How To Shoot Video Like A Pro

A photo is worth a thousand words but a video is worth a million. Maybe this is why the media is streaming web content in video format over the traditional image content. Videos are the new thing in marketing generating an increase in conversions, clicks, and impressions.

Videography requires attention to particular aspects and a bit of know-how goes a long ways. Follow these tips to easily improve your video skills and look like a pro at home.

Know your equipment

A good videographer knows what angles create which concept being desired. Having an expensive video camera helps, but the real talent comes from knowing how to position your content or model to get the perfect shot. Read your manual to know about the tools on your video camera. One should always study before the big test just like a videographer should know where the ‘on’ button is.

Be ready for anything if you shoot on location

Always have your gear ready to go! Here is what you should pack for a shoot:

• A fully charged backup battery
• Extra memory cards
• A cleaning pen or cloth for your lens as dust or raindrops stick to your glass like glue. This will also help minimalize your post-production work
• A tripod, make this your new best friend
• Battery charger or power pack
• Accessories: different lenses, laundry clips (technical term is c-47), duct tape, microphones, stool or chair, bounce board
• An extension cord for your power packs

Tripods are a god’s gift to videographers

Do you want to hold that heavy camcorder for the entire shoot? Do you want a clean shot without shaking seconds you can’t remove in after effects? Use a tripod! If your video is shaky it will look cheap and as though you shot it at home. Image-stabilization won’t correct everything. Using a tripod also helps scanning and moving in and out of a certain shot.

Lighting is where it’s at

Lighting is everything. Lighting sets the mood of your shot from edgy to lifestyle or any other concept you hope to achieve. Know how this works! Practice at home. Put a teddy bear on the couch and see how you can make it look. If you are shooting outdoors, shoot on a cloudy day. This will remove the automatic sheen and shine that the sun overproduces. Let your lights cast straight towards your subject or below the chin line. If you raise the lights this will create unwanted shadows that make your subject look old and tired. Clean natural light is always the best option for optimal exposure.

Shoot B-roll

B-roll is the secondary footage you capture and use as fillers in-between main content. This could be raindrops, people laughing, or cars moving in traffic. Close-up shots work great as well. Whatever content you choose, as literally anything falls under the B-roll category, mix in with your final footage.