Utilizing Cameras

There are many other preset "shots" that will be invaluable time-savers. Experiment and find others that you'll use often based on your service.

Also, as a camera operator, learn the rule of thirds. This is a biggie, so memorize this.

If you divide the picture into equal vertical thirds, you'd have a left third, middle-third and right third. The center camera (you must have a center camera – I'll not accept an exception to this rule) must keep the subject matter in that middle third at least 80% of the time. Why not 100%?
Because people tend to move.

If you zoomed into a waist up shot and tried to follow every body movement to keep the subject perfectly centered, your camera would ALWAYS be jerking left and right. Stop that! It's OK for the subject to begin to wander left or right. Don't move – let them ‘sway' in that center-third. Only when they begin to get to the edge of the screen do you begin to compensate – smoothly – and then the focus is again on the center-third.

For "side cameras" (off center axis from the center camera by 30 degrees or more), the rule of thirds is slightly different – but your camera also has these same thirds.

From a side perspective, the subject is usually talking towards either the left or right side of your screen. If you perfectly center them, the viewer will wonder why it looks like they're talking to a wall. You need to lead the area they're looking towards by maybe 10%-20% of the screen. It will seem more natural that, "Oh, hey, he's looking at something I can't see but at least know is there – the audience."

Training

The need to train your volunteers and practice the camera shots, zooms, pans and overall movement will necessitate doing drills when nothing else is going on. Drills such as: