I am often asked what goes into creating an engaging video. There are several elements you should make sure to cover when you are creating your video or having someone shoot the video for you:
- The story or content of the video (is it engaging?)
- Sound (this is the most important element in videos)
- Visual composition, which is what we’ll briefly cover in this post.
Visual composition covers a lot and how you frame the scene is largely determined by the type of video you will be shooting. Is it an interview or an action scene? Those answers will help place your camera where it should be.
But there are some other general tips you should also be following:
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds divides the frame (what you see in the view finder) into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. Most digital cameras will offer this as a menu option, look for “guidelines,” and you will see a tic-tac-toe board overlaying your screen. With the rule of thirds, you should place your subject where those lines intersect. Where the lines intersect will be the best place for your subject. See the picture examples (that was me climbing Mt. Adams a couple of years ago).
Up Close & Personal
Your web videos are going to be seen on small screens from laptops to tablets to smart phones.
Many novice videographers frame their subjects from too far away – what we call a long shot or a wide shot. Long shots should be used sparingly because details are lost in long shots. That is especially the case when these shots are scene on the small screen. Use them to establish a location – say you are shooting the outside of your business.
Instead, you should employ a close up of your subject. In storytelling, close-ups have great emotional impact. A close-up of a person would frame the subject from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders. The other shot you may use would be a mid or medium shot, which would be from the top of the head to the waist. Like the long shot, when seen on the small screen, mid shots lose details and intimacy.
You should also be employing the rule of thirds to your close up shot, and put the subjects eyes on the upper third line while making sure not to give them a lobotomy by putting the top of their heads out of the frame.
Tripods
You can pick up a cheap tripod for as low as $20 and a decent one for less than $100. Awesome tripods can run you more than $1,000. Settle for somewhere between the first two options depending on your budget. If you are in a bind and don’t have a tripod, you can use two hands holding the camera, or leaning on a desk or doorframe, or using a piles of books to prop up the camera. What you will get from using a tripod is a steady shot. The alternative – a shaking image – can otherwise ruin perfectly framed shot.