THE TOP TEN REASONS NOBODY WATCHES
YOUR VIDEO
CLIPS. 10. FIVE
MINUTES OF YOUR GRANDMA KNITTING IS 4 1/2 TOO MANY:
Because video is a dynamic
medium, motion is essential. Keep things moving by keeping
your shots short. 9. YOUR
FOOTAGE LOOKS LIKE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE LOCAL AM/PM
MINI-MART: Good video
tells a story. A good story has a plot. You set the plot by
covering all the angles! 8. YOUR
VIDEO CLIP HAS MORE SNOW THAN DONNER'S PASS:
If you play-back your footage
before you are done recording on a tape you may cue it up
wrong and create snowy gaps. Use the edit search button on
the camcorder. The tape is then rewound or fast-forwarded
and cued to the end of the last recorded spot. 7. YOUR
CONSTANT CHATTERING DROWNS OUT ALL OTHER SOUND:
A Jabbering camera person can
make even the best footage a chore to endure. Video, by its
very nature, narrates itself. Let your video speak for
itself. 6. YOUR
ON-CAMERA SUBJECTS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IN A WITNESS PROTECTION
PROGRAM: As a rule, never
shoot your subjects with their back to the sun or a
window. 5. MUSIC
VIDEOS FROM THE EARLY 80'S HAVE MORE CONTINUITY:
This is the opposite of number
10. Two or three second shots of random subjects. Remember,
you're telling a story and a story has a clear
beginning, middle and end. 4. YOU
TREAT THE VIEWFINDER LIKE A RIFLE
SCOPE: One of the first rules
is the "Rule of Thirds." Move your subject out of the
center of your shot and your scene will be more pleasing to
the eye and more interesting to the viewer. 3. YOU
ZOOM MORE THAN A STREET ROD ON A SATURDAY
NIGHT: Zoom lenses on
camcorders should be used to zoom in on faraway objects and
stay there! When you choose to zoom, Don't zoom in and out
and make sure you have a clear beginning, middle and end to
your camera lens movements. 2. YOUR
FEET WALKING DOWN THE HALL ARE THE STARS OF THE
SHOW: It's easy to forget
something as simple as pausing the tape between shots. Take
your time, stay alert and push the pause button when you've
finished your shot. 1.YOUR
FOOTAGE PRODUCES MORE MOTION SICKNESS THAN THE TILT-A-WHIRL:
Yes, the "Blair Witch
Project" made lots of money at the boxoffice but, it
also made lots of people sick! Concentrate on holding the
camera steady. Stand still, bend your knees slightly, hold
the camera with both hands. Hold your shot long enough for
the viewer to know what it is. Steady footage is the first
step toward excellent video. REMEMBER, THE THREE GOALS FOR EVERY
VIDEO CLIP ARE:
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