BEFORE YOU TAPE:

Ask yourself what you are going to need for your shoot ahead of time. Grab some interview tips, prep your camera/accessory bag and charge the batteries - the night before if possible. Be sure you have directions to the event. Consider the legal aspects of the situation. Do you have your lawyer's number with you in case you get arrested? Do you have a copy of the local ordinance on the rights of onlookers? Do you need to print up a press pass or wear a 'legal observer' armband?

GETTING STARTED:

DATE & TIME / ENDS OF TAPE
At the beginning of each taping situation, have the date and time appear for three seconds, and then get rid of it. Don't leave the date/time on for much longer or it will make the footage less valuable for use in making videos or on the news. Another way to establish important facts quickly (without having to press any buttons) is by simply speaking into the camera's microphone (eg 'so-and-so is getting arrested for x, it is Friday, May 7, 1 pm, Union Square,') then go back to being quiet and letting the camera record what is happening. For legal value within the court system, in-camera date & time stamps are more credible. Be sure that the camera is programmed for the current time.

Allow one minute to run at the beginning of a new tape before you start recording. The tape at the very beginning and end of your cassette will have more glitches and sound and colour irregularities. If you are near the end of your tape, and you like what you are recording, get a new tape.

Actually turning the camera off and removing the battery will make your batteries last for a lot longer than having the camera on standby, or off with the battery attached.

Carry lens paper and clean your lens frequently.

FRAME UP AND ESTABLISH
As an action, bust-scenario, or any shooting situation gets under way, scan the scene for shots that will establish the scenario for an audience. Is there a sign, building, tree or vehicle that indicates where you are or what the issue is?

Frame up on subjects (ie banners, people) so that nothing is cut-off and so that there is not too much empty space. Hold still. Get a good, long shot 10 seconds or more on each important shot. Video editors and journalists will love you if you give them enough to work with. Get good stills (shots that don't zoom or pan).

Focus on identifying features and pan from them to the action (eg the sign near the government building where people are protesting). When you pan across a scene or from one subject to another, move slow and steady, with a consistent panning speed. Provide even coverage - avoid over-shooting your end subject and having to move the camera back. Practice your pan with the camera in the standby mode - maybe pan twice at different speeds, but don't pan too much.

The same goes for zooming in and out. Going from a good wide shot of an action area and zooming in (at a steady pace) to a tighter shot of an arrest, can be a good way to place the smaller scene in context for viewers. But again, don't zoom too frequently. It is easier to find things quickly and your footage will be more stable if your camera is open wide and not left in a zoom position. Get close to your subjects and let the camera be an objective eye - get good images without putting the focus on the act of filming itself. And remember viewers won't have the benefit of the real context. You must establish that for them.

DURING YOUR SHOOT:

WITNESS SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY
Every action and shooting situation is different; be ready to move fast or to stay still, to let authorities know that they are being filmed, or to stay hidden. Consider all your options. Take steps to ensure that you are able to stay on site and document what occurs. Dress appropriately for the conditions. In some situations you might want to obtain a press pass and present yourself as an 'objective' journalist type. In other situations, the best approach may be 'setting up a blind' - a place where you can film the action area and remain hidden to authorities.

á Get as close to the action or the subject as possible without getting caught, arrested or hurt. If you cannot get close, keep the subject/action framed as tightly and aesthetically as possible by filling the screen. Zooming in is often necessary, but increases the chances of shaking and an 'artificial' look.
á If the police are wrongfully arresting someone - or whenever you need to identify the police on hand - read off their badge numbers into the camera; this is faster than trying to zoom in and out on people that are moving. An assistant can help with this.
á Be mentally and physically prepared to remain non-violent in threatening situations and stick to the camera. Stay calm and focused.
á Having an assistant can be very helpful. They can run out hot footage, watch your back while you stare into your viewfinder and look out for important shots that you might be missing. A runner might help you by running dead batteries to a nearby car with an AC Power Inverter plugged into its cigarette lighter.
á Don't try to fulfil any other roles when you are the video witness support person. Activists, organisers and legal staff will need good video documentation of what occurs. Be quiet and be attentive to getting good footage.
á Follow up information. If protesters are being arrested, find out where they are being taken and who else is doing documentation work on site. Are there ways to contact people later, to share footage, facts, etc? Is there a central number to stay in touch with?

