Image Magnification

Imag (pronounced eye-mag) is the technique of making event leaders more easily seen, by putting a video image of the event leader into the video program, using cameras that are zoomed up close to the body of the leader.

Scenarios that may warrant the use of imag:

  1. An event is so large that a significant number of attendees are too far away from the leaders (or stage) to clearly see what is going on.
  2. A significant number of attendees are located in "obstructed view" areas of the venue.
  3. The event program includes "prop" or "show & tell" items that are too small to be seen well by the audience and it would be anticlimactic to merely show "still pictures" of the items (taken or found previously during pre-production) on the projection screen.

Necessary items to make it work:

  • Video camera with:
    1. excellent zoom capabilities
    2. excellent anti-shake capabilities
    3. tripod, unless the camera operator will be up close to the subject
      • Sometimes it may be ok to use a PTZ (remotely controlled, motorized Pan/Tilt/Zoom) camera, but normally this would require the subject to stay still and not wanderanywhere. See the Video Cameras for Live Events page for more information.
    4. video output port that can be interfaced to the video mixer
  • Video cabling to get from the camera to the video mixer
  • The rest of the live video production system
  • A separate person to operate the video camera. Generally, it is a bad idea to try to mix and operate a non-motorized camera at the same time.

Notes about Video Cameras for Imag

It is imperative to use a regular video camera (on a tripod, unless extremely close to the subject), not a PTZ camera, to ensure that the operator can follow every subtle movement of the subject. PTZ cameras simply do not allow the operator to "feel" the movement of the subject. Also, video cameras used for this purpose need to be of higher quality, with smooth controls and excellent anti-shake or image-stabilization. Zoom capability is extremely important when the camera is located at the rear of the venue. Usually it is necessary to use a professional grade camera for imag. For more information regarding video cameras, please visit the Video Cameras for Live Events page in this wiki.

Camera Techniques Specific to Imag

For the most part, standard video camera techniques apply. Some exceptions may include:

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