Tips for the everyday videographer

My friend James is thinking about getting a video camera and was asking me if I thought he should do it. This is a question I’ve been asked a couple times before. I’ve always had a video camera and have logged hundreds of hours shooting and editing. A couple tips came to mind on how your average James could get the best shots and make the most out of his purchase.

Don’t wait for action, make it happen
Real life is not always exciting as you know. Sometimes you have to give things a little shove in order to get good shots. If you have a video camera you now have an ability others don’t, the power to get people to do things they normally wouldn’t. People think they have a chance at stardom(and they do, thanks to YouTube) when they are being recorded. One way to get good footage is simply to ask people unusual questions. For example, is filming grandma kind of like watching grass grow? Ask her to tell you about the first time she had a little too much to drink.

Keep the Handicam handy
Most people like to keep their video camera safely tucked away in its nice leather case upstairs in the top of the closet, only to see the light of day on Christmas and birthdays. You have to have it accessible if you are going to catch the best moments. The more accessible, the more you will capture, it’s that easy. Leave it laying around the kitchen or let it hang out with the coffee table books.

Shoot to edit
If you don’t edit your footage you should. Even if you are just cutting out the boring stuff, it makes it much more watchable. So when you shoot keep in mind that you can edit what you are shooting, and think of all the editing tricks that could allow you to make a scene appear as great as it is. The simplest way to explain this is to think of how an event would be shot with multiple cameras, some close-up, some far, some moving. Try to get a variety of shots and then piece them together. Keep in mind which clips and which audio can be moved around to different places on the time line.

Put the camera in the danger zone
Try and avoid using the zoom all the time. When filming something move the camera as close to it as you can. Fill up your viewfinder. Your video of the baby crawling on the floor should not look like an arial photograph. Don’t zoom in on your brother eating Rice Krispies, move the camera close so you can hear the snap, crackle, pop!

Candid Camera
People in front of the camera are never acting 100% genuine. Especially if they’re not used to being recorded. So if you want to capture life as it really is, without some frat boy sticking his middle finger in your lens, you have to be a bit more discrete. The best way to do this is to be seated with your camera in your lap and your viewfinder pointed up so you can see it. People will think that you’re messing with your camera, not recording. This leads us into the next tip…

Be ready for your close-up
So having your camera in your lap has another big advantage, you can get incredibly still shots. Still shots mean you can get good zooms. Everyone’s favorite thing to zoom in on is faces. And with those huge high-def TVs close-ups can look amazing.

Tip #7 Don't forget to remove the lens cap.

Tags: editing, tips, video camera, videography, youtube