SHOOTING VIDEO
The good, the bad and the ugly

A lot to remember
Establishing shots Close-ups ambience
Clear audio lighting
composition press play
movement
transitions background headroom
Shhh, be quiet
plan
action B-roll
Rule of thirds zoom
angles Extra battery
Ken Burns effect
storyboard Voice over
Camera shake
Anticipate action Have a purpose
framing

Planning
• Storyboarding
– Write/draw shots
– Write rough script
– List sequence of events
– Nail down your focus

Preparation
• Practice!
• Know your camera
• Bring a spare battery
• Think ahead – anticipate action
• Ask interviewees to look at you, not the
camera
• Set up your shots (composition and framing)
– pay attention to background
– Think about foreground, middle
ground, background

Performance
• Don’t waste tape
• Hold your shots
• Get everything you need
– Think about your storyboard; think about
intro, transitions, ending
Review your video. If you’re not 100%
satisfied, shoot it again.
Now, for composition techniques …

“If only you could see me now”
Celine Dion
• What’s the purpose?
– Allow enough illumination for camera to process
image
– Tell us what the images on screen look
like, including depth
– Set the mood

“I’m all shook up”
Elvis Presley
• Amateur camera shake
• Intentional camera shake

“Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’”
Blues Brothers
• B-roll is secondary footage that you use to
flesh together your video (often during an
intro, transition or ending)

“Do you hear what I hear”
Christmas carol
RECORD CLEAR AUDIO: Don’t make any sounds you don’t want to be heard on video.

“More more more”
Billy Idol
Other techniques that apply to both
photography and videography:
• Avoid headspace/dead space
• Shoot wide, medium and tight
• Use the rule of thirds
• Experiment with different angles/perspectives
• Action is better than inaction

“You gotta let it go”
Andy McCoy
• As with photography, consider the path of
moving subjects and generally leave space in
front of them
• With video, letting the subject leave the frame
rather than following the subject usually
works best, especially for transitions

“Too much of something is bad”
Spice Girls
• Pan and zoom sparingly, slowly and WITH A
PURPOSE
• If you want to zoom in, physically move the
camera closer rather than using digital zoom

Remember…
It’s all about your intentions
This PowerPoint presentation can be reproduced as long as credit is given to Karen McIntyre