Ladies and gentlemen, enemies and friends, on this sunny and blossoming spring day, we have gathered together to watch a DV production - "The Bandit Suppression of Birdcage Mountain." "The Bandit Suppression of Birdcage Mountain" captivates with its concise rhythm, crude visuals, absurd plot, and poor acting... This is the latest DV masterpiece by Hu Ge following last year's highly acclaimed "A Bloodbath Caused by a Steamed Bun." Currently, it can be found linked on many video websites, with a significant number of viewers tuning in, sparking another wave of excitement. It should be noted that this is merely one of the representative works among countless DV productions. Setting aside commentary on the themes reflected in the original film, just considering the tremendous influence it has had among DV enthusiasts, it demonstrates that DV videography is increasingly favored and becoming more accessible to the general public. One could say this is a snapshot of the culture and popularization of DVs. Nowadays, more and more people are fond of expressing their emotions and thoughts through this new medium of DV videography, bringing joy to audiences while capturing life's moments and preserving dynamic memories.
DV is everywhere
With prices continuously dropping, DV cameras have become increasingly affordable. Models priced at 3-4 thousand yuan are now common, and some even cost less than 2000 yuan. What was once a luxury item for the few has now opened its doors to the masses. Owning a DV camera has become a new choice for the general consumer, entering thousands of households. Whether in family settings, gatherings, trips, meetings, or campus life, you can often see people using DV cameras for entertainment or creative pursuits.
On campuses, it's not uncommon to see groups of students using DV cameras to record their lives. Many wonderful DV programs have appeared during student festival galas. It has become a new way for the younger generation of college students to document their lives, express their thoughts, and vent their emotions, bringing us more brilliance. In March 2004, Tsinghua University’s Times Forum held a special discussion on "Campus DV Culture" in a salon format, and the Student Union organized the first "DV Culture Festival." The topics and formats of the participating campus DV works were extensive, including MTVs, story films, comedies, documentaries, experimental films, etc., leaving everyone pleasantly surprised. For these college students, most use DV cameras for creation.
On the other hand, an increasing number of household users, especially newlyweds, have become a major consumer group for DV cameras. They record their children's growth process from birth, walking, babbling, attending kindergarten, primary school, etc., preserving precious memories. We can see that many young couples willingly spend money on DV cameras (currently, DVD camcorders suitable for home use, led by Sony, dominate this market). For these household users, most use DV cameras to record daily life and their children's growth, utilizing the most basic function of DV cameras – recording.
In addition, the commercial use of DV cameras is also being increasingly explored and utilized. For business professionals, they favor hard-disk style camcorders with ultra-long shooting capabilities (currently, only Sony and JVC dominate the hard-disk camcorder market). We can see that in many important conferences and events, there are users filming with DV cameras. They hope to record every detail and aspect of the event, preserve it as static material, and even transmit live footage via computer wirelessly – remember, time is money. They can also replace digital cameras, using DV cameras to capture outdoor advertisements, POPs, promotional flyers, etc. For these business professionals who need large-scale shooting and are familiar with computers, they use DV cameras primarily for commercial purposes.
Whether for creation, recording, or commercial use, these are all examples of the continuous exploration and deepening application of DV camera functionalities. As the application of DV cameras continues to expand, the popularization of DV cameras becomes inevitable. In fact, through the "New Image Power - National Youth DV Competition" hosted by Sony Handycam in 2004, which was a leader in the camera industry, we can see clear evidence. That edition of the DV competition not only sparked a nationwide DV culture craze but also received over 700 DV works within just three months, achieving unprecedented success and becoming a landmark event in DV history. After the event, Sony continued to receive numerous DV works, providing the best testament to the competition's powerful influence.
DV is everywhere, deeply rooted in people's hearts.
Shoot whenever you want, play with your DV freely
"DV (Digital Video, i.e., digital camcorder) uses digital signals, offering the advantage of advanced nonlinear editing equipment, making its playback quality reach professional-grade image quality. Its relatively low cost and compact portability provide a key to a large group of people hoping to express themselves through images."
