How to shoot video

How to shoot video

In an age where YouTube entrepreneurs, citizen journalists and amateur video extraordinaires dominate the media channels around us, you might be wondering how to shoot video effectively. Perhaps you’ve just started a small business. Or maybe you just want to chronicle your baby’s first steps.

We’ll give you 3 tips on how you can get started on the path to impressive and effective videography:

1.  First, you’ll need the proper hardware. There are numerous ways you can capture video. If you’ve got a smart device or digital camera, you are probably one step ahead of the curve. However, which hardware you should choose depends on the end of your video antics.

If you’re just looking to capture some intimate personal moments and share them to social media, then iPads or other tablets, smartphones and even digital cameras can work well. Even small businesses can effectively utilize these instant gratification-type tools. However, if you need something with some miles and want to create a high-quality instructional video or something that requires on-camera interviews, a sturdy, good-quality video camera might be the right fit for you.

Long story short: Do your research and make sure the end justifies the means. Two informational websites that offer great reviews of video cameras, phones and tablets include pages on cnet.com and pcmag.com.

2.  Once you’ve chosen the device you will record on, it’s time to hone your skills. First thing’s first. Make sure that baby is charged up or has fresh batteries. Then make sure the camera is right-side up and the record button is actually “on” when you’re ready to start. It sounds like common sense, but you’ll be kicking yourself the moment you realize you recorded EVERYTHING BUT the moments that really mattered.

Here are a few more tips to make sure you capture something memorable, and you capture it well:

— If you want to ensure a steady shot, consider investing in a tripod on which to place the camera. Not looking to spend the extra bucks? Try leaning your body against a wall to keep your hands steady or balancing the camera on a flat surface level with the subject you are shooting.

— Do not shoot directly into the sunlight if you are outdoors. If you are indoors, avoid shooting directly into open windows or else the light will wash out the subject in the foreground.

— Get close enough to the action so you can clearly see what’s happening in the frame. And get close enough to your subjects so that you can hear them clearly. If you are doing an on-camera interview, you might find the use of a lavalier mic essential. If you don’t have the discrete device for interviews, make sure background noises are at a minimum when you say “action!”

— Speaking of action, that’s the cornerstone of a great video. Viewers want to see movement, excitement. Capturing the action and even emotion, experimenting with different angles/locations are good things to think about when capturing video.

— Start the recording a few seconds before and end it a few seconds after the action. You will sometimes need a little buffer when you go to edit your video.

— Be observant of your surroundings. You might be missing something interesting going on just a few feet to the left or right.

— Practice, practice, practice = perfection.

3.  The final step will be to edit your shots into a seamless, coherent, complete video. Even if you are looking to share a video via social media, you will find sometimes you need to or want to make your video shorter, especially when using video sharing services like Tout or Vine.

Some free or low-cost software options to help you get started include: Windows Movie Maker for PCs, iMovie for Macs or Avidemux for both. If you need to do more intricate editing techniques, which include putting sound bites over video clips, for example, you will do well to invest in a software package that packs a bigger punch. Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro offer solid video editing capabilities if you are looking to do some hardcore editing yourself. But those are only two of many on the market.

Again, pcmag.com offers tons of great video editing software reviews. And an informational article on Mashable.com suggests what to look for in a software program.

Remember though, if you want to tell a stunning visual story without the hassle of doing it yourself, we offer numerous services to aid you before, during and after the video production phase. Contact us and we’ll help you get started.

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