Tip #211: 5 Creative Ways to Use Mirrors on a Video Shoot
… for Visual Effects
Tip #211: 5 Creative Ways to Use Mirrors on a Video Shoot
Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
Mirror tricks to make your productions look bigger.
Jason Boone first wrote about this for Shutterstock.
Mirrors are surprisingly helpful on video shoots – and for far more than checking hair and makeup. As cameras get smaller, mirrors can help you get shots you’d otherwise miss.
Here are some examples:
- Overhead rig. Put a mirror, rather than the camera, on a C-stand then shoot into it, using it for an overhead angle. A 45° angle tends to work best, because then the camera can shoot directly into it.
NOTE: Remember to flip the video in post to compensate for the reversed image in the mirror.
- Low angle. Lean the mirror against a book placed on the ground for an extreme low angle.
- Extra depth. Hang the mirror from a C-stand where the camera would normally be placed. Then, put the camera next to the talent and shoot into the mirror to get extra depth.
- Fake background. Put the mirror near the talent and use it to create a fake background, if the actual background is uninteresting or objectionable.
- Reaction shot. When using two or more actors position a mirror to show one actor reacting to another actor. This is a clever way to capture a reaction shot without using or cutaway – or wasting time in shooting a different angle.
EXTRA CREDIT
- Remember to keep the mirror extra clean all the time.
- Use a large mirror
- Bring along an assistant to help with mirror wrangling.
If your mirrors are big, attach good padding to the corners, as that’s the part that will scrape the ground or wall & break the mirror. Been there, (wish I had not) done that!
Find a clothing store or department store, furniture store, etc. that is closing. They may be selling their numerous mirrors.