How to Make Quality Videos: Film Making Tips and Tricks

Film making is a lot of work. Finding the right locations, setting a budget, getting actors, and editing takes time and energy. If you perform any of these steps incorrectly, it can negatively impact the final product. The following are some tips that can help you make quality videos.

Learn Film Composition

Film composition is how different elements of the shot or distinct elements of the scene are arranged in a camera frame. Film composition lets you arrange visual elements to convey the message you want to convey.

Before you film, ask yourself what you are trying to visualize. What experience do you want your audience to have? How can you transmit those thoughts and emotions in a clear and effective way?

When you know how to arrange shots to produce a specific effect, the impact your film has on an audience is greater. You will keep your audience engaged longer.

The rule of thirds is one of the most popular framing techniques used in filmmaking. To understand the rule of thirds, you need to imagine a tic-tac-toe board that has two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. You should keep important elements on the intersecting lines. It is easier on the eyes and helps you convey to your audience your character’s place in the world.

Choose the Right Locations

If you do most of your shooting indoors, you will have greater control over the lighting. Shooting outdoors puts you at the mercy of the elements. Humidity can wreak havoc during a shoot.

If you limit the number of locations you use, you make things easier on yourself. You are able to spend less money and stay on schedule. Limited locations mean limited surprises.

Location scouting is important. Find out what is required legally for you to shoot in a particular location.

If you, like many others are in quarantine and you think you can’t do film making because of it, fear not. If you learn the art of lighting and angles, you can make any mundane indoor or backyard scene into a film set. This is a perfect time to get creative with your craft and try things you haven’t tried before in film making.

Use a Video Editor That Is at Your Skill Level

There are several video editors on the market for people in every price range. Just because there is $700 video editing software that has a bunch of professional features, this does not mean that you need something so complicated or expensive.

There are open-source options that allow you to do basic edits and even a few complicated edits. You might only be interested in learning how to insert basic wipes and transitions or how to speed up a video. If that’s the case, focus on editors that let you do those things well. With time, you might require more complicated software.

Get a Basic Understanding of Lighting

Correcting underexposed photographs is doable yet time-consuming. The situation becomes more challenging when working with underexposed videos. This is because it is difficult to brighten a video without diminishing its quality and introducing noise.

Cameras do not focus well in low light. They might drift in and out of focus. If you are using the auto mode on your phone or camcorder, you will notice that the frame rate is reduced if you film in poor lighting.

As a general rule, illuminate the subject you are recording using a bright source of light that is behind you. Use your smart phone’s flashlight only if there is no other option.

If your goal is to shoot in low light, then you will need to improve your gear so you can make use of fast lenses and manual controls.

Learn about Camera Angles

It is natural for you to just want to grab your camera and start shooting. However, if you want your videos to be professional, you need to work with the camera angles you use.

Don’t just shoot everything from a high-level. Why not start by using a wide shot? Then, get a close-up shot of your subject. You can hold the camera over your head, crouch down and shoot upward, and then edit the different shots together.

Don’t be afraid to experiment to find out what works. You don’t have to make each shot uniquely different. However, adding a variety of angles can spice up the feel of your video.

Conclusion

It’s easy to make professional videos from home. You don’t need a lot of tech skills. You need patience and practice. With these two things, you will create awesome videos to share.

Author Bio:

Samantha Higgins is a professional writer with a passion for research, observation, and innovation. She is nurturing a growing family of twin boys in Portland, Oregon with her husband. She loves kayaking and reading creative non-fiction.  If you are looking for help with how to speed up a video consider using the online resources at Invideo.