DISCRETION AND COURTESY
There are some things you simply should not tape. Be clear about which actions and situations are meant for the record and which might better be left undocumented. Video tapes can easily become evidence for the police if the videographer is sloppy. Announce to everyone that you have a camera and would like to start taping. When in doubt, ask, and don't take it personally if people are suspicious or hostile to the camera. Sometimes people are shy, other times they have very good reasons for not wanting to be taped. Distinguish between what is important for the action itself and what is nice to have for other purposes (like a documentary).

That said, in certain situations you can get incredible footage by pretending that the camera is not on. Practice taping with the camera in your hand near your hip, and pointed up at the person, as if you are simply resting it there. Keep a wide zoom and hold steady, while trying to act natural. Put electrical tape over the recording indicator light so no one knows it's on. Sometimes the audio alone is priceless.

GET GOOD AUDIO
Sound is so important in good video and typically underestimated in non-professional documentation. If you have some time, get samples of police radio, support people talking to authorities, authorities issuing commands, etc. Think of the video camera as a tape recorder. Editors can sometimes do wonders with just the audio. And radio shows are often dying for good audio to use.

There are two types of microphone that will greatly enhance the quality of your audio:

Unidirectional Microphone - this type of mic can be pointed at the source of sound that you are aiming for, and filter out the sounds you don't want. It will also allow an audio monitor to sample violent epithets, comments and conversations that authorities and/or workers might not say with a camera up close.

Wireless/Remote/Clip-On Microphone - Primary support people, peace keepers, activists who go inside government buildings, etc can get precious sound samples and the authorities may never even know that they are being recorded by a camera that is 200 feet away. The clip-on mic plugs into a small transmitterthe receiver plugs into the camera's mic jack.

Always monitor your audio with headphones to be sure that things are okay. Buzzing and even radio interference can occur with external microphones. Be careful not to cross headphone wires with microphone wires, and to keep the mic away from the running/moving parts of your camera.

Built-in mics aren't great, but if it's all you have, make sure you are really close to your subjects. Consider forfeiting the visual all together and placing the camera mic near your speaker's mouth. You can also shoot from the bottom of their head, trying to frame-up a nice, upward shot, while keeping the mic close.

TELL A STORY
If you are filming a banner hang, for example, get good long shots of the banner being painted, of the climbers preparing and climbing, of the banner coming out of their pack, of the people looking up at the banner, of the cops arriving, etc. Don't forget to get people's reactions to what is happening. Your visual images will then tell a story, and a skilled editor will be able to set it to music or add narration. Ideally, both video and audio will be capable of telling the story on their own.

INTERVIEWS
If you have the time, try to interview people as much as possible. Interviews can be a great source of narration or 'voice over' material. Get the camera microphone close to their mouth or use a directional mic.

Get your 'cutaways' after the interview is over. If your subject is talking about something and points to the object they are describing or commenting on, keep the camera on their face as they talk. When they finish, take a few moments to get a clear shot of what they were talking about.

KEEP YOUR TAPES ORGANISED & SAFE
Keep a list of what you record and label your tapes promptly. Do it. Make sure you label the date, location, camera person, brief description and tape's number if there is more than one. Keep extra blank tapes on you and ready to use. Keep sensitive material (eg 'The Bust') separate from other tapes in case they are confiscated or subpoenaed. Try to use professional quality tapes and always keep your tapes clean, dry, cool and away from the sun or extreme heat. Videotapes are extremely fragile things and should be treated delicately.

AFTER YOUR SHOOT:

TAKE CARE OF SOURCE TAPES
Now that you've got the great footage, keep it useable! Play it through a clean camera - once only - while making VHS view tapes through a VCR. Then put it away. Should you make the effort to preserve your footage (especially if it's regular 8mm or VHS-C) by transferring the best clips to SVHS? If you must make copies for people, copy from your VHS copy, using two VCRs. Save your source tapes for editing with later. Glitches are the videographer's nightmare and they mostly come from the source tapes that have been played and rewound too much, or banged around, etc.

PREPARE FOR WHAT'S NEXT
Do you need to prepare the equipment for the next shoot, or for someone else? Drain and recharge your batteries. Remove completed tapes from the camera and cue the next one up. You might need to remove the battery from your microphone for long term storage. Follow through on any contacts you may have made at the shoot (eg media, legal support, other activists.) Review and evaluate the quality of your footage.

Other info

iContact's Video Camera Tips at: www.videonetwork.org

Midnight Special Law Collective's reporting, police misconduct tips and documents at: la.indymedia.org/copwatch.php3

Paper Tiger TV's Video Camera Tips at: www.papertiger.org

Indymedia's newsreel, THE SERIES. Producer's tips with stills to demonstrate at: satellite.indymedia.org