Overview

Learn about some tools and shots that can help you create a great-looking video that you’ll be proud to share with anyone.

Shooting Techniques for Better Videos

The heart of every video is the imagery that flashes across the screen. Whether you’re shooting a soccer game, a family reunion, a son or daughter’s first debate championship, or just experimenting with your camera in the local dog park, there are certain tools and shots that can help you create a great looking video that you’ll be proud to share with anyone.

So what are the keys to good shooting? They’re simple, really. Learning just a handful of shots will improve your videos dramatically. (As we review, you’ll find that you’re already familiar with many of them from movies, TV shows and even still photography.) And how about learning a few camera moves, tools, and tricks to help you shoot images that don’t shake, rattle and roll as you wander around with your camera? Let’s take a look!

Framing Your Shots: A Basic Vocabulary

If a movie is like a novel, shots are like words: small units of meaning you put together to eventually form a whole story. With a basic vocabulary in mind as you start looking at the world through your viewfinder, and a good sense of the story you want to tell, you can build a great looking story.

Let’s take a minute to think about some images that start to tell a story. For instance:

• A wide shot of your daughter’s soccer team coming off the field after a loss might suggest defeat.
• A close-up of a quivering lip, or the cleat of a frustrated player making one final, angry stab at the ball shows the emotion and drama wrapped up in the game.
• A low-angle shot looking up at the coach of the opposing team can indicate a feeling of trepidation against long odds.

The truth is that being aware of how you frame a shot is a key difference between so-so shooting and really great looking video. Remember: You can't control the action in front of you, but you CAN control how you frame it. The following list can help you start building a repertoire of shots that can take your shooting to the next level:

• Wide-angle shots show a lot of information, often from a distance, and give a sense of place and context for your story. Use wide angles to capture the “big picture.”
• Medium shots and close-up shots lose some or all of the background but give a sense of emotion, reflection, and/or detail. Close-ups are typically used in interview situations.
• Low angle shots position the subject above the camera to convey the sense that the subject is powerful. (Take care not to shoot up your subject’s nose, though.)
• High angle shots position the subject below the camera and convey a sense of the subject’s powerlessness or smallness.

To Edit or Not to Edit?

Whether or not you plan to edit your video will determine how you shoot it.

For example, if you plan to edit your video after you shoot, think about mixing up your shots. Try to get a mix of wide-angle shots, medium range and close-ups. You can also shoot “cutaways” that are useful in editing. For example, shoot what the character does with her hands, family photos of people she tells stories about, a favorite cat or dog. Cutaways help you illustrate your story and give you plenty of editing options. When you edit, you have plenty of options to string these images together in a way that tell a compelling story.

If you don’t plan to edit your video, make some shooting choices at the outset and stick to them. Why? If you’ve ever watched a home video that zooms in and out, you’ll know that it’s a pretty tiring experience. Try to avoid making frequent changes with zoom. If you don’t plan to edit, your best choice for videos of action scenes (soccer games, family gatherings, plays) is probably a wide-angle shot, with occasional pans and tilts to follow the action. (We’ll discuss camera moves in a minute!) Your best choice for an interview would be a close up.

If you aren’t supposed to zoom when you’re shooting, why does your camera have that function? Easy: The zoom function on your camera is the ideal tool for focusing. You do this by: 1) framing your shot, 2) zooming in, 3) focusing, and then 4) zooming back out to your original frame. Of course, zooming also gives you the flexibility to change your frame if you do plan to edit.

Doing an Interview? Remember the Rule of Thirds

In some cases, you may want to sit someone -- say your granddad who owns a ranch in West Texas -- down for a long interview. If you do, remember to that close-up framing is a great choice for this scenario. (Need a visual? Think “60 Minutes.”)

If you do choose a close-up for an interview, the rule of thirds can help you position your interviewee in the frame: visualize the frame divided into thirds horizontally. Then always frame your subject --- in this case your west-Texas granddad -- so that his or her eyes are in the top third of the frame. Take care to leave some head room at the top of the frame so that your subject is not cut off at the head, but keep the head and eyes in the top third of the frame and you won’t end up with awkward-looking space above your character.

Get Creative: Camera Moves

Camera moves are also part of the repertoire of great shooting. Again, there are a few basic moves that can enliven your work and give it more spunk and heart. Read on and learn how to create your own movie magic.

Revelations: Panning and Tilting

Panning and tilting are camera techniques that convey a sense of scale or space or revelation. Tilts are movements up and down; pans are movements to the right or left.

Both pans and tilts are best accomplished on a tripod or monopod. A tripod provides the most stability and frees up your hands for pulling focus or turning and tilting the camera. A monopod is like a stripped down tripod with a single leg. It provides the stability that’s lacking in any hand-held shot. Monopods can be bought pretty cheaply.

The Freedom to Roam: Tracking Shots

Tracking shots are the most mobile and emotionally the most liberating kind of shot you can create. Tracking shots are created by literally moving the whole camera, rather than simply pivoting it in one direction or another. Create your own tracking shots by strapping your camera to: a skateboard, wheelchair, slow car, golf cart, boat, or that cross-continental European train you’ll be riding this summer. You get the idea. Just be sure to fix your camera securely to your makeshift dolly lest you drop it.

A Visual Point of View: Handheld Camera Work

Handheld cameras can convey a sense of personality or presence. But they can also be distracting. If you do go handheld –- which many of us do! -– a couple of tips can help you stabilize your shots so the viewers' attention stays on your subject matter, not your shaky camera work:

• Use two hands to hold your camera and be sure you distribute the weight of the camera between them so that one hand does not get tired and start to shake.
• If you aren’t moving, support the arm holding the camera by bracing your elbow on your rib cage area.

Give It a Whirl: Follow, Look, Listen

Ready to try out these new techniques? Get going! Wake up in the morning with your rancher granddad and roll tape while he feeds cows, fixes windmills, digs postholes, and fights the heat. Or go with your daughter and shoot her soccer practice, games, and the friendships she is creating around her new activity.

Remember to shoot wide shots for “big picture” content, close-ups of details and facial expressions for emotional moments, and try to record details that you think are important. Try to be the fly on the wall, an almost insignificant presence recording whatever is happening around you.

Practicing these techniques can teach you skills you can take from camera to camera to capture great videos every time you shoot.