Real-Life Video Production Tips to Help You in Your Own Video Business!

Let’s Roll Tape:

I broke into the video field as a cameraman/grip and became pretty good at my job.

A few years later, I started editing videos on a regular basis. This took my shooting skills to a whole new level, especially when I began editing shows that I had shot.

I discovered that there are a lot of little things to focus on, which will help in the editing suite.

The following tips will save you headaches and improve your final video.

Give yourself 5 seconds of pre-roll and post-roll on every shot. Most editing systems need 3-5 seconds of clean time code or control track prior to digitizing your clips. So roll your tape and count to 5 prior to giving your talent the “action” cue.

Change framing when your talent does a pick-up.

If your talent stumbles during a long on-camera segment and you don’t want to go all the way back where you started that segment, do a pick-up shot, but change the focal length.

If your framing was a close-up (top of head to mid-chest) then zoom out to a medium-shot (top of head to waist) when he begins again. This allows you to just cut between the two takes and avoid a jump-cut.

Also, have your talent start one or two sentences prior to the pick up point so his speech delivery will be up to speed. You’ll get a smoother audio edit.

Pay attention to detail on cut-away shots so they match your master shot of each scene.

If you’re taping the host showing how to make a cake, you’ll probably shoot each scene using a wide shot so the viewer sees all the action. Then you’ll probably want to shoot some close ups of stirring the batter, etc.

On the wide shot, keep track of where the mixing bowl is and which hand holds the beater and which hand holds the bowl. When you shoot a close-up, the action should match. Attention to detail will make your cut-away’s look more natural and it won’t confuse the viewer.

Where’s the sun? When shooting outside, try to use the sun to your advantage. If the sun is behind your talent and you do not have extra lighting equipment, your talent might look very dark as your camera’s iris struggles to compensate for the bright sun behind the talent. If possible, turn the talent around and use the sun as your key light. To avoid squinting eyes by the talent, angle the person so he’s at a slight angle.

Avoid high-contrast backgrounds. A pleasing background can make your video appear much more professional.If your talent is a Black-American or dark skinned, avoid putting him in front of a bright white background.

Also avoid bright white shirts. Your camera will thank you!

Finally, have a shot sheet when you go into the field. Go over your script and list all the video shots you need. Then when you go shoot your b-roll at all the different locations, check off each shot, confirming you have all the necessary video elements, and avoid surprises in the editing suite.

Shooting and editing feed off each other. Editing what you shoot will make you a better editor and shooting projects you intend to edit will make you a better shooter.

The art of videography is a constantly evolving process and you’ll learn there is always room for improvement.

Hopefully these tips will help you improve the quality of your video.