workshop (April 1-14)
Learn how to edit and complete production of your video. For this final workshop, you have the option of either reserving a 30-minute workshop with Paula Brett at the NMC, OR attending the open workshop on Sunday, April 14 with Lisa Jackson (2-5pm, NMC).
