Shooting video, whether it’s for your company’s Web site, daughter’s ballet recital or favorite sporting event, is not as simple as point your video camera and let it roll. Take a little extra time to follow these few guidelines from Amber Gardner, Hammock's video and editorial intern, you will end up with a higher quality video.
- Use a tripod. Shaky video is unwatchable video.
- Don’t shoot in front of windows—it washes out your subject. Make sure that the lighting around your subject isn’t distracting or over powering.
- Follow the Rule of Thirds. Imagine a box with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines going through it. Whoever you are interviewing or shooting should be framed in the left or right thirds of this box. (There are exceptions if you are shooting buildings, an event or group of people.)Think of it this way: If you are shooting someone he should be taking up most of the frame either to the left or the right. If you are interviewing someone and frame her to the right, she should be looking at you across the open space to the left, not straight on and not at the camera.
- Use headphones. Sound problems can be fixed or avoided simply by using headphones to make sure everything is lining up—and that no weird sounds crop up and muddle an interview.
- Have a plan. My worst videos have been a direct result of not having an idea of what I wanted when I began shooting. It’s as simple as knowing if you want to get some pans of your daughter doing a turn or a wide shot of all the players on the field. Knowing what you need out of your video when it is all over will give you a more successful shoot and more choices when it is time to edit.
If you are looking to buy a camera, bigger isn’t always better. If you aren’t a professional videographer, all you need is a smaller home-video-style camera. Don’t let “home-video-style” fool you—you still need a tripod. Before you purchase, look for how clear the image will be, how well the camera zooms, what sort of lighting options it comes with and the length of the battery life.
Amber Garner is Hammock’s Winter 2010 intern. View one of her videos.
