How to Get a Crash Course Without Trashing a Camera

It's a bad idea to take your new camcorder out of the box for the first time on the morning you start shooting your video. For one thing, it might not work properly. But even if it does, any piece of complex technical gear has foibles, bugs, and “design trade-offs.” It's best to learn about them early—when you're shooting test scenes, for example—so you won't waste valuable time while actors and technicians stand around with the clock ticking.

REALITY CHECK

If you intend to transfer your production to film or master it for broadcast in the future, now is the time to talk to your lab, transfer house, ...

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