Unlike professional photographers and videographers who require high-performance, multifunctional DV cameras for large-scale creations and super fans, for the vast majority of consumers, expressing oneself through images, recording life's moments, and realizing collective "director" dreams are the greatest aspirations. For them, owning an easy-to-operate, stylish, portable, affordable, and high-quality DV camera is already "satisfactory." With the increasing operability and convenience of DV cameras, more and more consumers have become adept at handling DV cameras freely, shooting whenever they want. In theory, the quality of a work or even ordinary captured footage does not entirely depend on the quality of the machine itself. The climax of "The Bandit Suppression of Birdcage Mountain" serves as an example. As stated in the movie: "The Bandit Suppression of Birdcage Mountain" captivates with its prolonged rhythm, crude visuals, absurd plot, and poor acting...
Attached: DV Shooting Skills
1. Stabilize Your DV Camera
If the DV camera wobbles excessively during shooting, the resulting footage will be very unstable when viewed on TV or transferred to a computer, causing dizziness akin to seasickness or carsickness. Therefore, stabilizing the digital camcorder is almost the most critical fundamental for any successful DV footage. While traveling, try to find stable objects (like walls, poles, trees) to lean against to stabilize your center of gravity. Use a tripod (or monopod) if possible. If no support is available, ensure proper holding posture: hold the DV camera with one hand, focusing the weight on your wrist, keep your elbows close to your ribs, breathe steadily, stand with feet apart, and stabilize your body's center of gravity. Avoid walking and shooting simultaneously; otherwise, the footage will be shaky, which might not feel apparent while shooting but will become evident during playback.
2. Appropriately Control the Duration of Each Shot
If a shot is too short, the image appears unclear and tiring to watch. Conversely, if a shot is too long, it affects viewing enthusiasm and becomes annoying. Therefore, controlling the duration of each shot is worth careful consideration.
Suggestion: Close-up shots 2-3 seconds, medium-close shots 3-4 seconds, medium shots 5-6 seconds, wide shots 6-7 seconds, panoramic shots 6-11 seconds, and normal shots ideally 4-6 seconds. When shooting, pay attention to making the content in the frame interesting. Generally, viewers tend to focus on moving objects in the frame. If there are no significant moving elements, a long shot would be meaningless. However, long shots are not entirely useless. If the objects in the frame continue to move, viewers will remain interested, and long shots are suitable for depicting the entire process of a story. Using them appropriately can be very effective, though mastering their use is not easy.
3. Level Your DV Camera
If using a digital camera (DC), tilted photos can be easily adjusted later to return to a level position. However, if the DV footage is significantly tilted, it will be unwatchable when played on a television. Some higher-end professional DV cameras display gridlines on the viewfinder and LCD to help maintain a level position. If your DV lacks this feature, simply align the horizontal lines (e.g., horizon) and vertical lines (e.g., power poles, buildings) in the frame with the edges of the viewfinder or LCD.
4. Use Zoom Cautiously
Each zoom action can be considered a special effect of lens movement. Frequent and aimless use of zoom can make the image appear unstable when viewed. Additionally, frequent zooming increases battery consumption, reducing shooting time significantly. For expressing the same scene, consider using fixed focal length shots from different angles and distances, which may yield better results.
5. Avoid Backlighting
Front lighting makes the subject clearer. In most cases, ensure the subject is under adequate light intensity. Backlighting causes the DV camera to overexpose bright areas and lose details in shadows due to high contrast, leading to a loss of overall detail. A saying goes: "Good photographers always keep the sun behind them," which holds some truth.
6. Master White Balance
When traveling, the environment changes rapidly. One moment, you're in bright sunlight outdoors, and the next, you're indoors with complex lighting or even in a dark cave. Generally, the automatic white balance on most DV cameras can adapt automatically. However, if possible, adjust the white balance according to the color temperature conditions and subjects. Since natural landscapes often include red flowers and green grass, adjusting the white balance slightly warmer can enhance the beauty of greenery. If using automatic white balance, turn off and restart the DV camera when moving from outdoors to indoors to allow the white balance to readjust automatically. This situation is quite common during travel, such as when photographing temples in scenic spots.
7. Maintain Balanced Composition
To excel in DV shooting, understanding some basics of composition is essential. The principles of composition in videography, photography, and painting are entirely interconnected. The key to composition lies in achieving "balance." Balance can also be understood as harmony, meaning it feels comfortable to look at. If the position of the main subject and the environment changes and immediately feels uncomfortable, this is an indescribable sensation. For example, in travel scenery shots, the position of the horizon leaves a strong impression. During shooting, avoid placing the horizon along the middle line of the frame because doing so divides the frame into two equal halves, giving a stiff feeling. Placing the horizon lower in the frame gives a calm impression, while placing it higher gives an active and forceful impression.