The first thing to establish when working with online video is the mindset that web video is not TV. It’s an entirely different medium. We need to structure the narrative and produce the content differently than the folks in TV.
Here are some tips to prevent your web video showing up on Amateur Hour or be
ing laughed at by your colleagues.
Always Plan
Professionals always have a good idea of what they’re going to shoot before they set up their camera. Before you even take your camera with you, draw a rough storyboard of what you are going to shoot.
A storyboard does two things: it disciplines your mind to think in terms of pictures and it saves you time shooting useless footage.
Tripod & Zooms
It’s easy to forget how heavy even a domestic camera can be after holding it for a minute or two.
Try holding a dictionary up for two minutes and see how steady you are. Could you hold a camera steadily for twenty minutes? It’s hard to avoid wobbly shots. However, tripods make it possible and easy. They ensure your shots aren’t wobbly or unprofessional.
If you can’t find a tripod, use a monopod or settle the camera on an object that will hold it steady. Some camera shops sell small sand bags which are easy to carry and can form a base over irregular surfaces.
Avoid Zooms
Professional camera operators only pan or use the zoom when it really adds value to the visual story. Amateurs can’t keep their hands off the zoom control – how many wedding videos have you seen that make you seasick?
While excessive zooming, panning and other movement will qualify your video for a Home Video Bloopers, they make it difficult for your computer to compress the video file and it will look hazy and jerky on the computer screen. This will all change when fiber cable is widespread. But we’re not there yet.
If you pan and zoom too much, you may also find your visual options limited in when editing your video.
