London 2012 kicked off last night with an immense Opening Ceremony in the British capital. Everyone seems to be getting into the Olympic spirt – even the least sporting (me!). Even if sports aren’t your thing, why not go for gold and choose some Olympic inspired shoes with these gold, silver and bronze options:
Want to be a part of this summer’s biggest story? Ever dreamed of being a journalist? Think you’ve got what it takes to report straight from London 2012? Well, now you can. Thanks to Samsung’s Global Blogger search.
Samsung are offering bloggers from all over the world a once in a lifetime opportunity to be an ambassador blogger in London during the Olympic Games. Bloggers will be able to share their personal experience of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the different cultures that make up the city; capture the ‘taste of London’ uncovering the best the city has to offer; and to broadcast their experiences to the world on the specially created Samsung blog. If you would like to take part, you’ll need to record a 30 second video stating why you should be picked to come to London and submit it online before 29 April.
British chef, Jamie Oliver, is part of the Samsung Global Blogger campaign. As a lover of food and flavours he has recorded a video which will explain why he feels London is the greatest city in the world and why you should apply to take part and experience the unique ‘taste of London’ for yourself:
If you think you’ve got what it takes and want to submit a video, make sure you check out these top tips taken straight from Samsung:
USE THE BEST EQUIPMENT YOU CAN: Buy, beg or borrow superior pieces of kit wherever you can. A golden rule in film-making is ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’. If the quality of material you capture is poor, no amount of trickery in the edit suite will turn it into gold. Quality can only diminish and cannot be improved significantly in the editing process if it’s not shot well in the first place. To get the best quality, you need good kit.
CAMERA – HD OR NOT HD? You don’t need to have a budget like a Hollywood film director to make good quality video. High definition video cameras are commonplace and very affordable nowadays. HD is not essential, however, as standard definition camcorders can produce high quality pictures – as long as certain rules are followed.
OTHER KIT – TRIPOD, LIGHTS, MICROPHONE: You need a sturdy tripod to eliminate camera shake, some lighting kit to make sure your subject is well-lit, and a good quality microphone to capture the sound. Again, this can be very affordable. A tripod is essential to make sure your viewer does not feel like they’re on a boat while watching your video. A simple top light ensures that the picture is not too gloomy. And a good mic helps eliminate background noise or interruptions.
EDITING KIT: Every film-maker needs something to edit on – it could be a laptop, home computer or professional editing suite. There are plenty of affordable editing packages available. The more sophisticated packages require a good level of understanding, but the ones most commonly used by professionals are intuitive and allow you to produce good results quickly. Be prepared to spend at least three times as many hours editing as you do shooting to get a good-looking result.
PREPARATION: Once you have your kit, the key to producing good video is preparation. Make sure you have everything ready, with spare batteries and tape if necessary. Even the best cameramen have occasions when they are halfway through a great interview and the battery packs up. Test all your equipment twice – once beforehand, and then again when you get on location. Set up your camera on the tripod, try out a few shots with a friend taking the place of the interviewee, and look carefully at the backdrop.
LOCATION: Nothing distracts from a great interview more than a busy background, with lots of activity behind the subject. Either go for a plain background, or if it is to be at a location that adds to the meaning of the piece, such as a stadium or landmark, make sure it is not too obscure or obtrusive. Make sure it looks right before your interviewee arrives.
LIGHTING: Look through your viewfinder and make sure there is enough light. If it looks gloomy on location, it will look worse in the finished piece. If it is a bright day, you need to make sure you are shooting with natural light on your subject’s face, not behind them. Never shoot into the sun, or with strong light (such as floodlights) behind your subject. If you can’t avoid them, use a top light to illuminate your subject’s face. Adjust your exposure so that it looks natural. Even on automatic settings, you can get good pictures if you have enough light on the face of your subject.
FOCUS: It might be stating the obvious, but if the shot is out of focus it will be unwatchable. Autofocus is the default setting on most cameras, but if you can use manual focus, do so. You will always get a better shot if you focus manually. The expert’s secret to super-sharp focus is to zoom in close at the beginning of any interview on the subject’s eyes, and focus so that the eyelashes are sharp. Then pull away and everything should be perfectly in focus. Remember to refocus before different shots.
LISTEN TO YOUR SUBJECT: Good sound is almost as important as the perfect picture, and you will rarely get this from the built-in microphone on a camera. Use a camera with a mic input socket, allowing you to attach an external mic. Test the audio levels twice – once before your interviewee arrives, and then just before you start the interview (it often breaks the ice to ask them to say what they had for breakfast). You need to get audio levels just right – too low and you will have background noise (hiss), too high will lead to distortion.
BE LUCKY: So many things can spoil a great piece of video – poor lighting, poor sound, shaky camerawork or distractions in the background. Reduce the risks by preparing as well as you can – and cross your fingers!
Of course, let us know if you do enter – and more importantly, if you win!
The Team GB kit for London 2012 and designed by Stella McCartney was launched in a grand ceremony at the Tower of London this morning! Here is the launch in-real-time via the Stella McCartney Instagram feed:
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