In the time of the 21st Century, almost everyone knows how to take a picture from their phone’s camera and to shoot a video. But shooting anything and everything related to the subject you’re working on is not enough. It’s not a smart approach to cover each and every detail. But the important thing to keep in mind is to make your video so compelling that you’re being able to sell your ideas directly to your audience. For this, you must understand the technical aspect of capturing a perfect shot that evokes an emotion of some sort within the viewer.
THE BARE ESSENTIALS
A few decades ago, shooting a professional video and taking a high-quality photo without an expensive digital camera and other props was practically impossible. But this is not the case today. Due to rapid technological advancement, today we are blessed with gadgets like smartphones that can be used in all sorts of shoots in HD quality, but within a budget. These tips are going to help you if you are shooting with your Android device-
- Lighting- Proper lighting plays a huge role in Smartphone cameras. Try to shoot in well-lit areas to avoid unnecessary editing of shadows and grains from your video. You can use the backlight of your phone’s camera if there is insufficient lighting. You can also use the “touch focus” feature to adjust the right balance in the light setting and focus on the most important aspect of the video.
- Audio- While most Smartphones nowadays come with awesome camera quality but somehow the built-in microphone is not as good. Therefore, it is advisable to shoot in a quiet place like an empty room to avoid unnecessary background noises from cutting the main audio from your video. Or you can use a separate audio device that is compatible with your mobile device.
- Stability- You don’t want your video footage to come out unstable, hazy or shaky. But at the same time, you can’t help it. Making a stable video without getting it distorted takes years of practice. Here, the simplest thing you can do is use your hands as close to your body as possible while recording the video. Or use a stabilizer or a tripod to make your mobile phone still while taking a video.
Here’s a list of equipment’s for your outdoor shooting:
- Camera- Use whatever camera you have. Not all cameras are for the same use and there’s a huge range of cameras available in the market varying in functions, styles, and prices. But any decent digital camera should help with the basic understanding of video shooting and taking pictures. Once you have learned the basic skills with your camera, you can buy a professional one if needed.
- Tripod- If you are new to the process of video shooting, the most common problem you would face is that of shaky footage or an uneven angle. A Tripod could help fix that problem.
- Shotgun Microphone- Good audio quality is what makes your video different from the amateurs. A Shotgun Microphone can be set on top of a Boom Pole to get better audio quality.
- Extra batteries- You never want to run out of your batteries when you have already begun your shoot.
- Laptop- A laptop is a very important tool during any photoshoot or video shoot. It enables you to see the shots and footages taken on a bigger and much brighter screen, helps you to understand the mistakes that are impossible to observe during the shoot.
- Hard Drive- A portable hard drive is a very useful tool for offloading your camera’s memory. With the free space in your camera, you can shoot for hours without worrying about anything.
POST PRODUCTION-
Once you’re done with the shooting of the video. It’s time to take the video to the next level. You have to carefully think and edit the video to give it that professional quality. Following are some editing tools for independent entrepreneurs, freelancers, and vloggers who are beginners and want to try out video editing by themselves-
- SDC Free Video Editor
- Pinnacle Studio
- DaVinci Resolve
- iMovie
- Avidemux
- Lumen5
- Nero Video
- Corel Video Studio
- Adobe Premiere Pro