Practicing sleights on camera

[Caladan21ph]

Hi! So I just got my video cam. Any tips on using it it to practice my tricks/sleights? Do I just point it at my hands and shoot away? Thanks!

 

[praetoritevong]

Yeah, absolutely a few other tips. Mix up where you put your camera (ie get different angles). Don't look at your camera, but look at where people would be. Don't put the live feed from your camera where you can see it - film it first, and then watch it later.

 

[Zenn_Darkfire]

Yeah, absolutely a few other tips. Mix up where you put your camera (ie get different angles). Don't look at your camera, but look at where people would be. Don't put the live feed from your camera where you can see it - film it first, and then watch it later.

I agree... first start off by positioning your camera where a spectator might be looking. This way you'll be able to tell if you are flashing and can learn to fix it. Then have from your point of view so that you can re-watch it later and really focus on the move (rewind, slow down, zoom in, etc). Then just mix up the angles and you're good!

 

[zatch]

Wait like a day or two before watching it again. So that way you kind of forget what is on the video. That way when you watch it, you won't be prejudiced with what it's supposed to look like.

 

[RikAllen]

It's like they said, mix up the angles. A good way to do this is practice whatever you're doing 10 times at one angle (unless it's an entire act!) and then 10 at another, 10 at another, do them with little pause in between too (finish the first time, take a deep breath and do it again).

I practice new sleights with two cameras at once (webcam and other cam) to get twice as much feedback (though the webcam quality isn't great) per session.

Camera's are also great for rehearsing scripts so you can know what it sounds like when you perform.