Five quick ideas to make better videos
Buy a $50 mic/recorder and learn how to use it
Terrible sounding audio will destroy an otherwise amazing video.
On-camera (built-in) microphones are almost always too far from the subjects
you’re recording and end up “hearing” too much environmental noise and “room
bounce” reverberating throughout a speech. For the kind of up-close presence heard
from radio & television presenters, you’ll need your microphone set a few inches
from the mouth. Because it’s just not that feasible to hold your camera 3-10
inches from subjects’ mouths, I recommend lavalier and handheld microphones
priced between $30 and $50 as a starting point. Budget mic reviews are plastered
all over the internet, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble identifying a few
suitable candidates for your purpose. Also, use headphones (or earbuds if you
must) to identify & mitigate wind noise and other audio problems in real
time (rather than struggling to correct them in post).
Avoid the zoom!
Video is all about steady, well framed shots. Zooming in and
out is frustrating for the viewer, and zoom generally amplifies jittery effects
of camera movement. Use zoom very sparingly, erring on the side of not using it
at all! It’s nearly always better to stand closer to your subjects than to compensate
for distant shots with zoom. Even with great image stabilization the results
are often not as good as being closer. Of course, there are exceptions, but
consider getting some tight shots after the main shoot. It’s fine to supplement
your package with a few close-ups that can be stitched into the package as
b-roll.
Hold shots steady; don't pan or bounce around scene
excessively
It’s instinctive to point the camera where you’re looking,
but it makes for annoying movement for the audience. When you frame a great
shot that helps tell a story, allow your viewer to take in the composition. Us
photographers might be hyper-active, but that should not inform our shooting
style because it’ll drive people crazy!
Use a tripod, stick or stabilizer
Cellphones – or mobiles – make great camcorders, but
the form factor is hard to keep steady; it takes purposeful effort to tuck
elbows and stand very still, particularly if you’re multi-tasking. Using neck
straps, selfie sticks, monopods and tripods will help you produce stable scenes,
like having a third hand.
One final thought before I leave you to your work. I’ve
noticed that too much space between the top of the frame and the top of a
subject’s head makes them appear sinking or downing in the frame, and leaves
little or no room for lower thirds – or titles. Try framing so that the
tops of subjects’ heads are at, or near, the top of the frame.
Now go out there and practice shooting the kind of footage
you enjoy watching & crafting into beautiful stories!
Upcoming article ideas:
One great reason for buying higher resolution cameras than
your final packages will be affords you more flexibility to pan & zoom in
post.
Cheap gear generally can’t handle challenging environments
and make for cheap looking videos, but if you can control the circumstances by using
a solid tripod, ideal lighting and external audio devices, you might be able to
overcome some the weaknesses of discount equipment.
