Video Scavenger Hunt

I got this idea from an art teacher in the Minneapolis School District.

Use your camera to record...

1. A wall without many distracting lines, shapes, or colors. (Simple Background)
2. Record someone on the other side of a window.
3. An outside wall, show the entire length but keep the camera as close as possible to the wall. (Using lines to show Perspective and Depth)
4. Almost the entire length of sidewalk with the camera placed in a way that it almost touches the ground. (Ground Shot)
5. Someone sitting on the ground while you hold the camera above your head. (High Angle) Then you sit down on the ground and point the camera up to someone standing above you. (Inferior/Superior POV)
6. Someone walking away from the camera while the camera follows at waist height.
7. Someone walking over your other shoulder as you lay on the ground, the camera should not touch the ground.
8. Someone walking up to the camera but stopping 4 inches away. Pause the camera. Someone walking away from the camera starting from 4 inches away. (Through the Body)
9. Someone standing between 2 vertical lines, or someone's face between 2 vertical lines. (Framing shot)
10. Someone at the bottom of a slide, the camera at the top. (Using lines to create depth.)
11. Someone standing, the camera near the ground pointing up to the person's head and the camera twisted at about 45 degrees. (Dutch Angle)
12. Someone far away. Pause the camera. That same person then really close. (Wide Establishing Shot/Extreme Close-up)(background/foreground)
13. Someone standing, the camera moves in while you zoom out. (JAWS Shot)
14. A locker door opening from the point of view inside the locker. (POV)
15. Spin in a circle without falling down with the camera pointing at your face. (Whip shot)Then do it with the camera pointing away from you.
16. A close-up on someone's eyes and zoom out.
17. Camera moves in while 2 people walk past.
18. One person holds right hand, palm facing sky. Another person goes way behind them until it looks like that person is standing on the first person's palm. (Forced Perspective)
19. Someone's silhoette-film somebody in front of a window or use the projector's light.
20. Look for a pattern somewhere in the surroundings.


This exercise is intended to accomplish a few things at once.
A. Get you to ask questions.
B. Get you to interpret and follow directions.
C. Get you to think about different camera positions and what they are used for.
D. Get you to work with your team.
E. Get you to handle your camera carefully in unfamiliar ways.