Top tips for do-it-yourself video recording
If, even after talking to us you still can’t justify bringing in a professional videographer, then here are our top tips for do-it-yourself recording.
In most cases businesses wanting to video record someone or something will have little choice in choosing a location. It will often be in an office, boardroom, factory or seminar environment. Knowing what the problems with a given location are, in advance, gives you some chance of dealing with them.
Light
Video cameras, especially automatic consumer models, have a limited range of light they can deal with. If you stand someone in front of a bright window then the camera will see the bright daylight and adjust itself to capture that. The person in front of the window will be almost completely black. Always try to arrange it so that the camera is between the light source and the subject.
Sound
Sound is much more important to a professional looking video than people think. The built in microphones of consumer cameras are very basic. If your video camera has an input for an external microphone then consider spending around £79 on the Røde Video Microphone. It will transform your sound quality.
Camera skills
Most non-professional camera people have one thing in common – they feel like they should be physically doing something all the time. Like zooming in. Panning around the room. Walking about to get a better angle. Our advice:
- don’t zoom in or out ever
- don’t pan unless you have to follow some action
- use a tripod, set up the shot in the viewfinder then leave it alone unless you absolutely have to move.
If you must move, try to wait for a break so you can stop recording then move the camera and tripod. Reframe the shot in the viewfinder and then start recording again. If you are going to edit your footage on computer then you can always cut out the moves and it sometimes helps to keep the camera running to keep sound recording, but in general learn to look, frame the shot, record then stop before you do anything else.
Permissions
This is important. Even if you are recording your own staff you need to get their permission if you want to use a video recording in which they appear.
A simple form like the one here will suffice but don’t ignore this. I can’t tell you the number of businesses I’ve dealt with who have had to shelve video projects because someone objected after the event.
Audience
If there is an audience say, for a seminar then it helps if they know from the beginning that you are video recording the event. If they are recognisable in the shot then they also need to sign a release form. Some of my clients make it a condition of acceptance of an invitation to a seminar that permission is given for video recording purposes.