Tips for Capturing Video

If you’re using a phone, hold it HORIZONTALLY!

No doubt you’ve seen vertical video on a TV screen. The video sits in the middle of the screen with a larger, blurred version in the background, or black bars on either side. Video is meant to be horizontal! Say NO to vertical video syndrome.

Think about a beginning.

Every good story starts with a beginning. For a vacation video, it could be a Welcome sign, an airplane, or arriving at your destination. For a baby, it could be the baby waking up.

Think about an ending.

At the end, you want to feel a sense of closure. For a baby, s/he could walk or crawl out of the frame, read a story and go to sleep.

If you’re using a phone, hold it HORIZONTALLY!

Yes, this is the first tip again. It’s worth repeating.

Watch for light.

Most houses have a couple rooms or parts of rooms that have good natural light. When you can, film in those places! Try to position yourself so that your subject faces a window, so that the window light is falling on your subject. Avoid shooting towards a window, as your camera will adjust for the outdoor light, making your subject dark.

Get alternate angles of repeated actions.

Lots of things happen over and over. Let’s say you’re feeding your baby. You could start with the standard shot that shows the whole scene. But then, move to an alternate angle. It could be a side angle, or overhead, or a close-up of her hand. These can all be edited together to create one engaging sequence.