The secret to making better videos
I’m not going to tell you to buy more gear
or to buy my luts
just offer simple advice to help you grow as a filmmaker.
It all revolves around this one word. INTENT. Making intentional choices in filmmaking is
by far the most important skill to master. At all times when I’m filming, I’m asking
myself, WHY AM I DOING THIS. Why am I shooting on this lens, why am I moving the camera,
why am I framing the shot this way? Learning the motivation behind all these questions
is the biggest secret to growth!
I’ve identified 5 areas that I deem to be the most important.
First we’ve got camera movement.
Does pushing the camera forward take you closer to the next scene, or does it stress the importance
of a moment, taking us into someones mind or memory? Does pulling back physically take
you out of the scene or does it reveal something new and important in it. Do you revolve around
your subject because it looks cool or do you want to create context of the surroundings?
Movement that is not motivated can quickly become a distraction. What is the relationship
between the camera moving and my subject? Tracking a subject over distance puts the
focus on both the subject and their surroundings. Simply tracking their movement from a fixed
point with a pan or tilt puts more emphasis on the subject. Moving the camera in the opposite
direction to the movement of your subject generally flows better than going in the same
direction. Moving the camera is a tool to tell better stories and if you learn how these
movements translate you won’t even have to think about it, you’ll just know.
Next we’ve got framing
How you frame a shot can speak volumes about the feeling of a scene. The rule of thirds
guides your attention to where the subject is looking. The opposite of that creates discomfort,
something you want your viewer to experience with your subject. Centering your subject
emphasises importance. Leading lines is making use of elements in your environment to create
a visual pathway to your subject or focal point. Something as simple as framing next
to a wall, or using street lights, anything that is natural in the scene that will draw
your eyes to your subject. A dutch tilt is used to communicate uneasiness or tension.
Point of view makes you feel part of the scene experiencing the moment through the eyes of
your character. Framing your subject with a natural frame in the scene. Just like leading
lines this can draw the attention to your subject but also have the ability to communicate
other emotions like in this case, the feeling of loneliness.
If you approach every single frame with this in mind your story telling will drastically
improve.
Gear Selection
Gear choice can have a massive impact on the outcome of your film. Arguably the most important
aspect here is the choice between gimbal and handheld. It’s easy to be swept up by the
dynamic movements one can achieve with a gimbal but does it actually compliment your scene?
Would a shaky camera perhaps communicate more emotion? I made an entire video about this
topic so if you’re still figuring this out, check the link in the description below.
Deciding to rig your camera up or shooting bare, I always have a motivation for why I
do it. A heavier camera rig gives me more stable handheld footage and allows me to use
essential accessories like a monitor and a focus motor, unless I actually don’t need
that stuff, like when I really need to be fast and agile without hassling with extra
setups. What’s the point of using an FX6 when I need the agility of an FX3 or A7sIII.
Lenses… a close-up on a wide lens makes you feel like you’re right there with someone
in their face, a long lens makes you feel like you’re observing from a distance.
When I’m shot listing I’m intentionally choosing the lenses even before I arrive on
set. Most of the time, I actually use the lens I chose and that’s why it’s important
to learn the feeling you get from different focal lengths.
When I’m doing a recce or walking blind into a scene, I rarely put a lens on my camera
to see what will work because I already feel familiar with how these focal lengths operate
and which one will be the right fit.
Drones, simply another word for distraction.
With this I’m not saying that they don’t have a purpose, but there’s not a single
tool out there that will distract you more.
When I first started flying drones I was so captivated by the new perspectives that came
with it, my films quickly started looking like drone videos instead of balanced stories.
I see the same happening now with FPV. It just looks so damn cool that it’s easy to
get carried away with just one tool. It’s not always about how much you shoot with it
but also WHEN. When the light is on fire and you only have a few minutes to capture a scene,
what will you spend it on. Getting maybe one usable drone shot or capturing an entire sequence
with your camera.
I’ve paid the price dearly in this department which is why I can confidently say to be mindful
of taking out your drone.
