15 VIDEOGRAPHY TIPS FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING VIDEOS

Spending on expensive videography equipment is not necessary to produce a polished, professional-looking video. You can create amazing and high-quality videos by focusing on a few crucial aspects.

In this post, you'll learn about videography tips that can come in handy whether you're making a high-quality production or just a fun vlog that your audience will like.

These videography tips will assist you in realizing your potential and developing your artistic filmmaking style along the process and also assist you in creating more polished videos that will amaze your audience.

Your video needs to look fantastic and professional if you want it to stand out. These videography tips and tricks generally never go out of style. You can still use this as your comprehensive guide even if you are a business professional performing videography services for the company where you work.

Here are the top 15 tips for producing engaging videos with a polished and professional appearance.

• Research

  Do your research before anything else. You'll be able to communicate your story more effectively the more you understand the subject. If you want to convey important information to your audience, whether through an interview or a conversation, you need to know what you're talking about.

• Assemble Your Equipment

  Nowadays, high-quality digital cameras are produced to be affordable for both personal and official use. You can practice videography utilizing the devices you already own. You can also use your iPhone or Android smartphone, but it is advisable to invest in a video tripod, an additional microphone for better audio, and a gimbal stabilizer for your camera if you have the money to do so.

• Plan Your Shoot

  You'll want to be as prepared as you can if you're covering a live event. For instance, a wedding videographer needs to be adept at capturing all of the key moments and producing stunning footage of the bride, groom, and wedding party.

  On the other hand, You'll have more freedom to plan your entire video production from beginning to end if you're shooting a music video, commercial, or short video. Prepare your storyboard with graphics of your desired layout in order to actually pull it off like the pros. This will enable you to plan your preferred shots and visualize your final footage. It can also assist you in deciding on the perfect time of day for shooting, your preferred locations, and the proper cameras to use before you start filming.

• Tell A Story

  To make the most of storytelling, you must make the spectator feel as though they are actually there and involved in the action. Let them reach their judgment and conclusion as they tend to feel more satisfaction in this way.

  Lack of storytelling is one of the biggest reasons viewers lose interest in a video. A single image or a short video clip might convey a meaningful message, tell a clever story, or make a touching remark about human nature.

  Keep the audience's interest by including emotional moments in the story. Ensure to pick an idea that people can flow with. Add a little dispute, and then wrap it up with a resolution. These are all fundamental components of storytelling, but you get to choose how to portray them in the context of your distinct concept.

• Use Proper Lighting

  Using lighting to enhance your storytelling is one of the most important tricks to producing videos that look professional. Be intentional about your lighting while conceptualizing. Choose the types of lights you'll need and where to put them to get the best shot.

  Or, if you're working with existing lighting (such as lamps and the sun) because you're on a tight budget, consider how you can modify them to fit the needs of your specific scene.

  For instance, you'll need shadows in the appropriate areas if you want a dramatic-looking scene. On the other hand, depending on how you put your lights, having lots of light can brighten the room and give it an amazing effect.

• Use A Simple Background

  Not just anywhere will do. Try to use a plain background or make it better by clearing out as much clutter as you can. Most videographers put themselves or their subjects a few feet away from a solid-colored background, such as a wall, a bedsheet, or backdrop paper, to prevent casting a shadow on the video.

  The objective is to reduce the number of things that may cause distraction or make the setting look busy. You should concentrate on producing your videos with simple backgrounds before leveling up and experimenting from there, even though there are themes that are suitable for crowded backgrounds.

• Make Your Composition Better

  The first few seconds of a video are enough for a professional filmmaker or someone from the videography industry to identify unprofessional work, even if top-notch camera gear was utilized. So what makes this obvious? It's because you don't use the right frame and composition.

  The fact that effective videography, especially cinematography, entails more than simply pointing your camera at your scene or subject is something that many people fail to comprehend. This includes organizing and enabling visual components to express your story. It also entails altering the framing of your camera to make the situation appear aesthetically pleasant.

• Test Different Angles

  The perspectives and tone of your content are greatly affected by the angles from which it is captured. Video producers often use low, high, bird's eye, and over-the-shoulder viewpoints. The low-angle perspective is created by positioning the camera below eye level and looking up at the subject.

  The subject is seen from above at a high angle. A bird's eye view is often taken from a great height and is usually recorded with a drone. In comparison to a high-angle viewpoint, it enables the spectator to receive a wider picture of the surroundings. The over-the-shoulder view is often utilized when characters are speaking to one another or showing something one character sees but the other doesn't.

• Choose Your Talent

  Selecting the ideal talent for your video is important. Before choosing, interview multiple prospects. It's a good idea to pick someone who has performed in settings related to the content you're producing. For instance, if you're producing an instructional film, you'll want someone who has already created similar content.

