How to Improve Your Home Movies
Don't make it too ambitious!, Plan the shoot., Learn basic composition., Shoot from more than one angle., Use music as a band-aid., Remember that, as with most things, content is king., Stay well lit., Make it steady One of the most useful tools...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Don't make it too ambitious!
Car chases , explosions and gun-fights may look great on paper , but are just not logical on film! Of course you can have a crack at it , and it's great fun , but shoddy effects and mistakes can take their toll on your movie! -
Step 2: Plan the shoot.
It's always good to go in with a plan.
That way, you know what you're doing, and don't end up taking way longer than you meant to, or end up with a beginning and an ending, but nothing to tie them together. , Basically, divide the screen into thirds (like a tic-tac-toe board).
The focus of the shot should be at an intersection of those lines, or at least as close as it can be within reason.
When shooting people, it's the eyes.
Remember to leave ample headroom, meaning don't cut off the top of their heads.
Also, leave look-space.
If someone is looking even slightly to one side, you shouldn't cut off that side.
You should have the people on the opposite side of the middle of the shot than where they're looking. , Get as many shots as you can from as many directions as possible.
This is called coverage, and it makes your film more visually interesting. , You can't cut your unintelligible mother-in-law out of a birthday party scene by saying, "The running time is a bit long." Instead, dub music over her.
Set anyone to the right song and they come off looking great. , No one wants to watch a two-hour video of your vacation.
But you can dazzle viewers with five Michael Bay, cut-heavy, chopped-up minutes. , Indoor shoots have big problems with backlighting and shadows, so film outside as much as possible. , They're easy to use , and can improve your home-movie enormously! Remember though , some tripods can be stiff , and sometimes it's just better to use the camera hand-held! , You're not making a real documentary here.
If someone stutters or slurs, ask them to say it again.
This is especially helpful with kids. , Try a nice shotgun model that you can mount on the camcorder.
This way, you won't have to rely so much on music. , Don't take this literally , all too often , the only way you can feature people in your film is to work with your mates , but as you know , giddiness and messing can happen easily when your friends are around.
If you want to get your film done , keep it serious! -
Step 3: Learn basic composition.
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Step 4: Shoot from more than one angle.
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Step 5: Use music as a band-aid.
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Step 6: Remember that
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Step 7: as with most things
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Step 8: content is king.
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Step 9: Stay well lit.
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Step 10: Make it steady One of the most useful tools will be a tripod!
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Step 11: Don't be afraid to tell people what to do.
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Step 12: Get an external microphone-- your built-in mike just won't cut it.
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Step 13: Don't cast your friends!
Detailed Guide
Car chases , explosions and gun-fights may look great on paper , but are just not logical on film! Of course you can have a crack at it , and it's great fun , but shoddy effects and mistakes can take their toll on your movie!
It's always good to go in with a plan.
That way, you know what you're doing, and don't end up taking way longer than you meant to, or end up with a beginning and an ending, but nothing to tie them together. , Basically, divide the screen into thirds (like a tic-tac-toe board).
The focus of the shot should be at an intersection of those lines, or at least as close as it can be within reason.
When shooting people, it's the eyes.
Remember to leave ample headroom, meaning don't cut off the top of their heads.
Also, leave look-space.
If someone is looking even slightly to one side, you shouldn't cut off that side.
You should have the people on the opposite side of the middle of the shot than where they're looking. , Get as many shots as you can from as many directions as possible.
This is called coverage, and it makes your film more visually interesting. , You can't cut your unintelligible mother-in-law out of a birthday party scene by saying, "The running time is a bit long." Instead, dub music over her.
Set anyone to the right song and they come off looking great. , No one wants to watch a two-hour video of your vacation.
But you can dazzle viewers with five Michael Bay, cut-heavy, chopped-up minutes. , Indoor shoots have big problems with backlighting and shadows, so film outside as much as possible. , They're easy to use , and can improve your home-movie enormously! Remember though , some tripods can be stiff , and sometimes it's just better to use the camera hand-held! , You're not making a real documentary here.
If someone stutters or slurs, ask them to say it again.
This is especially helpful with kids. , Try a nice shotgun model that you can mount on the camcorder.
This way, you won't have to rely so much on music. , Don't take this literally , all too often , the only way you can feature people in your film is to work with your mates , but as you know , giddiness and messing can happen easily when your friends are around.
If you want to get your film done , keep it serious!
About the Author
Gary Chapman
Enthusiastic about teaching home improvement techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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