From How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, Page 77:
The easiest way to plan a video that’s more complicated than “point at party guests” is by using a shot list.
A shot list is exactly what it sounds like: a list of all the shots you might want in your video. I brainstorm shot lists for every project. I bring them to the set and literally check off they things I want to shoot as they happen. When I get tired, or time runs out (and time always runs out), I go back to my shot list … Read the rest
Before you start jury duty at LA Superior court you have to watch a training video. If you watch the video on line at home, you can come in later on jury duty day when they play it in court. Sounded good to me.
I sat down at my desk, all set for a great video from a court system based in the Entertainment Capitol of the World. Oops.
It was awful. Talking heads and condescending narration over what looked like bad stock footage. The narration was printed on screen to underline the tedious points. “BE ON TIME!” it shouted, … Read the rest
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
I love answering questions about creating video. I get to help you, and it saves me from having to come up with blog topics. Win-win, right?
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Steve Stockman is a writer/ producer/ director in Los Angeles. How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck, available in 9 languages, is the best selling video how-to book in the world. You can find the updated (2017) edition from Workman Publishing wherever you get books, ebooks or audiobooks. [more...]
