Use a tripod Brace yourself against something solid Use the human tripod technique Camera shake is annoying to viewers When publishing to the web, shaky movies translate to larger movie files

Lose the tripod when: You want to communicate a fluid or unstable situation You want to impart a documentary style effect You don’t have time to setup the tripod – news type situations

Use the zoom feature to frame your shots Avoid zooming in and out during a shot If you must, zoom in or out slowly Zooms, pans and tilts take up valuable time, if they don’t enhance your movie it’s best to leave them out

This is one of the most important factors in taking good shots Try and have the light at your back Avoid having your subject standing in front of a white or bright background If your camera has backlighting controls, use it if the light is in front of you

Hold the camera low and shoot up towards subject to make them appear large Film down on your subject to make them appear small Frame your subject in the corner of the screen they are facing to convey a sense of being trapped

Use an external microphone, especially when conducting an interview Even a cheap external microphone will give you better results than the built in microphone Use instrumental music as background for shots with narration

Eliminate shots that don’t contribute to your project Once the message is conveyed cut to another shot Cuts are almost always better than zooms, pans and tilts If in doubt, leave it out!

Try and leave about 5 – 10 seconds of lead time when taking shots This will enable you to some leeway when editing your movie on the computer

In your groups, shoot 1 – 2 minutes of video and employ 3-5 techniques covered today. When you return, please cue your tape to the beginning of your footage. Be ready to share your video with the rest of the class.

Always placing your subject in the middle of the screen is BORING. Always placing your horizon in the middle of the screen is BORING.

Shoot some video that effectively illustrates the rule of thirds. When you return, please cue your tape to the beginning of your footage. Be ready to share your video with the rest of the class.