Production Tips

A great video doesn't require expensive equipment, just a compelling message and a few tips from us here at GoodTube. The following tips will help you make your video a success.

PreProduction

The preproduction phase is in essence the planning stage. This is where you conceptualize what elements you will need to best tell the story/mission of your group (i.e., the best stories examine the conditions of a person prior to being helped by the group and the success of where they are now).

  • Keep the concept simple. You only have about 5 minutes to tell your story so don't complicate the message.
  • Make a list of the interviews you want to get and your locations.
  • Make a list of the equipment you will need on your shoot. For instance, camera, microphone, lighting, etc.
  • Remember the best stories are the ones that capture moments in 3 acts: tell a complete story from beginning (set up the problem), the middle (the action to solve the problem) and end (the solution/pay off).

Production

In the production phase, you put all the planning into practice and start getting some footage. There are multiple elements in a good shot (i.e., lighting, audio and framing). Here are some simple practices that will help.

Framing: You want to frame your shots in an interesting way while still conveying your message effectively.

  • When shooting people, don't cut off the top of their head or the feet.
  • Don't center the subject in the frame. Use the "Rule of Thirds" to place the contents of your frame.

Rule of Thirds: An image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally separated horizontal and two equally separated vertical lines. The four points of intersection formed by the lines can be used to align objects in a frame.

Lighting: Shooting outside offers a great source of natural light.

  • The best time to shoot outside is between 3-6 pm, when the colors are the warmest.
  • When you are shooting all day, be sure to white balance every hour to insure your colors are the best.
  • Watch out for backlight. This is lighting behind your subject matter that drowns out your subject.

Shooting Inside

  • If you have access to light, 3 point lighting is your best bet. Have one light behind your subject, hitting them on the top of their head (causing a light halo) and have two front lights hitting each side of your subject's face.

Other Shooting Tips

  • Don't be shy about getting footage for your "b-roll." The "b-roll" consists of extra footage you may need in the editing room. The b-roll should be a "real", unstaged, encounter of the scene or interview.
  • Shoot from different angles, keep the viewer interested. Always get wide, medium and close up shots on the subject for at least 20 seconds. Utilize the rule of thirds when framing.
  • Use a tripod when it's possible. Shaky camera work is hard for viewers to watch and a sure sign of an amateur.

Post Production

In this step, all of your planning and footage come together to form the final product.

  • Connect your camera (cell phone, still camera) using a Firewire or USB cable. Import your footage.
  • Use any of the following programs to edit your movie:
    • iMovie
    • Windows Movie Maker
    • Final Cut Pro
    • Adobe Premiere
  • Avoid using too many special effects and transitions. A simple cut will work between most frames. Only use transitions to emphasize moments (such as page peel to show transition of time, fade in and out of black to let the moment end and to start a new thought).
  • Add music as an easy solution to audio (but don't use copywritten music). Consider the tempo and the mood of the music and ask yourself if it fits with what your video is trying to achieve.
  • Make sure that audio levels do not exceed -12 db Frame rate at 30 per second (29.9).
  • Keep compressed video below 100 mb
  • Only use voice over to fill in the blanks from what you didn't get in your interviews. Too much voice over separates the audience from the story.
  • A soft orchestral music bed under everything can help set the mood. Be sure to keep music under voice over and interviews at 10% of the Vo/intrv volume.