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Like many event videographers, I fell into this field by accident. But unlike most accidental videographers, who start by videotaping family events and such, I was a music major at the Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University's music school, when my video muse came calling. I was completing a dual-degree program when a grad student asked me to videotape his master's recital, for which he'd composed and choreographed an opera. We taped it on a Beta two-piece with mono audio input. I found this video stuff very interesting.
After graduation and a series of nowhere audio engineering jobs, I received a call from Peabody in April 1988 to see if I could videotape a degree recital. Not only could I, I told them, but I could even tape it in Hi-Fi Stereo! I took my Panasonic AG-460 and a pair of stereo microphones, and my career as a professional classical music videographer took off.
Videotaping classical music is similar to taping stage performances, but with two critical differences. The pace of the shooting is much slower, and the quality of the audio is much more critical. The vast majority of shoots I've done have been with a single camera. Most classical recital shooting is archival in nature, whereas shooting ensembles requires more preparation about what to key in on, and when to do so. A good pair of microphones is also a must, because you'll have to be responsible for your own audio, and classical music has a lot more nuance to it than most other events you may be used to working with.
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
First, you need a camera that has stereo inputs and a stereo headphone jack (which most high-quality units already have). Stereo imaging, even if you're shooting just a piano, is very important. The stereo "spread"-where instruments are within the left/right stereo spectrum-is what defines a recording. And the concert hall acoustics must be accurately captured as well.
The next thing you'll need is either a good set of microphones or a stereo microphone. I recommend using cardioid condenser mics. Condensers, which require a power source like phantom power or batteries, tend to be more sensitive to dynamic response; they can handle a wider range of dynamics from very soft to...