We've Seen a Lot of Video Footage!
Some is good and some could be improved upon with
some slight adjustments.
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you
film:
Hold your camera still, and sometimes
use a tripod. Make sure your camcorder has an image stabilizer.
Avoid a lot of quick zooms in and out.
Make sure you are filming in a
well-lit area. Dark rooms will look grainy on the television.
You can also use a camera light, but your subject will have to
be close enough to the light for it to make a difference.
Get lots of close-up shots of people.
Zoom in on people's faces, just make sure you stay in focus.
Watch for backlighting! Don't film
with bright light behind your subject, like in a dark room with
a bright window.
Clean your camera lens with an
appropriate cloth.
Remember the
"Rule of
Thirds" even with video taping. Imagine your screen is split
into three columns and three rows. Film your subject so he
intersects one of the outer lines. Click
here
for more information.
Get those MONEY SHOTS! These are the
shots that show emotion between people. It could be eye contact
between two people, a kiss, a hug, two people smiling at
each other, two people sharing a giggle. The best footage is of
people with other people interacting in emotional ways.
If a person is important to you, make
sure you film him/her. We see a lot of baby footage where
grandma is usually out of the shot completely. Film grandma
holding the baby!
Begin your shot zoomed in on your
subject, then slowly zoom out to reveal the rest of the scene.
If you have a panoramic shot of
scenery, it's best to narrate it. You may forget where you were
and why you were filming!
Get those shots that help set the
scene: a house, city, ballpark, school, etc. Where does your
action take place? Make sure you get footage of the scenes
around you.
While filming, make sure you get those
"cutaway" shots. For
example, if you're filming your son's first birthday, make sure
to get shots of grandma laughing while he opens presents, and of
the group of people singing happy birthday. These shots are
important and help us with the editing!
Get face shots. Avoid lots of shots of
the backs of people's heads, unless you're looking for some
artistic effect.
If you're filming children, get down
on their level! This is so important, otherwise all your footage
will be top-down and you'll see the tops of heads instead of
faces.
When your camera is on auto-focus, pay
attention to what the camera is trying to focus. Sometimes a
strap or something between you and the subject is being focused
and not your subject.
Make sure the lens cap and the camera
strap are not in front of your lens.
If you're a mom filming your kids,
it's okay to set the camera up so you can film yourself playing
with the kids. A lot of moms aren't in their own footage because
they're always the ones filming.
Experiment with different angles: hold
the camera high, low, waist-level, etc.
Zoom in on some of the fine details: a
brand new baby's fingers, flowers at a wedding, a burning
candle, the beautifully set table, or a toddler's profile.
Pay attention to the sound levels
around you. If you are in a room full of people but you want to
hear what your subject is saying, you need to be standing close,
or you could invest in an inexpensive wireless mic.
We see a lot of video where the person filming is really
loud and you can barely hear anything else. If you're filming,
sometimes it's good to let us hear what the subject is saying.
Gift
Ideas
Video Tips
Testimonials
Sign
up for the e-letter
Tips
for trimming your footage
Client
Questionnaire
We've Seen a Lot of Video Footage!