Better home videos: 5 tips to instantly improve your video filming ability

At Pixability, we take your video footage – no matter how good or bad it is – and make an entertaining custom movie out of it. But, of course, lots of our customers are keen to improve their filming ability. So I’ve been asked to give some tips on how to take nicer video footage.

Taking better camcorder shots is not rocket science; you just need to follow a couple of basic rules. There are many books written on this subject but here is my simple take on it:

No. 1: Hold camera still
You need to hold the camera still – take at least 10 seconds of each shot without changing the angle or zooming. I know this feels like an eternity but it is worth it. If you are feeling shaky or light is dim, take a wide stance, lean against a wall or use a chair to stabilize yourself.

No. 2: Turn the lights on
If you are filming indoors, turn all available lights on. Think that’s too much? Carefully look at reality shows on TV, they always use extremely strong lighting and yet it doesn’t seem artificial. To balance the lighting out, try to turn on several sources of light – the sconces, the table lamp as well as the ceiling fixture.

No. 3: Don’t zoom, walk
Zooming makes your image shaky and (in the case of digital zoom) pixelates your footage. Instead, walk up closer to your subject if you can (but don’t film while you walk!). If that isn’t possible, don’t zoom back and forth wildly but instead stabilize the camcorder with a chair or wall and take long shots.

No. 4: Establish the scene
Our Pixability editors sometimes have trouble telling the full story because they can’t show the ‘big picture’. Take 5 minutes to shoot some footage of the surroundings of your action: the school where you’re child’s play is taking place, the church from the outside if you’re attending a wedding or the entire camp ground if you’re filming a BBQ.

No. 5: Details matter
Many people shoot video only from one vantage point or distance. To make your video more interesting, vary the shots. Film the table decoration at a celebration in a close-up, take a shot of the entire room or landscape. This helps the viewers of your edited movie feel like they were there with you. But remember: hold still and shoot one angle/distance for at least 10 seconds.

Good luck with filming and let me know if these tips helped you. If you’re looking for more tips, check out our 10 tips here.

And if you’re an expert, leave us a comment with your favorite tips to improve home videos.

Posted by Bettina Hein
Monday, 01 December 2008