1 . Use an external microphone for interviews. During your first ENG assignment, some of you discovered that the camera microphone is not suitable for doing an interview. Choose a quiet place to do your interview. If it's windy, use a windsock on the microphone.

2 . Use headphones when you tape an interview. Don't wait until you're back at the college to discover that your sound is bad. Replay your material and check the sound to make sure it's clear.

3 . Use a tripod whenever possible. During editing, some of you might have wished that your shots were steady.

4 . Don't zoom or pan unless there's a reason to do so. Too much camera movement makes editing difficult and annoys the viewer.

5 . A bright background will make your subject appear dark. Think of the light when you're taping. Don't shoot people in front of bright windows, (unless you want silhouettes.) When shooting outside, the sun should be behind the cameraman.

6 . Don't talk while you're shooting. Even if you're just getting cover shots, you'll still want wild sound. Don't ruin it by chattering. And remember, your voice is being recorded . be careful what you say.

7 . Think of sequences of shots and mini-scenes. If you want to shoot someone working at a computer, don't just take one medium shot. Think of building a sequence. Medium shot from behind, close-up of face in profile, close-up of hands on keyboard, reverse medium shot, long shot from across the room, etcŠ These cutaways will come in very handy when you edit.

8 . Don't forget to get an establishing shot. You need a shot, usually a wide shot, to establish where the scene is happening.

9 . Don't be afraid to experiment. Use your imagination. Look for interesting angles to shoot from. Think of how you can tell your story visually (with pictures.) Be creative.

10 . Try doing some re-asks and reaction shots. Even if you don't use them, they're fun to do.

11 . Watch your background. Make sure that there's nothing inappropriate behind your subject and make sure that he doesn't appear to have weird things sticking out of his head. Use the rules you learned in Visual Communications.

12 . Zoom in tight to focus. After you have focused, pull back to the shot you want.

13 . Hold your shot for longer than you need. If you want a shot for five seconds, hold it for at least ten seconds. This will make editing a lot easier.

14 . Get a good variety of shots. Don't come back from a video shoot with all medium shots.

15 . Think of the editing stage when you're shooting and think of how to improve your shooting when you're editing. Some people say that you only learn to be a good cameraman in the edit room.

16 . Watch the news and think about what they're doing. Learn from the professionals.

17 . Have fun. Television production is work but it's a lot more fun than making pencils.