Creating a professional looking video is not that difficult. However, it will require some planning and attention to detail. Having the latest and greatest camera will mean nothing if you do not know how to put it to good use. In this article, we shall provide you with some tips on creating professional looking videos.
1 Create excellent audio
Excellent audio contributes a lot in making your video looks more professional. Most good microphones available in the market are affordable and easy to use; so, do your assignment and look for the best one you can find. When you already have the mic, place it close to the speaker as possible. Watch out for background noise especially if you are shooting at home. It can be easily heard in a video; so, pay attention.
2 Light It Up
Natural light is the way to go as far as lighting is concerned. The more natural the lighting, the more professional looking is the video. You can take advantage of the sun when shooting a video outdoors. When shooting indoors under traditional lights, watch out how yellow things can become. There are some DIY amateur hacks available in video editing websites that you can use to remedy the situation.
3 Dress the Set
You do not have to be in a studio to create professional-looking videos. You can make use of what is in every corner of the frame. Just make sure that your environment is related to the subject of the video you are making. The important thing whether shooting indoor or outdoor is the consistency of the background. Also, it should not overpower the subject. Avoid using a white background as it tends to wash out subjects. Make sure that the subject should be a few feet in front of the background.
4 Limit your message
Putting everything in one video is a huge mistake. Putting a lot of topics into the video will not only make it confusing but can also obscure the meat of the message you want to convey. As much as possible, stick to only one message and build your video around that message.
5 Work for perfection
You cannot get the perfect video in just one take. Try to get as many takes and angles as you can so that you can have an option once you start editing the video. Practice the lighting and the audio as well. At least when it’s time to roll, you already have footage that will work.
6 Simple Editing will do
You want your video to be perfect right away. As a result, you tend to over edit and result in excessive use of filters and effects making your video look clumsy. The best thing to do is to go for a simple video as this is what will make your video look professional.
7 Keep It Steady
Excessive hand movement can cause your camera to move a lot resulting to a blurry video. Investing in a tripod can help resolve steady videos. However, you should not be too dependent on it. You can still shoot steady videos without relying too much on different equipment. Position your body in such a way that every breath you take will not cause the camera to move too much. Look for something that can keep your cameras steady such as the ground, a wall, or another object. Without the tripod, you can easily move around and find the perfect spot to shoot the video.
8 Be Creative with your shots
Putting some creativity in your shots will help make your video look professional. You do not want your video to look as if they came from a CCTV camera. As a beginner, you may be shooting from the corner of a room or away from the action. Try to put yourself in the thick of things and shoot images that are unlikely to be shot if you are far from the object you are shooting. Experiment with different angles is necessary by shooting above and below your subject.
9 Practice Widescreen Videos
Nowadays, videos on widescreen format are becoming popular. Consider this new trend and find ways to make it work for you. You can capture everything with just one shot. A word of caution though shooting widescreen does not mean shooting all wide shots. Close up shots will still convey more emotion than shooting a crowd.
10 Avoid Unnecessary Zooms and Pans
If this is your first time to pick up a camcorder, it can be tempting to hit the zoom button on every shot while panning across the horizon. If you are recording an action scene, let the natural movement be at the center of your video. As much as possible, avoid random zooms and pans as it could only become a distraction from the action. Zoom or pan only when there is a reason to do so. For example, in a sporting event, zooming is necessary to follow the ball. That is why professional photographers tilt the camera up when a baseball player hits a fly ball.
11 Get Good Outdoor Shots
Getting good outdoor videos is more complicated than using the sun as lighting. To achieve the best outdoor shots, you would have to watch the position of the sun very closely. Shoot with the sun as your background. Shooting into the sun will produce much better shots.
12 Add Green Screen
Green screen is used by television stations to present the weather. When the weather reporter stands in front, the weather map will appear superimposed behind him. With green screen, you can have a plethora of options on how to shoot the video.
