I believe there are 3 critical elements of a great video:

1. The picture
2. The sound
3. The content

Let’s talk about the picture.  When shooting your video, there are several key things to consider in order to get the best picture

• Lighting
• White Balance
• Framing
• Focus

Lighting on the professional level is an artform.  However, advances in camera technology have made today’s video cameras able to create great images in less than perfect environments.  As you plan your video, a couple of good lighting tips include:

• Don’t aim your camera into a bright light source.  This can be the sun, an open window, or a light.  If you do this, most cameras will react by closing the iris and your subject will seem very dark.  Instead, look around and put the brightest light source to your back.  This usually means that the light will be brightening up your subject which is ideal.
• Be aware of shadows.  If you are shooting in a room with overhead lights, don’t sit directly underneath them.  The shadows from the down light will make a face appear strange.  If you have a light kit you are using, move the subject away from a wall, and position the lights above their heads aiming down (in a 45 degree angle if you can manage).  The distance from the wall should be enough so that their shadow does not hit the wall behind your subject.
• Ultimately, the best advice is to just be aware of how lighting is affecting your picture.  If you notice shadows, try moving around until the picture gets better.  In some cases, moving out of bright light to a place that is darker but more evenly lit will actually improve the picture.  Be aware, then experiment liberally.

White Balance is a term for setting the colors in the camera.  Most cameras have an automatic white balance.  Some, however, do have manual settings or presents for flouresent, tungsen, sunlight, etc.  If you are in a room with lots of different lights, performing a manual white balance – or using a preset position that accounts for the primary light source – will often make your picture look much better.

Framing is getting your subject positioned in the picture properly.

• The most important element of framing is ‘head room’.  This is a term used to describe the positioning of a subject so their head is framed correctly.  An easy tip is to draw an imaginary line 1/3 of the way down from the top of the screen.  Make sure to position the subject’s eyes on this line.  You’ll have to adjust as you zoom, but this will create ideal framing.
• It is also important to think about framing from the left to the right.  If the subject is talking to the directly to the camera, they should be centered in the image.  If they are talking to one side or the other, they should be framed to talk across the widest area of the image.  For example, if the subject was talking to a subject that they were looking at to their left, they would be positioned to the left of the frame (as you are looking at the frame).  Vis-versa when talking to the right.
• One final note about framing involves a piece of equipment that should be in any shooter’s arsenal.  That is a good tripod.  Make sure you use a tripod whenever possible.  It will help with framing, shoot stability, and making sure your image is level.  All signs of a well made video.

Finally, focus.  One of the neat features of today’s camcorders is their auto-focus ability.  If you are used to pro equipment, however, auto-focus often seems to mean nothing is in focus.  Auto-focus works by bouncing a beam off the camera and measuring its reflection.  If there is nothing between you and your subject, it works well.  If you subject is moving around and framed well, it can be a lifesaver.  However, if there is anything in between the camera and your subject, or if your subject moves a lot, your camera may struggle to find the focus.  The result is often an image that comes in and out of focus which is very frustrating to watch.  If your subject is far away, or not moving much, try using the auto-focus to get an initial focus setting and then turn it to manual.  You may find this improves the quality.

Hopefully these tips will help you get your video looking perfect.  Contact us if you have any questions, and don’t forget about our Video 101 classes and boot-camps.  We teach these tricks and more.