And when you do take it up, ask yourself what you want to tell with the shot. The goal of
a drone shot is to give perspective to your location and where your subject is situated.
It’s a tool to create context, not to tell a story with. When you save your epic drone
shots for the right moment in the edit, it has way more impact.
Music is the foundation of an edit. If the foundation is without purpose or intent, your
viewer wont connect. For me first prize is always to find music even before I film the
production. Every time I actually use a track chosen before production, the edit turned
out amazing because the pace and length of each shot could be filmed with the music in
mind.
Although I don’t always have a track before filming, I still search for a track before
I actually start the edit.
With music it’s important to find a track that compliments the energy and emotion in
a scene. The intensity of the music should never overshadow the energy created by the
cuts and movements. In the same way you don’t want to have intense energy and not the relevant
music to match it. I always look for something that can take me on a journey with various
swells and dips and hopefully a climax to finish. If I don’t find it in one song I
try to create a custom track from multiple songs that have a similar feeling.
On that note, I’d like to thank the sponsor of this video. Music Bed.
“When I first tried the platform, the purpose was simple… to find music for my clients.
10 years down the line it has evolved into something much bigger! I no longer see it
only as a licensing platform, but a source of inspiration, a breeding place for creativity.
Even when I don’t need music for a project, I spend a lot of time simply listening to
the music because a good song has the ability to put ideas and images into my head. Ideas
that often materialise into entire projects, all because of a song.
The reason I still believe it’s the best platform out there is because of the sheer
volume of unique artists available. From well known artists to new artists that you’ve
never heard of,
one of my biggest compliments over the years has always been: “Wow we love the music,
who is the artist!?” As a creative person with a desire to be unique, this alone is
reason enough to carry on. With so many options I’ve always been able to produce content
that stand out.
Before I had any subscribers on Youtube I had 2 of my videos go viral and they were
both driven by incredible music.
The engagement I got on those videos lead me to actually pursue creating more content
for Youtube so in a way the music played a role in why I’m talking to you right now.
If i had to single out one of my favourite artists it has to be Davis Harwell. Not only
does he have a ridiculous amount of tracks available but also a great variety. A mix
of ambient cinematic, classical, post rock and all out epic, even on the longer tracks,
there’s always a section I can grab and produce into my own custom score.
Musicbed is something I can wholeheartedly recommend but don’t just take my word for
it.
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Number 5-Frame rates
Being intentional about frame rates is something that I only got a grip on in recent years.
A common misconception is that shooting everything in a high frame rate is safer because then
you can choose which shots you want to slow down right? WRONG.
There’s a massive difference between a shot taken at 25 FPS and one at 100 FPS not slowed
down with 25fps looking more natural and 100fps looking choppy and digital. The only time
this is acceptable is if you want to do speedramping but here the majority of the shots are still
being slowed down.
25 FPS is a no brainer for shots that require audio but it’s also the only way to portray
the real speed of your subject and gives the viewer an accurate feeling of things as they
are, making you feel more present in that moment. So ask yourself this, do I want the
viewer to see things as they are? I also choose 25fps when I’m shooting a wider scene where
there aren’t any big movements and slow motion will make it feel too static.
Higher frame rates can easily come across as more cinematic just because it looks cool.
The problem here is when you over use it. When your entire video is in slow motion it
can quickly become stale. In my short film Perseverance I only did 3 shots in slow motion.
First with the blades of the helicopter starting up because it creates anticipation, second
when we push in towards our actor as he reflects on a memory and then one more time when he
punches the bag. When you save your slow motion shot for a special moment it has way more
impact because you create contrast as you transition from natural speed.
The pace of your film should also determine the frame rate you choose. If you want an
all slow-mo video you better have a script or the right music to compliment it. If you’re
going for fast cuts, having slow-mo shots are sometimes to slow to show an entire movement
and that can be super frustrating to watch and even more frustrating to edit.
Being intentional in these 5 areas might not come overnight but starting right now will
guarantee better results going forward. As always, comments drop them down below and
I’ll do my best to answer, thanks so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next
one!