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Five Basic Skills you need for successful Videos

If you have any other tips you can add, please use the comments below.

1. Understand backlighting - This will be your biggest challenege. Backlight is when the light behind your subject is brighter than the light in front of your subject. On listing Videos this is problem with windows in almost any room. It is best to try and video a home when the sun is at it's highest peak over the home; usually in the middle of the day. If you are interviewing people make sure sunlight or bright lights or light from window are not in the background. Windows are the harest to deal with, it will take practice.

2. Standing too far away from your subject. Have your camera set at the widest angle at all times and move in close. This will accomplish two tasks. First there will be less shaking and second the sound pick up on a built in micorphone will be much better.

3. Forget using the zoom lense without a tripod. Basic handheld camcorders are so light weight that if you try to zoom in, you will have a very shaky picture. Always start at the widest angle and move closer to your subject.

4. Use slow, smooth and fluid movements. Try not to move too fast and avoid jerky movements.

5. Shoot a boat load of footage. Over shoot everything and do not try to make your movie in one take. I like to use mini DV tape as I can change tape when I run out. I really don't want to have a full hard disk or memory that has to be downloaded. On a typical 3 minute video listing tour I shoot at minimum 15 minutes of shots and I edit down to the best shots. On my Video blogs I shoot as many as 10 takes of the same topic and choose from which one turns out the best.

Now get out there and make some Videos and share them with us!!!!

Posted by Ted Mackel Simi Valley Homes For Sale Simi Valley Real Estate Agent on 05/27/2008 01:57 PM

Comments (21)

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Originally posted at: Simi Valley - Moorpark Homes & Real Estate: Five Basic Skills you need for successful Videos

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21 Comments on Five Basic Skills you need for successful Videos

MAY

2008

Hi Ted,

Thanks for sharing the tips on making successful videos. Have a great week. Michael A. Caruso

Ted- Good tips on how to make a better looking video. I need to practice and improve my video skills. I really think this will be one of the next waves of information sharing.

Best,

Scott

Ted,

These are great tips! I think the best advise is overshooting and then editing down the piece to the final product. I am going to try this on my next video. Thanks for sharing!

Ted- good tips as always. I'm curious about tips for adding a soundtrack. Any good sources for copywrite free music that would make for a good background?

Geordie,

I have a couple of CDs from the Music Bakery. The music is a little dated and you've probably heard it used elsewhere a million times. Just google "Royalty Free Music" I think Music Bakery does it right, pay for it once and then use it. There reall needs to be a more economical source for non pros like myself. I'd buy more if the cost was reasonable.

-Ted

MAY

2008

Thanks for the ideas. I setting up a recording studio and I can understand the benefits.

MAY

2008

Great list of tips that will help any video user regardless of their experience level.

MAY

2008

Ted, Great post. Thanks for the helpful tips. They will come in handy on my next video attempt.

Ted - Where is your video? :)) Thanks for sharing there great tips. I have not created a video yet but it is on my list. SO I have bookmarked this blog for future reference. Have a great week.

JUN

2008

Ted, you brought out some great learning techniques. I will have to try.

JUN

2008

Ted,

Nice post, thanks for the sun overhead tip. I've been waiting until dusk but it's really inconvenient. I also agree with the lots of footage tip. My new motto is tape is cheap, gas is not. I really don't like to go back to get more footage.

JUN

2008

Hi Ted. Thanks for sharing the great tips! Keep them coming.

Hi Ted,

Good tips. Another one would be to add ‘heads and tails’ on every shot.

For example, if you going to pan a room let the camera roll for 2-3 seconds before you start your pan, and then another 2-3 seconds after you finish your pan. It gives you that extra footage you may need in editing to get in or out of the shot.

Learning to 'white-balance' the camera would be another one (if the camera allows for it). But that’s just a matter of reading the manual to figure out how to do it.

Great advice and good timing for me... I am working my way up to doing videos for my blog and site.

- Andrew Kyle

SEP

2008

Depending on the length of the video (pre-edited) you should cut down your footage by being more picky with your shots. Overshooting works when you're in a situation of high stress (weddings,etc) where every minute needs recorded. Otherwise, be more specific as those who shoot with High Definition will tell you, the minutes add up and so too will the file size.

Castellum,

From experience when I dont overshoot, I get back and run into problems. It's better to have several takes of particular thing you want to highlight, that way you have the best shot possible. Take take filming is a recipie for disaster.

-Teed

Castellum,

-Teed

SEP

2008

Excellent advise Ted. I've been playing with video for several years and my biggest problem is that "backlight" you mention. My regular still camera does a superior job with a backlight feature that makes it worth the time to shoot directly into the light, but I'll be damn if I can find any kind of "setting" on my camcorder that allows for shooting directly into anything that is bright. Is it uncommon for a camcorder not to have a backlight "feature"?