03
The Shooting Day - What to do
It is always good to do some preparation on the shooting day, before rolling the camera. 360-degree videos are mostly one long take with no cuts, so getting familiar with the scene will make the process smooth. Stand at or walk around the place you are going to shoot the video. Rehearse the content according to the objects in the scene (ROIs) and get familiar with your script. ​
At the scene 01 - It's all about the camera
To place the camera properly, follow these guidelines:
-
Think of the camera as a person you are speaking with or to show things to. Place the camera where people normally would sit or stand when being talked to, having a lecture, or joining a lab tour, etc. (refer to this part for more details about placement).
-
Make sure the camera is roughly at the presenter's eye height. (see Figure 2)
-
If there will be multiple presenters, arrange them in a semi-circle, and place the camera among them somewhere on the edge of the semi-circle. DO NOT put the camera at the centre of the semi-circle. This is because if you think of the camera as a person, the person will most likely feel uncomfortable standing at the centre of a ring of other people.
-
Keep the camera at a “normal” social distance; 1 meter might feel too close and 1.5 to 2 meters may be more appropriate (see Figure 2).
-
Remember that the camera does NOT need to be deliberately pointed at things since everything will be in the shot. But, you will need to make sure the ROIs are both visible and close enough for the viewer to make out the required detail.
-
Mind the default “front” of the camera, so the viewing experience will begin with the “action” in front of the viewer. The default front varies with different camera models, refer to the camera instruction page, or the user manual for details. (also see Figure 3 (a))
-
Avoid putting important things at the "seams" where the lenses' fields of view meet, because the images at the seams will be partially cropped during export. For 360-degree video cameras with two ultra wide-angle lenses (e.g., the Insta360 ONE X, GoPro Max, etc.), the seams will be at the two sides of the camera (see Figure 3 (b)).
​
Figure 2. Recommended placement of the camera
Figure 3. The front, back, sides of a camera (ONE X, in this example), and the "seams"
(a) A front view of the 360-degree camera, stand in the front and back of the camera for best capture qualities
(b) "seams" (the red zone) are formed where the FOV (the blue shades) of two lenses meet on the side, avoid the seams when capturing. Use the "action zones" instead.
Figure 4. Camera rotation and mounting the camera to a selfie stick; (a) and (b) the camera is not required to be held upright; (c) if the camera is kept upright and mounted on a selfie stick, the selfie stick will be visible in the final 360-degree video footage; (d) the recommended way of mounting the camera to a selfie stick.
Although a steady camera pose is recommended for most scenarios, as it will lead to a comfortable viewing experience, in some cases you might want to move the camera while capturing. We recommend to keep the following in mind:
​
-
When moving the camera while capturing, use the selfie stick or the tripod but DO NOT hold the camera body directly, otherwise the viewer will feel like his or her head is being held in someone's hand.
-
Make sure to keep the camera at the presenter's eye height while moving.
-
Add context to the movement. The presenter can say “let us walk over there" or “let me show you over there” before moving the camera.
-
Move the camera as smoothly and gently as possible in a roughly straight line. Avoid rapid rotations or other sudden movements.
-
Holding the camera upright is NOT required or recommended (see Figure 4 (a) and (c)).
-
Mounting the camera in a line with the selfie stick is highly recommended (see Figure 4 (b) and (d)); it helps to make the selfie stick invisible, and to compensate for bobbing while walking.
-
Most cameras today have very good stabilization capability, so smooth walking will not introduce too much shaking.
-
Give a short pause after a long movement, so the viewer can have some time to look around and familiarise with the new location.
At the scene 02 - The Triangle of the storyteller, the camera and the ROI
In 360-degree video production, the locations of the camera, the presenter, and the region of interest (ROI) naturally form a triangle (see Figure 4), which affects the viewer’s perception of his or her location in the scene, the relationship with the presenter, and the comfort of seeing both the presenter and the ROI.
Figure 5. The “Triangle Rules” of the camera, the presenter, and the region of interest, when there is one presenter only
The following recommendations are called the "Triangle Rules", which serve as a practical reference.
-
The presenter will need to mind the distance to the ROI (close-by or distant) and the camera’s mobility (moving or stationary).
-
When the camera is stationary and the ROI is close-by, the presenter is recommended to keep a normal social distance (i.e., 1.5 to 2 meters) to the camera and to stand within reachable distance to the ROI (see Figure 5 (a)).
-
When the ROI is far away, the presenter is recommended to choose a location so that both the presenter and the ROI can be seen by the viewer without the need of intensive head movement (see Figure 5 (b)).
-
If the presenter needs to move, such as walking along a path to describe several ROIs, the camera should be moved at the same speed of the presenter and on one side of the moving direction all the time (see Figure 5(c)).
Figure 6. The “Triangle Rules” of the camera, the presenter, and the region of interest, when there are other actors in the scene
If there is more than just the presenter in the scene, other audience members (e.g., actors) can choose their own locations to stand by referring to the following rules:
-
When the actors and the camera are stationary, the actors are recommended to stand on the same side of the camera with the presenter so the viewer can see them all (see Figure 6 (d) and (e)). The actors can face the ROI, either nearby (see Figure 6 (d)) or at a distance (see Figure 6 (d)).
-
If the group is moving, the camera should be move together with the actors while being kept at a location where all actors and the ROI are visible within a comfortable field of view (see Figure 6 (f)). It should be noted that when the ROI is distant, the group formation leaves two possible locations for the camera; the camera can be placed either behind the line connecting the presenter and other members, or on the side of the group (the marked “alternative camera position” in Figure 6 (e) and 6 (f)).