Common mistakes when shooting video is an article written for people like you, if you answer yes to any of the following questions then, yes I mean you. Have you been camera crazy ever since you got the new HD cam for Christmas? Making everyone sit down and watch one home video after another of even the most mundane of tasks? If that’s you then I bet your wife/husband has been screaming at you lately about how awful your home videos are. If you’re ready to get some tips, then you’re in the right place this article was written just for you. One can hope that after reading it through completely. You will be shooting like a pro, even if it’s just your daughters dance recital or your son’s baseball game. Your home videos will become masterpieces that all your friends and family actually want to see.
Of course, simply reading this article isn’t going to do all that you need to apply the information you read in this article to your video in order to improve. You will also have to practice the techniques before you can master them. One thing I will guarantee you is with every day you practice the techniques you will get better. Now on to the common mistakes made when shooting video.
First common mistake when shooting video, attention to lighting.
One of the first mistakes many amateurs make is placing a subject directly in front of a bright light. This will generate a shadow around that subject and cause washout, this IS a big deal. If you want to show off your video, and your daughter, then move a little out of line with the lighting on the stage, so that you will get a much clearer picture of her and her dancing.
Another important aspect to consider is shadows. the brighter the light, the more unwanted shadows may show up in your video. for instance if the light on the camera is substantially brighter then the one behind the subject, you will generate shadows of every object in front of you. Hard lined shadows don’t look good and signify that there in fact was a camera there. Your scenes should look as though they are from the perspective of the viewer and not that of a camera.
Second common mistake when shooting video, shaking the camera.
Watch out for shaky shots these lead to earthquake type viewing. No one likes it unless it’s for a short time and to detail an earth quake. In order to avoid these shaky shots you can lean up against a tree, sit in a chair, or use a tripod. For video on the move it’s advised that you use relatively flat terrain and a wheel chair or mobile scooter. shooting your video from this position allows you to move about to follow without causing the shakiness of walking.
Another idea you can implement to avoid shaky shots is to use zoom functions to follow rather then actually walking. This method can be used for following through most situations. However, you cannot zoom around a corner in a corridor so keep that in mind. It will take practice to master the zoom function well enough to follow a person without catching up with them, or moving in too close. Once mastered zoom can give the effect of the camera following them.
Third common mistake when shooting video, too much zooming.
Too much zooming can make your video look like it was recorded by the worst of amateur. Try to make sure that you get your zoom right the first time and don’t zoom in and out. You can edit this type of zooming out later, but if you can shoot it right the first time you don’t have to spend hours editing 10 minutes of video later.
Fourth common mistake when shooting video, not reading the manual.
Keep up with your new technology if you just bought a camera. Before you attempt any important shooting read through the manual. Know where your shutters are, how to change them, clean them, how long your battery lasts, when to charge it and everything you need to know about your camera. Going out to shoot video without knowing anything about your camera is a bit like a garbage man piloting your flight to Hawaii, you’re just not likely to get there…
Fifth common mistake when shooting video, capturing ambient noises.
Audio is another important factor, don’t shout out while your recording. Do Tell others to be quiet when your shooting. This can be a big problem at an event like your daughters dance recital. However, if ambient noise becomes an issue and there are people near you talking try to find a quieter position.
Sixth common mistake when shooting video, not being prepared.
Don’t go out unprepared you need to bring along with you all the things you will need. Always bring out at least 1 extra tape for recording, A fully charged spare battery, one or more lens cleaning cloths, and some lighting gear to get that scene just right. You may not need the lighting gear for dance recitals or baseball games, but it can come in handy any other time. To put it simply grab everything and some extra just in case whenever you plan to shoot.
Seventh common mistake when shooting video, not focusing on your subject.
Out of focus objects can distract your viewer so keep as much of the scene as possible in focus. If there is any blur or haze the viewer may lose interest. Especially important is making sure that your cameras lens remains clean, free of smudges and other forms of debris. Otherwise you may end up with blur instead of a dance recital.
Eighth common mistake when shooting video, using digital zoom.
Never use digital zoom this feature is useless, it’s something you can do from your home computer, and there’s no reason to do it when recording. Save digital zooming for the editor so as not to ruin your important picture quality. There are times when you will need to use some digital zoom to remove shaky video. In order to remove the shaking you crop the scene down by a small amount, and digitally move the image to compensate for the shake. If you used digital zoom during recording the quality will be poor and if you need to use it later for editing it’s just going to get worse.
Ninth common mistake when shooting video cutting video too soon.
Always Shoot extra footage. This can be a great many things from the game prep time, to gathering your kids to go to the game, nearly anything. This footage can be remixed later and edited into your video to give a professional feel and make your videos more involving. The worst thing you could possibly do is cut your video before the recital has ended. Record before and after. Extra content can be edited out later, but you can never get those precious moments back, if you didn’t bother recording them.
Tenth common mistake when shooting video, centering eyes in the view.
Don’t center a persons eyes in the camera you want to get as much of them in the picture as possible and by centering their eyes with the view you will leave dead space above their head and may even cut off the lower half of their face. Try to keep eye levels in the upper third of the camera when recording footage involving people.
Eleventh common mistake when shooting video, shooting from great distance.
Don’t shoot too far away from your subject, whatever it is it should be in focus. If recording your dog chasing it’s tail, you want to be near him not half way across the room. When zooming every little shake is magnified by the amount of zoom staying on top of your subject is very important.
Twelfth common mistake when shooting video not removing props.
Props such as lamps, cameras, stereos, and cell phones should be off before you begin shooting. Properly set some of the best lighting you can get comes from the sun. So rather then turn on the lamps, let the sun in. Just don’t record that video in front of the window you need a backdrop not too lit. If you are recording at night lighting becomes even more important. If you have too much you get glare not enough and you can’t see the images. Never record with the main light source being behind some one or all you will see is their shadow.
Thirteenth common mistake when shooting video, faulty framing.
If your subject is not inside the borders then you’re not going to get an applause ensure that the interesting subject is the primary visible entity don’t let distractions run through the camera or they will take the focus away from your intended subject. This includes the earlier mentioned eyes in the top third of the view rule.
By reading the manual and familiarizing yourself with your camera you can ensure that you won’t have issues later with equipment errors and have a worry free time recording all those events. This will make your wife/husband much happier with you.
Conclusion,
If you put to use all the tips here you should improve your camera working skills drastically and your wife/husband will be happier with you. Your family might actually sit down at the couch to watch your home videos instead of “using the bathroom” every 5 minutes. Good luck with all your future video works, and never give up.
