Video production is a booming industry. For those with a skill to share, the lucrative field of video production has endless opportunities. Videography is a field that is constantly evolving. The tools used to create videos are continually improving, and the skills required to succeed are also increasing. If you want to be an expert videographer, you must be willing to keep up with the latest techniques. So, what is the way to do it? How can you stand out in this already competitive industry?
Use The Right Equipment
In many ways, the best camera is the one you have in your pocket. This means that it is always better to capture something with what you have rather than wait to get the perfect gear and miss a fantastic shot. This is more true in photography than it is with videography, but it still stands true. Nevertheless, you will need to invest in some equipment if you are serious about making your videos stand out from the crowd.
But with modern digital camera equipment often being well out of range of most people’s budgets, what can you do? One option could be to rent a camera. You can usually find companies that rent out very highly specced gear for reasonable prices. While you might not be interested if you are making basic YouTube videos, if you are a budding director, you will need some professional gear to help you to get the shots that you desire. If renting is still outside of your budget, you could ask around if you can borrow other people’s equipment. However, don’t expect them to simply hand it over to you as these cameras can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars. If all else fails, head over to your local community college and see if they offer courses in filmmaking. They usually have lots of great equipment that is available for use by their students.
Create A Consistent Schedule
Videography is like anything else in life; the more you practice, the better you will become. Therefore, to create videos that you are proud to put your name to, you will need to create a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. But what if you are running low on ideas for long videos? In this case, you can merely develop lots of fascinating short films that will enable you to keep a monthly or even weekly filming schedule.
Have A Great Story To Tell
The best equipment and will in the world cannot make a dull and unexciting story any better. Making a great video is often worth more than the sum of its parts, and the story is the glue that holds it all together. You should brainstorm exciting ideas and, if possible, set up a team of like-minded people with whom you can bounce ideas off. Once you have something that you think is the business, you can set up a storyboard. Creating a movie storyboard involves making an editable drawing that helps the director orchestrate the film. A movie storyboard is usually completed in pencil on paper, but you can also draw it digitally in Photoshop or Illustrator.
Understand The Technical Side Of Things
All good directors know how to tell a good story, all great directors also understand the technical side of filming. To make truly great videos, you must know how to operate the equipment to get the shot you are after. This can range from how the camera stores and compresses data to which lenses will give the best lighting conditions. Additionally, it extends to every other aspect of the filming experience, such as sound and lighting. You don’t need to be an expert in everything, but having a firm grasp of the leading technical aspects will give you the skills required to create amazing films.
Video Is Only One Aspect Of The Process
Following the previous point about understanding the technical side of things, all promising filmmakers know that video is only one aspect of photography. in order to achieve greatness, there are three elements you must consider:
Video
This is the most prominent element that most rookie filmmakers get hung up on, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. In addition, shaky footage is usually a telltale sign of an amateur filmmaker. Therefore, along with the camera itself, you should invest or rent a sturdy tripod to go along with it, which will provide you with stable footage. The tripod should also have what is known as a fluid head. This part, which connects to your camera, is lubricated, enabling you to perform smooth panning shots if required.
Audio
Great video is nothing without crisp audio. If you don’t believe it, try watching a blockbuster movie with a cheap set of earphones! You will use a combination of microphones that can capture ambient sounds and boom mics to pick up crystal clear audio from actors.
Lighting
Use natural light wherever possible. This is the mantra that you should abide by as much as possible. Natural light always looks better and compliments the human skin tone much more efficiently than artificial lighting. Nonetheless, there are times when artificial lighting is needed, and when that time comes, you should have some available. Professional film lighting will allow you to adjust the temperature of the light, which can drastically alter the scene. When used to its fullest potential, lighting temperature can turn a run-of-the-mill production into something spectacular.
Stay Away From Fancy Transitions
Once the video has been filmed and the raw data, it is now time to edit. However, a great practical film is quickly ruined by the addition of unnecessary elements and fancy transitions. The idea is to keep it simple, incorporate b-roll footage to engage your audience, and stay as close as you can to the actual footage as much as possible. Editing is the final piece of the puzzle when making fantastic videos, so be careful, use it sparingly and only add in specific elements when the acne directly requires it.
Videography is an essential part of any storyteller’s arsenal, but many beginners make common mistakes that can hurt the quality of their work. By following some of the points laid out in this post, you should be able to churn out amazing videos as soon as an idea forms in your mind.v