Examples from "How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck" - Page 2 of 2

Steve Stockman In Examples from the Book

Genre Mashups: Musical Admissions Video (p. 61)

From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 61:

Videos have genres, although you may not be used to thinking of them that way. Instructional videos, “punked” videos, music videos, webcam rants, sketch comedy, stop-motion animation—the definitions are still evolving, but they’re there. Video genres both communicate what your video is about and lock you into expectations. Fail to deliver on the genre expectations, and the audience is disappointed.

A sketch comedy video had better be funny. A music video needs to show the band and the entire song. A wedding video needs the “I do” moment. A … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Examples from the Book

Set the Shot and Hold It: Beyonce (p. 111)

From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 111:

If you watch professionally shot film, you’ll be surprised how often the camera stays still. Practice keeping the camera locked. That way the action in the frame becomes the most important thing.

A static camera doesn’t mean a boring video. Most of this recent Beyonce video consists of static camera shots of Beyoncé and two other women dancing. What camera moves there are are infrequent and deliberate– and lead to another static framing. Most simply keep the women in frame as they dance. Yet the video, like the … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Examples from the Book

Short Shots Add Up (p. 106)

From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 106:

Cutting makes us pay attention. Each cut to a new shot forces our brains to figure out what we’re looking at and what it means. We’re more engaged in what we’re watching because we have to work to understand it. Short shots make us participants instead of passive viewers.

Strong, focused shots actually convey more information to the viewer. Little parts add up to a deeper, richer whole. Check out this famous milk commercial that made director Michael Bay’s career: Each short shot gives us another hilarious detail … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Examples from the Book

The static camera: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene (p. 111)

From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 111:

You gotta walk before you run, and in video, you gotta learn how to compose a shot before you start waving the camera around.

Film is motion, but motion doesn’t always mean a moving camera. Moving objects in the frame, a static camera and film cuts convey enough motion and emotion to be authoritatively exciting in ways that a vaguely meandering camera won’t.

Until you’re a pro, you’ll shoot better video if you don’t move the camera. But don’t worry—a static camera doesn’t mean a boring video.

… Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Examples from the Book

College and Job Application Videos: Singing Math (p. 171)

From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 171:

Application videos need to cover interesting topics, presented in unique ways. Doing a bad video is like misspelling the company name on your cover letter. First, Do no harm.

Don’t duplicate what’s already on your resume. The woman who applied to Tufts by videotaping dances she choreographed for her favorite math functions was both odd and funny. I hear she got in:

… Read the rest