Tips for creating great (science) videos
The best, in fact the only, way to learn film making is to get stuck in and learn from your successes and your mistakes. These simple tips aren't rules - they're a guide to get you started and to help you avoid the most common pitfalls.
1. Framing
When thinking about framing it helps to be aware of three basic shot types as a starting point:
Wide Shot
Wide shots are useful for establishing the scene, to give the viewer an idea of where and when the action is taking place. Wides look better steady so use a tripod if you have one, a wall if not.
Close Up
For science experiments in particular, your video will be greatly enhanced by showing some detail of what's going on. Don't be shy about zooming in as far as your camera will allow.
Mid Shot
If you want the feel of talking to someone in person, use a mid shot. No need to use a tripod for mid shots, unless you want to, as a slight movement will seem perfectly natural.
If you mix up the size of your shots, your video will be much more watchable. And if you are planning to edit your video, having a variety will give you much more scope. It's usually better and easier to cut from a wide to a close-up than it is to cut between shots of the same size.
2. Light
It helps to think of what's actually happening when you record video. Your camera is processing the light bouncing off your subject and the problem is that, no matter how expensive your camera, it's not nearly as good at this task as is the human eye. So, if part of your shot is in direct sunlight and part is in shadow, the camera won't be able to handle the difference and either the shadowed area will be dark and grainy or the lit area will be burned out. Or both.
So, to use the available light most effectively, make sure there's a narrow range of light intensity in your shot. Make sure there is more light bouncing off your subject than there is coming from the background. For example, it may be tempting to place an interviewee by a window to get an interesting background to your shot, but their face will likely be dark and without detail. Move the shot around so that the light coming from the window is bouncing off your subject and you may well find you get a much better result.
3. Sound
The other thing your camera does is record vibrations in the air, otherwise known as sound! Poor sound quality is the most common failure and a few basic tips can make all the difference.
The first tip is to listen, preferably with a pair of headphones connected to your camera. How much background noise is there? Can you do anything about it? Can you switch off the air conditioning, close a door, bribe a group of noisy kids to shut up for 10 minutes? If not, is there somewhere quieter you can do your shot?
You should get as close as possible to the subject. If you're using your camera's on-board mic, your options are quite limited but you can still greatly improve the quality of an interview by zooming out and sticking the camera right in your interviewee's face!
Finally, set the recording level. Don't use the auto setting unless you have to, as the level will hunt all over the place when your subject isn't talking. Do a sound check and set the level (so it peaks at around -6DB) and/or listen to check the sound's not distorting.
4. Filming people
Many people become uncomfortable at the prospect of being on camera. One of the things they struggle with is where to look and you can help them by giving them clear guidance. There are essentially two options:
Interview
In general, if a person is being interviewed, they shouldn't look at the camera. The interviewer should stand next to the camera and the interviewee should be looking slightly off-camera.
Presenter / piece-to-camera
If, however, you want your subject to present their message directly to the audience, then they should look at and talk to the camera.
These two techniques have a very different effect. It's up to you how you put your film together but it will look more professional if you are clear about doing one or the other and not something in-between.
5. Editing
Once you've shot your video you'll need to transfer the footage onto your computer for editing. How you do this depends on what camera you've used. If you've used a hard drive or memory card camera then you'll probably need a USB cable; if you've shot on miniDV then you'll need a IEEE 1394 (firewire) cable and card (pictured right). Many computers come with a firewire card already installed.
You'll also need some editing software and there are some great free or inexpensive packages available. If you use Windows, then Windows Movie Maker (included in XP and Vista) may well do the job for you.
If you use a mac, iMovie (£54 as part of Apple's iLife suite) is intuitive, quick and easy to use.
Whatever you use, try not to get overwhelmed by the software. Editing is a very simple craft, so don't feel you have to use any of the fancy effects or transitions. And the final tip is to keep it short and concise. Just because you've shot something doesn't mean you have to use it. Cut ruthlessly. Your audience will appreciate it!
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Reply #2 on : Mon January 25, 2010, 13:28:10