This document outlines 15 commandments or rules for shooting and editing effective video. It was presented by Jeff Sharon of Full Sail University. Some of the key rules include: always using a tripod, moving with moving subjects and remaining still for stationary ones, getting a variety of shot types and close-ups, editing audio first before adding video clips, avoiding jump cuts, and sharing the finished video widely on platforms like YouTube. The goal is to help produce professional-looking video that tells a clear story.

1. The 15 Commandments
of Video
Jeff Sharon
Full Sail University
@Jeff_Sharon

2. About Me
• Graduated from UCF (’05)
and Syracuse (’06)
• Sports Reporter & Anchor for
WNEG-TV (now WUGA)
from ’06-‘08
• Host and Coordinator of
Broadcast Productions for
UCF Athletics from ’08-’10
• Course Director at Full Sail
since 2011
• UCF Insider for
SportsTalkFlorida.com

3. Want to get noticed?
!
!
!
!
Video is where it’s at.

4. Why?
!
More and
more people
are watching
online video.
Source: Pew Research

5. But if you’re going
to do it, do it right.
!
This ain’t home
movies.

6. What you need
• Camera (or phone)
• Tripod or Monopod
• Lavaliere Mic
• Headphones
• Bag

7. What about editing?
Don’t freak out. Editing software
does not have to be as complex
or expensive as you think.
Use whatever platform you’re
comfortable with.
iMovie is the easiest for
beginners.
No program will make you a
better editor. The video is the
thing.

8. The Video Production
Process
1. Shoot.
2. Write.
3. Edit.
4. Share.

9. Shoot Your Video
• Do your research
• Set up your interviews
• Go out and shoot!
• Shoot interviews first
• Then shoot your B-roll
footage/cutaways
• NO VERTICAL VIDEO!

10. Write Your Story
• Import your video.
• Select your sound bites.
• Then plan which shots you
will use as cutaways and
where you will place them.
• Write your narration.

11. What a TV script looks like
Everything
you hear
goes on
this side { }
Everything
you see
goes on
this side

12. Edit Your Video
• Assemble narration and
sound bites first
• Then add cutaway video
• Add graphics last
• Export and upload!

13. Post Your Video
• Export at the right settings
(Check for YouTube-optimized)
• Upload to ONE site (not
many)
• Embed on your blog
• Share on your Social Media

14. The 15 Commandments
of Shooting and Editing
Great Video

15. Rule #1
Double-check
your gear.

16. Double-check your gear
Before you go on a shoot, make
sure:
• Your battery is fully charged
• You have your tripod
• Your microphones work
• You have your headphones
• You have your SD card (with
room on it)

17. Rule #2:
Always use a tripod.

18. Always use a tripod
And I mean ALWAYS.
The tripod is your friend.
Adjust it for height.
Use the little green level
bubble on the tripod’s head
to make sure it’s perfectly
level before you shoot.
A perfectly balanced tripod has the
little bubble right in the middle of the
red circle.

19. Rule #3
If it’s moving, move with it.
If it’s not moving, don’t
move.

20. If your subject is moving
If the subject of your shot is
moving, move with it -
SMOOTHLY.
EXAMPLE: A football player
running past you.
And remember to give the
Lead Room
subject lead room - More
space ahead of their direction
of travel. Image: Wikimedia Commons

21. If your subject is stationary
• If the subject of your
shot is stationary, stay
stationary.
EXAMPLE: The outside
of a building.
Remember the Rule of
Thirds and keep your
hands off the camera
while recording.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

22. Shoot video the same way
you shoot still photos
• AVOID PANS (side-to-side),
TILTS (up and down) AND
ZOOMS, unless you
absolutely have to move.
• Pretend you’re taking still
photos, except they’re
moving pictures.
• Let the action happen in
the frame.
• Let the action come to you. Don’t chase it.
Use the Z-axis to your
advantage

23. Rule #4
Shoot and move.

24. Shoot and move
Don’t just stand there and
“spray” the scene.
If something is far away, don’t
rely on the zoom - get closer
to it.
Get up and move your
camera after every shot.
When you’re done recording,
get up and move somewhere
else.
This guy had better shoot and move.

25. Rule #5
Shoot with the light
behind you.

26. Shoot with enough light
behind you.
• When outdoors, use the Sun
as your primary source of
light.
• Yes, your interview subject
might be looking into the sun.
Too bad. They’re on TV.
• When indoors, use a bright
light or lamp as a primary
light source.
• NEVER shoot your interview
subject in front of a window. Epic interview fail.

