- To make a video of decent quality, I would advise to focus on a few simple elements to have a satisfactory and presentable result for an audience.
- The advice here is mainly for a vlog-style video, a presentation of a subject or a product but can be adapted to other situations as well.
- Still shot
- An image that doesn't move is easier to look at if you don't have the equipment to stabilize it. The phone should be facing you, either on a table or on a tripod, at your height, allowing you to look straight ahead, and to be natural. If the camera is too low, you will look down, and if too high, you will look up, which may have artistic interest but mostly in other cases.
- Moving shot
- If you want to talk to the camera while walking, it is advisable to stabilize your image. Except for a chase scene, an image that goes all over the place is not pleasant for your audience. For smartphones, there are stabilizers such as the DJI Osmo mobile 2, which, in a very simple way, will allow you to stabilize your shots in motion.
- Light
- Light is key in photo and video. The easiest way is to have the subject facing a window, a light source, the sun, unless an artistic effect is sought.
- A large window can provide all the light necessary for your shot. You can always add a lamp in the background, in a warmer color, to add an interesting glow to your shot.
- Sound
- Often in the middle of the video we say that the audience will forgive an average picture but not a bad sound. Sound is very important, especially in a video where you are doing a tutorial on youtube or if you are doing a travel vlog.
- In general, I would recommend using a lapel microphone such as the rode smart lav. The closer the recording source to your voice, the clearer the sound will be. As a 2nd option a microphone such as the rode video mic pro works as well if you prefer to have a microphone on the camera.
- Autofocus
- For a still shot video where you don't move much, I would recommend switching to manual mode. Autofocus will only disturb your audience because it will adjust itself all the time at the slightest movement. It is therefore advisable to put in manual, to adjust it once on you and make your video.
- By paying attention to these elements, you will be able to make simple videos yourself, the key is to keep your videos simple and follow these tips. If you need a more complex video and with a drone, KMM productions is at your disposal.
