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Establishing Shot Challenge


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Marketing Concept Behind Establishing Shot:  The establishing shot would be used for an entertainer's demo reel. The rental room of a public library is generally very inexpensive to rent out. Clients who rent a library room for an event will rarely (if ever) spend over $1,000 to hire entertainment. On the other hand, events that occur in a large ballroom in a 4-Star hotel require a higher price to rent. Clients who spend that money to rent an expensive hotel ballroom tend to have a considerably higher budget for entertainment (assuming they decide to allocate a budget). 

To establish an entertainer as someone experienced (and a good fit) in the settings that high budget events occur, it is advantageous to show video footage of the entertainer at a high budget venue. A nice establishing shot that shows a high-cost venue helps brand the video (for prospective buyers who pay well). 

Tools Available for Establishing Shot:  I've seen some really cool establishing shots made with drones, helicopters, and gimbals. I don't have any of that equipment and can not spend more money on film gear right now. Here is what I have to work with. 

  • Sony Alpha a6400 camera (no in-camera stabilization)
  • Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens (no optical stabilization)
  • Kit lens for a6400 (16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 with very minimal stabilization)
  • A few fluid-head tripods
  • Google Pixel 3a mobile phone (good digital image stabilization and optical stabilization, 120fps for slow motion)
  • Small cell phone tripod
  • Plenty of light (will be shot outdoors during cloudy day)

Sequence Directly After Establishing Shot:  Directly after the establishing shot, the entertainer will be outdoors and walking toward the hotel's entrance door. The walk will be shot from 3 different angles at 120fps to do slow motion. You can see what I mean from Position 0:08 to Position 0:32 in this video:

The Challenge:  The challenge is figuring out how to get a good establishing shot. Also, the technique should work for any hotel and not depend on the luck of the scenery. The establishing shot would cut right to the walk-in sequence in slow motion. Can you think of any possibilities? 

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