Production Techniques: Camera, Audio, Lighting and Graphics
This is the largest practical domain. The exam tests whether you can set exposure, choose a shot, place a microphone and describe a lighting pattern.
Camera
- Exposure triangle – aperture (f-stop, also controls depth of field), shutter, ISO. Use the 180-degree rule: shutter = 1 divided by twice the frame rate, so 1/50 s at 25 fps. Raise ISO only when needed.
- Tools – zebras, histogram, waveform, focus peaking, ND filters for exteriors, manual white balance (3200 K tungsten, 5600 K daylight).
- Framing – rule of thirds, correct headroom and lead (nose) room; shot sizes EWS, WS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU; angles high, low, eye-level, Dutch.
- Movement – pan, tilt, dolly, truck, pedestal, handheld, zoom. A zoom changes focal length; a dolly moves the camera.
- Continuity – 180-degree rule, 30-degree rule, eyeline match.
Audio
Keep peaks around −6 dBFS and average near −12 dBFS; record 48 kHz/24-bit; always monitor with headphones; record 30 seconds of room tone; boom just outside frame; shield from wind; check lavalier placement for rustle.
Lighting
Three-point pattern: key, fill, back. Fill ratio sets mood - high key is bright and even, low key is contrasty. Hard light gives sharp shadows; soft light wraps. Remember the inverse-square law: doubling the distance to a point source quarters the intensity. Match colour temperature or gel deliberately with CTB (to daylight) and CTO (to tungsten).
Graphics
Lower thirds carry name and designation; keep text inside title safe (about 80%) and action inside action safe (about 90%). For chroma key, light the green screen evenly, keep the subject away from it to avoid spill, and avoid green clothing.
Worked example
A subject sits beside a bright window. Reasoning: the window is roughly 5600 K and far brighter than the room, so set the LED key to 5600 K with a softbox, expose for the face using zebras near 70% on skin, and let the window stay slightly hot or diffuse it. A reflector on the shadow side keeps the contrast ratio low.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling a zoom a dolly.
- Shooting at 1/1000 s and then wondering why movement strobes.
- Crossing the line between two shots so characters appear to swap sides.
- Unmonitored audio that clips.