2. HELLo. I’m Chris snider
• Associate professor in Drake
University’s School
of Journalism and Mass
Communication
• Teach classes on video, audio,
social media, design, storytelling
and web design
• Also teach a variety of classes
on those topics in our
Online Master of Arts in
Communication program
3. • I’m passionate about how businesses can use social
media and digital media
• Formerly editor at Juice Magazine and the Des Moines
Register
• Continue to run social media accounts and build websites
for clients and several related to Drake University
4. INTRODUCTIONS
• Name
• Where you work / What you do
• Your experience with shooting and editing video
• What you hope to do with the skills you gain in this workshop
6. We’ve all made videos before
I
t
’
s
2022
That doesn’t mean
we’ve maDe good ones
7. Video is more popular and more
in-demand than ever
The problem is… most people don’t
know how to make quality video
But you can do it with only a smartphone.
11. Shoot in shots
• Don’t shoot in one continuous movement or hold one
shot for too long
• Shoot a series of unique shots and put them together
to tell the story
• This is a terrible video (with millions of views)…
14. How long is each shot on the screen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faO4WuUPLoo
15. Move, point, shoot, stop.
Move, point, shoot, stop.
Move, point, shoot, stop.
• Frame your shot, then press record until it gets boring.
• Then stop and move on to the next one.
• Shoot more than you think you’ll need (you don’t have
to use it all)
17. Camera movement…
• Pan - move the camera horizontally
• Tilt - move the camera vertically
• Zoom - move toward/away from to subject
• Always begin and end stable
18. … avoid camera movement
• Any sort of camera movement is advanced technique
• Hold the camera still and let the movement happen
inside your composed shot
20. When to use camera movement
• When there is no action on the screen, some slow
movement may be necessary to keep the viewer engaged
• Pan and tilt can be used to reveal elements and make the
viewer feel like part of the action
22. COMPOSE
YOUR SHOTS
• Take charge and
properly set up the
shot.
• Pay attention to
backgrounds.
• Don’t be afraid to
rearrange the furniture
(in non-documentary
situations).
32. This video is trying to tell me where, who and what in one shot. It’s too much.
How might this have been done differently with multiple shots?
33. Go to Facebook or Instagram and look at the
fi
rst video you see from a brand
How are they doing?
• Shooting in shots
• Avoiding camera movement
• Composing shots (rule of thirds, framing,
leading lines, foreground/background)
• Shooting wide, medium close-up
34. Let’s shoot, Part 1
• Shoot at least
fi
ve shots of someone doing an action
(using a prop, walking around campus or ????)
• Include wide, medium and close-up shots
• Hold the camera steady
• Compose shots - rule of thirds, framing, leading lines,
foreground/background
Shooting in shots
37. A visual timeline representation of your video
Indicators about effects, titles, music, sounds
Preview area - shows video clips as they are
playing
Tools you can use as you edit
Library of clips you’re working with. Press,
hold, and drag a clip to re-arrange your clips
in your timeline.
38. • Trim ends
• Cut from middle
• Split into two
clips
46. Shoot in sequences
• Think in terms of scenes
• For each scene, follow the action, shoot wide, medium
and close-up
• Reconstruct the event so it appears to happen in real
time. Look for things that repeat (so you can shoot
more than once). Or have your subject repeat them (if
possible)
48. Zoom with your feet,
not with your lens
• Shoot at your camera’s widest setting for stability
• 10x zoom = 10x shakiness
• Can be uncomfortable to get in close, but it’s our best
option
50. Storyboard, then shoot
• It’s important to think through all of your shots ahead of
time.
• Easiest way is to storyboard what you will shoot.
51. Use Pattern interrupts
Pattern Interrupts are elements in your video that are di
ff
erent than the rest
of your video (they literally "interrupt" the “pattern"). Pattern Interrupts can be:
• On-screen graphics
• Animations
• New background or setting
• B roll shots
• Di
ff
erent camera angles
• Sound e
ff
ects
55. –Dirck Halstead, DigitalJournalist.org
“If you close your eyes while watching a news
program like 60 Minutes, you will
fi
nd that you
can absorb the story with no problem. The
images enhance the story, but it is the sound
that is vital to understanding.”