  Someone experienced in creating only advertisement videos for energy drinks might not have the proper skills for your task. Budget for good talent, keeping in mind that it will cost money.

  You need someone who can convey feelings, including happiness, sadness, and everything in between. Another crucial aspect to consider is the individual’s proficiency with speech and tone. Verify that the person can talk in style appropriate for your content. Additionally, the person must be able to talk in different tones.

• Check The Position of The Camera

  Most people often make the mistake of disregarding how the focal length of the lens and the camera's distance from the subject affect how the scene appears. Never put your camera close to your subject when taking a close-up shot because this might lead to undesirable face distortions and make it more difficult to crop off the scene's edges. Placing your camera a few feet away and carefully using your camera lens to zoom in makes the task much simpler.

  But before you start zooming with your camera, be aware that you should do so optically (with the lens) as opposed to digitally (by pinching your screen), as the latter may reduce the quality of your video clips and possibly make them appear pixelated.

• Focus Manually

  While your camera's autofocus feature can be incredibly helpful, it can also affect your video if it repeatedly loses focus while trying to find your subject in dimly lit conditions. The secret is to use your smartphone's exposure/focus lock feature or set your camera to manual focus so you can set the focus by yourself.

  Setting the focus manually also lets you add cool effects to your video. For example, you can use the focus technique to attract the viewer's attention to certain items by constantly focusing on them while using a shallow depth to blur everything else.

• Set Your White Balance

  Temperature and color correction are some of the challenges people experience during video production. The cameras' default color temperatures will likely differ if you're using more than one camera to capture the same video.

  This is usually a problem when using cameras from different brands, such as Sony and Canon. Using cameras made by the same brand can potentially cause fewer issues. Can you imagine how distracting it would be to alternate between warm yellow and bluish clips? To create more consistent and professional clips, adjust the white balance on all cameras before recording. This will facilitate faster editing and lower post-production expenses.

• Avoid Shaky Shots

  You don't want your shots to appear wobbly whether you're taking a static shot or moving from side to side. This could make your clip look unprofessional and might also make viewers motion sick. The key is to keep your camera on a tripod or other stable surface.

  Once it is set up, try to avoid moving it unless absolutely necessary. When you need to start zooming, treat your camera as you would a full cup of coffee. Maintain a constant speed, and don't stop suddenly.

• Plan For Audio

  Ever watched a YouTube video with poor audio? You must find it irritating to watch. You could argue that for a lot of information, audio is often more important than graphical illustrations. Instead of using the camera's built-in microphone, consider using separate audio for the best final content. You should consider the direction of the audio you intend to record. You'll also want to monitor the audio with specialized headphones to ensure that the volume is moderate.

  Do you only want the voice of the person speaking into the camera, or do you also want some background noise? Is there a conversation between two people, or is it an interview? Do you need to show the microphone in the video? Do you intend to record videos on a camera or an external device? These are questions you should get answers to. Finally, think about recording using at least two different methods, particularly for important stuff that you might not be able to record again.

• Shoot To Edit

  It is advisable to always approach filming from an editor's perspective. You should take "safety shots" and multiple viewpoints of a scene when recording it. As a result, you'll have options later on when making your final edit, and you won't have to spend the time and effort re-recording the scene. Additionally, it will stop you from settling for shots that would make your work look unprofessional.

Conclusion

It's no secret that competition in the video marketing sector is increasing. With these pointers as a guide, you should be better prepared to produce a stunning, professional-looking video that will make you stand out from the competition.

Although making professional videos sounds difficult, it is not completely true. You can significantly improve your video quality, engagement, and results by simply applying the tips stated in this article.

Recall not to place too much emphasis on getting the best equipment before recording your events. It's a process that every creator must go through, and as you grow better at it with less money and gear, you'll be that good of a creator when you have the right tools.

What are you waiting for? Grab your equipment, and start working on your video!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What Qualities Define A Good Videographer?

A: A videographer must be imaginative, passionate about telling stories or conveying messages through film and video (as well as editing film and video), and have an eye for detail. Additionally, they must be capable of giving instructions and possess strong communication skills.

Q: What Makes A Video Look Professional?

A: Ensure that background and foreground colors complement one another, regardless of your chosen background style. Avoid making the background more colorful than what you are capturing by using complementary colors. At the same time, avoid having a dull background.

Q: Which Three Factors Affects Video Quality?

A: The factors that influence or determine video quality throughout the world are video resolution, bit rate, and frame rate.

Q: Which Clothes Look Best On Camera?

A: Your best bet is to stick with clothes with solid colors. Avoid donning attire with geometric or loud designs. Doing this will make the audience focus on your clothing instead of watching you.