Video Do's and Don'ts

[Chuck Engels]

As suggested by Jamal this is a great place to ask questions or post suggestions on how to create a video that people will enjoy watching.

The first suggestion:
Keep It Simple and Keep It Short

[Steve Grisetti]

My tip:

The right music can cover a multitude of sins.

It sets the mood. It paces your shots and action. And it can make any visuals seem a lot more exciting.

[BFTrak]

Chuck, I'd be interested to hear what "keeping it short" means to you (obviously this will depend on the project, but I am looking for some guidelines).

thanks.

[Chuck Engels]

I tend to follow Steve's recommendations of no video being over 40 - 45 minutes. This greatly depends on what the video is about and over what time period it is filmed. I try to keep mine under 30 minutes, especially if it is an event, vacation or holiday. Anyone can sit and watch a 1/2 hour home movie

If it is a mini documentary, like the life story I did for my wife's grandfathers 100th birthday, then it can go longer (that one was 55 minutes and included 100 years of filmed historic events and every President for 100 years all in about 5 minutes).

[ed]

If it's a video for the web I would suggest keeping it to 3 minutes or less, definetly not more then 5. Peoples attention span on the web is even less then TV.

[Steve Grisetti]

And to that I'd add that you should also keep your shots short.

The Golden Rule is that no shot should last longer than 5 seconds unless you want to draw attention to how long it goes on.

Every shot has a life span. And, as you play back your video, you can feel a natural beat when it's time to cut to a different angle on the action.

[Wheat King]

Do cut on action.

For example LEt's say you have 5 minutes worth of your 3 year old opening Christmas or birthday presents... I have a music video I'm working on, where everytime my daughter ripped at a present I would cut or split the clip half way through the ripping motion rather than at the end. When you string them all together with the full ripping motion it felt long and boring, but when I cut in the middle, it seems to be a better effect and the point is still made.

[sidd finch]

I also think that the creator should try to shoot a multitude of angles. Nothing kills the feeling like a video shot completly from one angle and one height....boring...

Sidd F.

[rustysterling]

I agree with the advice to keep clips short. But I'd like to add not too short. A string of one second clips generally just wouldn't work IMHO. But there are exceptions to everything.

[Chuck Engels]

A Good example would be a current music video, pretty much any one.

Watch to see how long any one shot stays on screen, 1 - 3 seconds for a large portion of the entire video. This doesn't apply to all but it does apply to many.

It may not change the subject but it does change to another angle or camera. Even television shows and movies, the shot changes constantly. This is probably due to the majority of our population having ADHD or something.

[Steve Grisetti]

Jamal/WheatKing's suggestion that you cut on action is right out of film school! It's the key to bringing continuity to any montage of clips.

In other words, if someone is reaching for something, you cut from one camera angle as he begins to reach and cut in the next angle as he grabs what he's reaching for. That way you get one continuous movement from two different angles.

Similarly, if you show someone turn to face something off-screen and then you cut to a shot of, say, a dog, it will imply that the person turned and saw a dog.

And, if you show someone looking hungry and then cut to a bowl of soup, it will imply that the person is hungry for soup.

I hope this isn't too abstract. Sergei Eisenstein made all much clearer.

[rustysterling]

Here's one they preached to us over and over in my broadcast journalism graduate program: avoid zooming. Zooming in and out a lot is what one of my teachers called "the zooming crazies." Too much zooming in and out is distracting and detracts from the story.

[Chuck Engels]

The best pans and zooms on still images can be learned from the master, Ken Burns.

Almost every still image in all of his documentaries has some sort of zoom in or out and pan movement. You hardly notice it because most times it is so very subtle but makes the image come alive. Knowing where to start and stop the pan and zoom, along with how fast to make the movement, is crucial.

I have his Statue of Liberty documentary and often watch his show on PBS, amazing what you can learn from him.

[sidd finch]

Don't forget the long steadicam shots like those seen in the TV show "The West Wing" or "ER". The fluidity and grace of those shots makes you feel like you are in the shot too.

I understand that this is an especially diffucult shot to master, but even small flying shots slowed down give the work an added edge.

I have built and use a home made steadicam for alot of my shots and it really make the video fun.

Sidd

[Chuck Engels]

Sidd, How about a 'How To' on building that steadycam?