When shooting an event like a keynote with a single camera, it’s hard to create a polished end product when you only have one camera angle. The other drawback is that when it comes time to edit the product, the PowerPoint slides have to be individually added and combined, which is a time-consuming task.

The solution to this is to capture a second camera angle as well as capture the power point presentation in real time. This is because you need a second camera angle or alternate image to effectively edit the video.

The video editors’ job is to condense and tighten up the event, remove pauses and errors, and make it flow smoothly. To do this, the editor must cover the edit points by overlaying another shot, which can be a second camera angle such as a shot of the audience, or indeed the slideshow itself.

While it’s challenging for a camera operator to capture the speaker, audience, and PowerPoint slides during the speech, with a little planning it’s not impossible.

The end result is that your final product will look like there is more than one camera present, even though there isn’t.

the perfect setup

In a perfect world, every such event would be covered by at least three HD cameras, which would then be sent live to a vision mixer along with the Power Point slides as an HD feed, and editing would be done there in live. In the instant.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible, but there are some techniques we can use to emulate this process, making time in the editing suite much more productive and adding more overall production value to the product.

In such a single-camera session, the two camera angles should be the main speaker and the audience. We also need to capture the PowerPoint presentation, but we won’t do it with a camera.

main speaker

With the possible exception of the beginning and end of the address, the camera frame covering the speaker should be no more than full body length, ideally a shot from the waist up known as “medium shot” is the closest shot. appropriate for the most direction.

However, it is good to change or mix the frame as the direction progresses, to create visual interest. This might mean switching to a full body shot and then back to a medium shot. Switch to a mid foreground or MCU and back to mid shot.

The point at which it is safe to change the viewport is shortly after a new PowerPoint slide is displayed. This is because in the edit, we will be cutting the Power Point slide at this point, which in turn will hide the camera movement.

The audience

It is important to get a variety of frame sizes when filming the audience. Ideally, you need a wide establishing shot, plus a mix of group shots and close-up shots of a single person. This gives the editor a lot of options and also creates visual interest.

But how do I film the audience when I’m already filming the speaker, I hear you say? You fix it in advance.

When I host a single-camera session like this, the first thing I need to do is explain to the host or keynote speaker the importance of getting the audience shots. I explain that to do this, I will need to reposition the camera from the back of the room to the front, without losing any of the critical information contained in the presentation.

To get these shots of the audience, I need at least 10 minutes, so an arrangement must be made to add or lose a 10-minute section. This is normally done towards the end of the address.

Occasionally the keynote speaker will indicate that there is a small portion of the presentation near the end that is not critical to the video product, in which case the speaker does not need to add any material. They just tell me the reference point for this footage and I reposition the camera at that point.

Most of the time, this window is achieved when the speaker adds a 10-minute anecdote, story, or example that is relevant to the topic, but does not need to be included in the video.

This gives the camera operator time to reposition himself in front, to get multiple frames of the audience.

After allowing me 10 minutes to get various shots of the audience, the speaker finishes his story, says thank you to the audience, and I get a chance to get a nice wide shot of an audience clapping, which can be used at both the beginning and the end of the program.

Most of the time, the MC will instigate a second round of applause for the keynote speaker, allowing for a second round of applause in a different setting.

If it’s not possible for the Keynote speaker to give you a 10-minute window, ask the MC to do it for you. Most of the time they are more than accommodating, after all they are getting a champagne product on a beer budget.

All of these audience shots can be added to the edit, not only creating visual interest, but also allowing the editor to cut dialogue at will.

What about power point slides?

Here’s a nifty little trick that allows a camera operator to simultaneously film the keynote speaker, while at the same time real-time capturing power point slides in an HD format of your choice.

This is possible thanks to the humble clicker or remote control of Power Point.

Get a copy of the Power Point presentation ahead of time, upload it to a laptop. Place the laptop on a chair or on the floor next to the camera operator (in the rear camera position).

Secure the clicker to the tripod handle (double-sided tape is good for this) and you’re good to go.

Simply advance each slide to the rhythm of the speakers’ presentation. Using a screen capture software program like Screen Flow, you can capture the presentation in the HD format of your choice. Since I’m using a Mac laptop with Final Cut Pro editing software installed, I’m able to capture the presentation in Apple ProRes format, which is the same format as my camera recording.

The finished screenshot can be synced with the camera footage in the editing suite.

When it’s time to edit, I simply import the slideshow into Final Cut Pro and intersperse it with my other footage using the multi-camera editor. This drastically reduces my editing time and makes it easier to add each slide individually.

So not only does the client get a product that exceeds their expectations, but I have a much easier time editing because I have audience shots and PowerPoint slides to cover my edits.
Now go ahead and multicam.