27. Rule #6
Visual Diversity:
Vary your shots.

28. For every object, person or
scene you shoot, use this
modified variation of the
Five Shot Method.

29. Five Shot Method
With every object,
person, or action you
shoot, get five shots to
ensure visual diversity:
Wide
Tight
Tight
Medium Tight

30. Five Shot Method
For your close-ups, pick
the three most
important things in the
wide shot.
Tight
Tight
Tight

31. Remember:
Wide, medium,
tight, tight, tight.

32. Rule #7
If you hear it, shoot it.

33. If you hear it, shoot it.
When you get to a
place where a story is
happening, stop and
listen to the natural
sound.
Whatever you hear,
make sure you get
video of it.
If you’re at the beach, you’d better get
a few shots of the waves.

34. TIP:
Pick your best natural sound shot.
Use that as your establishing
(first) shot.

35. Rule #8
Shoot in 10-second
bursts.

36. Shoot in 10-second
bursts.
Here’s how to actually shoot:
• Set up your shot.
• Check your framing.
• Hit record and then don’t
touch the camera.
• Count to 10.
• Stop recording.
• Repeat.
Give yourself enough time to let action happen in the frame.

37. Rule #9
Don’t be afraid.
Get up close.

38. Don’t be afraid.
Get up close.
• Always get lots of close-ups.
• Move the camera and the
tripod up close to what you
want to shoot.
• If necessary, take the camera
off the tripod and set it on
something steady.
• This will help out your
natural sound.
Even video of mundane things looks more
interesting when shot close-up.

39. Rule #10
ALWAYS follow the
Rule of Thirds

40. Always follow the
Rule of Thirds
• Divide the screen into a
tic-tac-toe board.
• The focal point of each
shot should be at one of
the intersections.
Rule of Thirds FTW!

41. Good Framing

42. Bad Framing

43. Bad Framing

44. Bad Framing

45. Bad Framing

46. Rule #11:
Edit your audio first.

47. Edit your audio first
Edit your soundbites and
narration first (A-Roll).
Then edit in your cutaway video
(B-Roll) over it.
Your video will make much more
sense and take less time to edit.
• KEY TIP:
Cut on each pause in your
narration. This will help your
video’s pace.
Got this guy narrating your video?
Put his voice in first.

48. Why audio first?
Sound bites are fixed
elements - In other words,
they cannot be changed in
post (at least, not ethically).
Narration can always be
changed.
Also: This will save you
TONS of time in the editing
process.

49. Rule #12:
NEVER use the same
shot twice.

50. Never use the same
shot twice
If you already used a shot in
your video, DON’T use it
again.
Every shot must be
different from the last one.
EXCEPTION: It’s something
so incredible that you
simply can’t avoid it. Meh. Don’t use
this again.
Okay, I’ll allow it
this time.

51. Rule #13:
NO JUMP CUTS.

52. NO JUMP CUTS.
Jump cuts break continuity in time
and produce a startling effect in the
viewer.
This happens when you put two
sound bites back-to-back with
nothing in between.
Any moving objects in the shot will
appear to instantly jump to a new
position.
AVOID THEM.
Use cutaways to prevent jump cuts.
End frame
of one
shot
Beginning
frame of
next shot
Notice President Obama’s head is in a different
place from one SOT to the next.
That’s a jump cut.

53. Two Ways to Avoid Jump Cuts
Get a cutaway
or
Change two of the following:
Subject Angle Focal Length

54. My tip to avoid jump
cuts:
Everything in the shot should
be completely different from
the last one.

55. Rule #14:
NEVER use
crazy effects

56. DON’T use crazy effects
KEEP IT SIMPLE!
Use only cuts or dissolves for
transitions.
NOTE: Dissolves should only be
used to show the passage of time,
or if the video is moving at a
leisurely pace.
Don’t use effects on video. This
isn’t Instagram.
Use fonts that are easily readable.
No cursive or other craziness.
No fancy wipes or transitions. EVER.
Stop that! No weird effects!
Unemployment in
America
Say what? No crazy fonts!

57. Rule #15:
Share like you care

58. Share like you care
• Pick one site (YouTube or
Vimeo) to upload to.
• Fill out the title,
description, and tags. Mind
the details!
• Embed - Don’t link - Your
video on your site.
• Share on your social media
accounts.
• BE CONSISTENT!
YouTube has the largest number of
users among video sites.

59. Recommended Viewing
• 60 Minutes
• CBS Sunday
Morning
• PBS Frontline
• Reality TV
• Anything else where
the Kardashians
might show up

60. Rule #16

61. Once you have mastered
the rules, only then can
you break them.*
*Just because you just learned the rules
doesn’t mean you can break them now.
All non-original photos from flickr and Wikimedia Commons

62. Thanks.
jsharon@fullsail.com
@Jeff_Sharon