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Rob's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Movies
If
you're new to film or video making, following a few simple rules of thumb
can make a huge difference to your results. Of course, as you gain experience
and depending on the kind of programme you're making, these rules can
be bent or even intentionally broken. However, as a general guide, follow
these tips and you will be amazed at how much better your efforts will
be.
It should be the pictures that move and not the camera! You may be tempted
to move the camera backwards and forwards over the subject (known as 'hosepiping')
but you must resist this and keep it perfectly still. This will pay off
later when you cut your shots together. Your video will look very much more
professional. Use a tripod if you have one.
Again, beginners will often constantly zoom in and out
on a subject. Don't! Use of the zoom during filming simply draws attention
to the camera and away from the subject. The way to think of your zoom
lens is that it's like having lots of different focal length lenses all
in one. If you need a telephoto, then zoom in to the subject and only
then start filming.
Variety
is the spice of any good video. Between every shot you take, change your
position, the angle of shot (either lower down or higher up), the length
of the lens (change to telephoto or pull out to a wide shot) and also
vary the length of time the shots last. There are no rules but in general
a wide shot should be around 8 to 10 seconds, a medium shot should be
4 or 5 seconds and a close-up can be as little as 1 - 3 seconds.
At the beginning of every natural sequence you should use an establishing
shot. For instance, if you move from the beach to the harbour, show a
wide view of the harbour to establish that's where we are. Then go in
for the close-ups.
Nothing captures the viewers attention better than a close-up. Get lots
of them and don't be afraid to get in real close (a local character's
face filling the screen.) Remember, close-ups only need be on screen for
a few seconds. However, also remember that if you are edited your shots
later then you should make sure you get more than you need and cut it
down in the edit.
When looking through your viewfinder, compose the shot in accordance to
the rule of thirds. In your mind, split the frame into 3 parts vertically
and also into 3 parts horizontally. Then position your key area of interest
on one of the intersections. This will always make for more pleasing shots.
Never position a persons head in the middle of the frame. Place them off
to one third of the frame and make sure they have 'viewing room' (they
should be looking into the greater space in the other two thirds of the
frame.) Never position the horizon so that it splits the frame in two.
Look for more exciting angles on an otherwise mundane subject.
Get really high up and look down. Look from between some pillars. Maybe
have some grass waving in the wind in your foreground. Be daring, it will
pay off.
As well as the main action (the parade going right past you) get lots
of shots you can cut away to - (the reaction of the faces in the crowd,
the small child playing at the parents feet, the old woman looking from
a high window, the dog yawning across the street!)
When faced with a wide sweeping landscape you may want to pan across it.
If so, decide on a starting shot (just like if you were taking a still
photo) and an ending shot (where is the pan going to end up) before you
begin. Then start shooting, stay on the starting shot for a few seconds,
then slowly pan from left to right (the direction you read a book in)
and come to rest on the ending shot. Hold the ending shot still for a
few more seconds then stop shooting.
If your subject is a friend stood indoors in front of a bright window,
the camera will see all that light coming in and decide to close down
your lens aperture. Your friend will be in darkness! The answer is to
lock the exposure on the subject first and let the windows 'wash out'.
Alternatively, move so that the windows in not so prominent in the shot.
This document last modified Tuesday, 06-Jul-2004 22:30:57 BST
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