The Basics of making a Video
Contents
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Why using videos
The camera
The main buttons on your video camera
Camera angles
Framing
Audio
Planning and preparing
Interviews
Tips
Links (guidelines and instruction videos)
1. Why using videos
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To tell a story
To explain (local) situations visually
To clarify complex situations
To keep the attention of your audience
To transfer a message
To increase intercultural understanding
2. The Camera
A digital video camera
You don’t have to be an expert or very technical person to make your
own video. (Digital) video cameras are easy to handle. All you have to
do is point your camera and push record.
Though, to illuminate how a digital camera works, here is some
technical background information. The three main components within
the camera are:
• Lens
(transmits light on the imager)
• Imager (converts light into electric signal)
• Recorder (converts the electric signal into a video
signal and stores it on a recording medium)
3. The main buttons on your video camera
The buttons and how they look (push, switch or scroll) may differ
between different camera brands, but the main functions are:
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Power on /off
Record: To start recording what you see on the LCDscreen or in the viewer.
Playback controls (located often on or near the LCDscreen) : After you have recorded something you can play
back to watch the footage.
Automatic/manual: Auto-functions usually perform well
enough for amateur filmmakers
Zoom in / out : This function moves your point of view
closer, or further away. It is similar to moving your camera
itself closer or further away from the object.
Menu : To adjust camera settings
4. Camera angles (1)
The angle that a camera holds in position to the subject may
have a psychological effect on the viewer.
Bird’s eye view: Directly from above. Subjects may become
unrecognizable, people may look like ants
High-angle: The viewer looks down on the subject from an angle.
Subjects become part of a wider setting
Eye-level: As observed by humans, a quite neutral shot.
Low-angle: Increases height of subjects, the viewer is being looked
down upon by the subject. The setting becomes less obvious since only
sky or ceiling are visible in the background.
Canted (Dutch) angle: A tilted camera position to suggest imbalance
and instability and a specific point of view.
4. Camera angles (2)
5. Framing (1)
 Everything in your frame is important. Not just your
subject.
 Be aware of what is visible in the background. Wilted
plant are distract and might even cause a sad feeling.
 Is there something that can distract people away from
the subject? For example bright colors or movement.
 How is the lightening? Look at shadows, especially in
people’s faces.
 Pay attention to the edges of your frame, don’t cut
people off in weird proportions, for example half faces.
5. Framing (2)
The frame of your shot has a relation
to the meaning of your shot. What you
make visible to the viewer tells a story.
For example, this picture portrays a
relation between the woman and the
forest. A close-up of the woman would
tell a totally different story.
 Long shot: focus on setting and landscape
 Establishing shot: overview of the situation
 Medium shot: background detail is minimal, focus on 13 persons from waist height
 Close up: very close by, a face covers the whole frame
5. Framing (3)
 Lead room (also called nose, head or looking room) :
If people speak, look or move into a certain direction,
leave some room open in this part of the frame. This
will look more natural
Too little lead room
Too much lead room
6. Audio (1)
Videos are not only visual, sound is almost as important for the
experience and understanding.
Tips:
• Be aware of background noises; such as voices, music, airconditioning, phones and wind. A little bit of wind can destroy
your sound recordings!
• Do a sound check
• When conducting an interview it is better to use an external
microphone, because the built-in microphones often pick up a
lot of background noise. With most cameras the microphone
can be plugged into the “mic input” or “AV input” socket of
your camera.
6. Audio (2)
Handheld microphone
Lavalier (lapel) microphone with clip
• With a hand mic it’s often better to hold the mic
yourself, instead of giving it to the subject. But then
you should put your camera on a tripod, because
otherwise it is impossible to keep the image steady
• Hold the mic at a constant distance and angle from the
mouth (around 15-20cm).
7. Planning and Preparing
 In order to make your video look more professional
you need to plan before you start filming. Try to think
of technical or practical problems you may encounter.
 Imagine what the final product will look like. And try to
think of the editing process. What kind of shots do you
need? How can you tell a visual story? If your subject
changes settings it might be an idea to include a shot of
the person travelling or walking in or out a door.
 It may help to draw a storyboard (like a comic book), it
helps you visualize the story you want to tell.
 Prepare your interview questions. Make a list of the
issues you want the person to tell about.
 Make a schedule of what, where and how you are going
to film.
 Think about the materials you need.
8. Interviews
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Make people feel comfortable
Cover the red recording light with tape, the light
switching on tends to make people nervous
Start with easy questions, about family and friends
for example. This gives people the opportunity to
get used to the setting and the camera
Ask them to look at a specific point; you, the
camera or an object /person behind you. This gives
people something to look at, but make sure they
don’t stare.
9. Tips
 Always bring the charger of your camera and an extra battery.
Also, bring extra batteries for any device that uses batteries, like
your microphone.
 Keep recording. It is better to film a bit longer, because short
recordings are more difficult to edit.
 Use the zoom function sparsely, it is very tiring to watch and it
doesn’t look professional.
 Ask people that are being interviewed to repeat
your question.
 Use different compositions. Change the way
people are proportioned in the frame. If all your
interviews are close-ups it is very boring to
watch.
 Filming with your camera on a tripod gives a
steady image, but may also bring stiffness to your
Tripod
image.
10. Links
Video:
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www.howcast.com/en/videos/383096-How-To-Shoot-a-Video
How to shoot a video?
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNs2iCHpOG0
Eight important tips for filming
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1japIhKU9I&feature=fvw
Filmmaking techniques: Camera shots, angles & movement, focus
techniques, white balance, composition, lightning, etc.
Guidelines/ tutorials:
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www.mediacollege.com/ (see: video, audio, lighting)

www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/gramtv.html#Top
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