56. • When it comes to video and multimedia, sound is
the most important element.
• Sound has the power to make a good project into an
extraordinary piece of work, but also to undermine and
even ruin the strongest of stories.
57. Types of sound
• Your sound may consist of a mix of:
• Standups
• Interviews
• Voiceover
• Natural sound
• Music
• Sound e
ff
ects
58. Types of microphones to record
• Handheld: Dynamic mics won’t need a
battery or phantom power – you can just plug
them in and start recording.
• Shotgun: Use batteries and pick up more
sounds from a greater distance and can cancel
out other noises.
• Lavalier: Picks up voice of the subject while
blending in some of the environment.
59. Some sound rules
• When placing the mic for an interview, closer is better
• Wear headphones to hear any sound issues
• Continue to record important sound even if the picture is
poor. You can always split the audio and video later
• Avoid locations with bad acoustics.
• Avoid distracting background noises (busy areas, heavy
machinery, lawnmowers, etc.)
62. Smartphone video has
four main weaknesses
Hard to keep phone stable
(stabilization does get better every year)
Lack of quality audio when too far from camera
Not great in low-light situations
Limited zoom options (also getting better)
69. Interview setup
• Find a good location.
• Good: room with padded couches and thick drapes
• Bad: kitchen, large hallway, gymnasium
• Do you hear any background noises that will be
distracting when played back? Refrigerator running,
clock ticking, etc.
70. Microphone placemenT
• Ideally as close to the subject’s lips as possible to capture their
rich voice but less of the room
• Microphone below the mouth as opposed to in-front of to avoid
recording breathing sound
• Use a windscreen if recording outside
71. Video logistics
• Try to put the subject in their natural environment
• Keep the background simple
• Avoid putting subjects in front of windows or you will
have lighting issues
• Who is someone you could interview for a
story? What location would make sense for the
interview?
72. Camera height even with subject’s eyes
Not much empty space above head
Include head and shoulders and not much else
Face slightly to one side of the shot and looking opposite way
Leave a little room below face for adding their name
75. Let’s shoot and edit, part 2
• What we’re focusing on
• Quality audio - one interview of 20+ seconds
• Variety of shots - B-roll
• Shooting in sequences - can you create a 2-shot sequence?
• Tripod for steady video
Interview with b-roll
Topic: Weather story OR Historic Meredith Hall OR ?????
76. Click impose to add
cutaway shot
• You’ll need to size up the
video (use 2
fi
ngers) to
completely cover the
interview
• Just watch the ad to get
this feature for free
79. ANDROID AND IPHONE EDITING: VIDEOSHOP
• Free ($24/year for all tools)
• Quickly turns multiple clips into one video, add music, text and more
80. A BETTER VIDEO APP: FILMICPRO
• $15 for iOS and Android
• Professional video tools such as smooth zooming, lock focus, lock
exposure, sound monitoring.
81. • $15/year for pro features (iOS and Android)
• Video editing,
fi
lters and e
ff
ects, music, stickers, text
CHANGE SIZE OF VIDEO: INSHOT
82. • iPhone - free
• Shoot with front and back camera at the same
ti
me
• Capture two di
ff
erent focal lengths at the same
ti
me
DOUBLETAKE
83. • iPhone and Android - free
• Edi
ti
ng app with features including transi
ti
ons, e
ff
ects,
fi
lters and music
• Great op
ti
on for shoo
ti
ng and edi
ti
ng Stories, Reels and TikTok videos.
VITA
84. • iPhone - free for limited version - $40/year for full version
• Create mo
ti
on graphics for social media
MOJO
85. Let’s shoot and edit, part 3
• What we’re focusing on
• Storyboard
• Quality audio
• Variety of shots
• Tripod for steady video
5 shots about you