Here are a few of the best practices that should be used when filming a diver and editing the footage. While the impetus and focus of these comments is pointed toward footage used in a DVD application for High School All-American, these ideas can be incorporated for tapes sent by a prospect to a college coach.
The Camera Angle
The best angle to use while shooting diving video is to get as close to the perspective of the judge as possible. While many times parents, coaches, or videographers, are not permitted to film from an ideal location on the pool deck, it is important to understand that any angle other than that seen by the judge has the effect of putting the diver at a disadvantage.
Whenever possible, avoid taking the video from in front of the diving board (generally nearer to the shallow end of the pool), or from an angle looking down on the diver.
Lighting
Bad lighting on a video is a killer! Everything from having the entire scene washed out in a white light, to having shadows so bad that the diver appears to be a silhouette, can be a disaster for those judging the footage. It is a good idea to scout the location of the competition to see where the best place for filming is, instead of either moving during the competition, or hoping to correct the mistake during the editing process.
Many pools have large open windows and if the light is streaming in, it can be very hard to get a good clear picture. Avoid shooting the camera into the these windows, not only can they make the overall lighting too bright, the diver may “disappear” into the light during the dive. Also try to avoid shooting where the camera films the diver as they move through dark spots. Again, the diver may “disappear” into the shadows or dark area.
If the footage does turns out to have problems, there are solutions. Many editing programs have tools that allow the user to adjust the brightness and contrast of the footage. Do not hesitate to use these tools, or if you feel uncomfortable, contact a professional for help.
Scope
When I refer to the scope of the footage, I want to get the point across that the diver, the pool, and the diving board need to be in the picture. By including each of these aspects, it will eliminate the common mistake of allowing the diver to move in and out of the picture frame. Judges give scores based on the overall impression of the dive, and that means a broad perspective, taking into account all facets of the dive. By focusing in on just the diver with a tight shot, many elements of the dive may be missed, such as height, distance from the board, etc.
It is also very hard to follow a diver with a tight shot unless you are an experienced professional, and if the diver moves out of the camera shot, it will detract from the score.
Timing
I don’t want to harp on a particular issue, but I am – scores are based on the overall impression of the dive! The timing of the footage can be a distraction. Starting the filming process a split second before the hurdle, or cutting off the end of the dive before the diver is under the water will generally make it hard to get a good overall impression of the dive.
Two good practices to use when both filming and editing footage are:
- Take more footage than you think you need. Film the entire contest if you need to! It is always easier to remove un-needed footage than it is to add it in.
- In the final product, try to allow at least 8 seconds between the time one dive hits the water, and the approach and the hurdle begin on the next dive. This allows time, just as in a real meet, for the judges to enter their scores
Movement
In a nutshell, get rid of it! This includes both camera shake, panning with the diver, and zooming.
The best way to avoid camera shake is to use a tripod (best practice), or something (a rail or ledge) to stabilize the camera. Watching a performance by a diver when the camera is shaking or bouncing is extremely difficult!
Referring to the section on Scope, the idea here is to include in the footage: the diver, the diving board, and the pool, specifically the area where the entry will occur. Panning and zooming with the diver is acceptable as long as it does not effect the overall impression of the dive. The better practice though, is to keep the camera in one spot, without any movement. I have yet to see a judge get up and move closer to the edge of the pool to “zoom in” on the dive!
One final note about movement, don’t use cell phone cameras!!! They are unstable because they are not mounted, have poor quality, and usually result in a blurry diver!
Labeling
Always make sure to label the DVD. Don’t be that one diver who has a great performance, but does not label the disc and gets disqualified!
Make sure that the DVD has a physical label on the front, and either use an editing program to add the name, address, competition and date to the DVD, or have the diver hold this written information in front of the camera before the contest.
Although it is not required, many editing programs allow transitions to be added in between dives that will alert the judges to the dive being performed. This is a nice added feature and it definitely adds to the “overall impression” of the DVD.
