In the final part of our series on professional photographers who have made the switch from stills to video, Marc Gafen speaks to Andy Hatton, who makes his living shooting fashion, advertising, sports, documentary and live music.
Relative new-comer Andy Hatton – www.andyhatton.com – has been shooting stills professionally for three and a half years. Rather than focus on one particular genre, Hatton says that he has instead concentrated on a personal style he feels he can apply and adapt to almost any scenario. He’s shot everything from fashion, sports, documentary, advertising campaigns and editorials, product, events and live music.
“I believe it’s good to be as versatile as possible which is why working in both stills and video opens up a range of different opportunities,” Hatton says.
Hatton first became attracted to video a number of years ago while assisting a friend shoot a fashion promo video clip. “I saw things happen with the way light moved and changed on video that you just don’t see in a still. Suffice to say, it excited me.”
Photographer, film maker and director, Andy Hatton.
In 2010 Hatton was asked to film a behind-the-scenes clip of a fashion shoot for the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
“I had no experience of video at this stage, but I bluffed my way through it and learned as I went,” Hatton admits. “They were happy with the clip and it opened up my mind to a completely new way of working.”
Still from a series shot by Andy Hatton at the new St Kilda foreshore skate park. The sequence was shot feehand with a variable ND filter. (Image by Andy Hatton.)
For those about to delve into video, Hatton says it’s important to realise it’s far preferable to have too much, rather than too little footage, as it can otherwise make editing much more challenging. “When the options are limited you don’t have fluidity in your footage and it’s hard to tell the full story in the best possible way,” he says. He goes on to say it’s also critical to be thinking about how scenes and clips are going to flow from one to the other because that’s where he believes the magic lies. “Keeping the editing seamless helps keep the viewer engaged.”
Rather than shelling out tens of thousands of dollars on gear, Hatton instead hires most of the specialist equipment he needs. However, for those serious about shooting video on a regular basis, one worthwhile investment, according to Hatton, is a constant lighting kit. This may take the form of tungsten lights (“redheads”) or a light panel such as Kino Flow. Another particularly useful piece of gear is a variable Neutral Density filter. Hatton says that these are invaluable if you are shooting during the middle of the day and require a cinematic look and feel to your work – created by shooting with wide-open apertures. Also worth considering is a solid video rig with a ‘follow focus’ option which will help you shoot smoother footage with greater control over your focusing.
A clip from a short fashion clip shot with a DSLR camera rig to allow greater precision with follow focus and balance. A rig will always help stabilise your shots and raise the production value of your clips. (Image by Andy Hatton.)
An important aspect of shooting engaging video is the incorporation of camera movement into a piece. Hatton says that camera movement is where the energy comes from and that it can enhance the mood you’re trying to portray. Typically, he’ll hire well-known slider rigs, but for those who want to improvise Hatton says you can use anything from a piece of paper to a bag on a table which can be used as a dummy slider. “You’ll be amazed at how much it can elevate the production value of your footage,” he says. “And this is all due to camera movements. I think it’s one thing photographers jumping into DSLR video don’t necessarily always think about.”
If you’re planning on travelling light and shooting video while you’re overseas, Hatton suggests practising holding the camera fairly flat in your right hand with your left hand holding the focus ring on the lens and see how you go with pulling focus while moving the camera. He says that the looser you are in your movement, the less camera shake that will be noticeable.Hatton’s approach to story telling with video is reasonably similar to his approach with stills. “When I’m just documenting, I try to begin with an establishing or wide shot, then maybe introduce a character or something, then focus on some details, try and evoke some sort of mood or movement, ending with a good strong image or scene to leave the viewer wanting to see more,” he says. “I always think it’s about what you don’t show rather than what you do.”
Image taken from a film clip shot in Port Melbourne by Andy Hatton. The sequence was shot freehand with a variable ND filter to allow a greater range of movement and add pace, energy and mood. (Image by Andy Hatton)
If you’ve already started playing around with video and you’re eager to improve, Hatton says one of the best things you can do is to shoot and edit as much of your own material as possible. By editing your own work, he believes you’ll quickly realise how much material you actually need in order to make a story work. Preparation and planning before actually shooting any footage is also crucial and Hatton says the value in story boarding your whole clip, drawing it freehand like in a comic strip, can’t be understated. And finally, when you’re shooting, Hatton suggests paying close attention to capturing the details. “They all build up the overall story. It’s better to have too much than too little when it comes to video. The more variety you have when you come to edit, the better your decision-making can be when it comes to piecing your clip together.”
(cheveux) from Andy Hatton on Vimeo.
How to Shoot Beautiful Videos With Your DSLR (Part 1)
How to Shoot Beautiful Videos With Your DSLR (Part 2)
Article first published in Australian Photography + digital (October, 2013) magazine.