12 Common Amateur Video Mistakes & How To Correct Them
In the past few years video has grown at a rapid speed, and it keeps growing. Short and catchy videos are ideal thanks to mobile phones and the more you can produce – the better. It is, however, expensive to hire professional video production companies every time you want a short video. The solution is thus to produce your own videos – but not before reading our list of common amateur mistakes and how to correct them.
The list consists of the most obvious and common errors – often overlooked by amateurs – in no particular order.
Shaky video
This is possibly one of the worst mistakes one can make. It looks terrible and there’s absolutely no way of correcting it once that little, red recording light starts flashing. You might think you have the steady hands of a gifted surgeon - but you probably don’t and, chances are, even if you do your video will still be shaky. Getting a tripod will simplify your life to no ends.
Sloping horizon
While filming you probably won’t notice that everything in your video is skew. You need to ensure that the horizon is level. The best way to make sure that the view is straight is by using a spirit level. Most tripods include one – even more reason to invest.
Colour balance
Make sure that your colour is set according to the environment in which you’re filming. Auto colour balance is easy to use and often accurate as you can set it according to specific settings such as ‘cloudy’, ‘sunlight’, ‘fluorescent’ and so on. If your colour balance is off, it can result in a blue or red tint which is very noticeable. The best way to ensure that your colour is perfect is by manually balancing the colour settings. This is done by having an assistant hold up a white paper, you filming him or her and then setting your camera accordingly. Manual settings work best because your light source is usually mixed.
Lighting
A dark or burnt out (too light) video is unbearable to watch so using proper video lights is essential. When filming outside the sun should be behind you (the cameraman) to eliminate silhouettes. If your subject is standing in a shadow use a reflector to shine light on him or her.
Framing the shot
You should film according to the screen that the video will be viewed on. Consider this before starting to film because it will impact your shot choices. For example, closer shots will be used for smaller screens (such as quarter screen embedded YouTube videos).
Shot selection
You should ideally understand the role that different types of shots play, for example, wide shots establish a scene. Having a variety of shots, in terms of how close or far they are, eases out the editing process and ensures that you won’t have to film the same scene again (when you realise that your shots aren’t adequate). So, basically, shoot as much as possible – wide shots, close ups, extreme close ups etc.
Pre & post roll
Make sure that you have enough pre and post roll. You should allow space for trimming, editing, fading out and in etc. You don’t want your opening or closing words to get cut off, so let the camera roll for a little while before and after the actual shoot starts.
Bringing attention to the camera
With video the aim is to create the illusion of voyeurism with the viewer. As soon as someone looks directly at the camera that illusion is shattered. Make sure that your subjects know not to look into the camera lense.
Don’t be a reflection
Pay close attention to the area in which you’re filming. Are there any large windows, mirrors or other reflective surfaces? It could ruin your whole video if the crew is reflected in any objects in your video. Your crew should also be aware of how they position the equipment – don’t have a microphone or lights sticking into your shots.
Composition
Poor composition is a typical mistake and is one of the most important aspects of any video. It is also a whole topic on its own and will be discussed in detail in a later article. Things to consider in the meantime are nose room, head room and the all-important rule of thirds.
Sound
Sound can make or break your video – even if your composition and camera work is amazing, bad sound will put anyone off. If recording ambient sound the camera’s microphone is adequate to use. Recording a speech or someone speaking, however, is a whole different ball game. A lapel mic is sensitive for close sounds and won’t pick up distant sounds (unless it’s extremely loud of course) so it is ideal to use when recording speaking.
Foreground & background
The foreground & background in your video should always be clearly separated. If there is an object behind the subject you are filming ensure that it’s not interfering with your overall shot. You don’t want it to look like the pot plant behind the person you’re interviewing is actually growing out of his head. An effective way to ensure this is to blur your background.
Have any more tips about amateur video production? Share them with me by commenting below or connect with me on Twitter @SoundIdeaDMA.
Sound Idea Digital is a full service digital marketing agency that specialises in content marketing | www.soundidea.co.za | info@soundidea.co.za
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