How To Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck! Presented by Mr. Sands 8th Grade Math Teacher Urbana Middle School Urbana School District #116
First Example
Second Example
Which Video Did You Prefer? •
What did the second video have that the first video didn't have?
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What other differences did you notice between the two videos?
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If given the chance, which video would you rather watch again?
Some Words From the Author
1. Think in Shots •
If you “set it and forget it,” so will your audience.
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There’s a reason why the Superbowl telecast is covered with 27 different cameras.
Museum Field Trip Shot List
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Think about what you are shooting?
Students loading bus
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Who/what are you pointing it at?
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What is that person doing?
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Is it interesting?
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If not, then shoot something else!
Don’t run the camera nonstop!
Road signs Entrance to museum Titles of exhibits Students in gift shop
2. Don’t Shoot Until You See The Whites Of Their Eyes Happy
Forced
Apprehensive
Disengaged Genuine
2. Don’t Shoot Until You See The Whites Of Their Eyes •
“Miss the eyes, and you miss half the message.”
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TV is a medium of close-ups (Web videos even more so)
3. Keep Your Shots Under 10 Seconds Long
3. Keep Your Shots Under 10 Seconds Long
4. Zoom With Your Feet •
10x zoom = 10x shakier
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To get closer shots, move yourself (and the camera) closer to your subject
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Don’t. Ever. Use. Digital. Zoom.
4. Zoom With Your Feet
4. Zoom With Your Feet
5. Stand Still! Stop Fidgeting! And No Zooming During Shots!
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Think of your camera as a still camera
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Move, Point, Shoot, Stop (Repeat)
5. Stand Still! Stop Fidgeting! And No Zooming During Shots!
6. Keep The Light Behind You •
Most cameras today automatically adjust for light
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The camera gets confused when it has to deal with multiple sources of light
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Unless you are purposely trying for a silhouette against the sunset, keep the brightest light at your back
7. Turn Off Your Camera’s Digital Effects •
If you shoot footage with a digital effect, you are stuck with it.
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You can always add zany effects after the fact with almost any editing program.
8. Focus On Your Interests. •
If you are not interested in what you are shooting, your audience will quickly lose interest
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If you are not interested in the basketball game, shoot the players on the bench, the coach’s crazy antics, reactions of the parents in the stands, etc.
8. Focus On Your Interests.
9. Don’t Use Amateurish Titles. •
Only use titles when necessary •
Title of video
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Identifying people, places, or time
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Pop-up video thought bubbles that are dramatic or funny
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Keep titles small and easy to read
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Put them on the top or bottom third of the screen
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Use white text for dark backgrounds or black text for light backgrounds
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If you must, use a gradient or soft bar behind your title so it will pop and be easy to read on screen
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No shadows, no outlines, no underline, no motion, no glows, no postervision
10. Keep Your Video Short •
“Always leave them wanting more”
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Just because you can shoot for an hour and a half on your video camera doesn’t mean you should. •
When in doubt, “Cut. It. Out.”
11. Use An External Microphone •
Most camera adjust for their own sound levels
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Usually this means that they tend to boost whatever it is they hear (crowd noise, traffic, wind, your subject, etc.)
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To record the best audio, get close to your subject
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Better yet, use a clip-on external microphone
11. Use An External Microphone
11. Use An External Microphone
11. Use An External Microphone
12. Take The “Quality Pledge”
