{"id":10328,"date":"2015-11-25T13:30:07","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T13:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/?p=10328"},"modified":"2015-11-25T13:30:07","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T13:30:07","slug":"top-three-tips-for-better-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heartinternet.uk\/blog\/top-three-tips-for-better-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Three Tips for Better Video"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a guest post from one of our customers, Hydra Creative<\/a>, a web and marketing agency based in Sheffield, and is written by Simon Gamble, their video production manager.<\/em><\/p>\n

With the average visitor spending more time on a website with video than without and with video counting for around 50% of mobile traffic<\/a>, it is now more important than ever for businesses to embrace the digital age and get in front of the camera lens. Think creatively and have fun \u2013 engaging with your clients is a great way to stay in touch and show yourself as an industry expert.<\/p>\n

For the beginner, video cameras and their settings can seem impossible to make sense of, so it\u2019s a good idea to read your manual and get to know your camera inside out and familiarise yourself with the settings. Venturing away from the automatic settings can be daunting, so we\u2019ve designed a quick guide to help budding videographers get the most out of their camera.<\/p>\n

1. Depth of Field<\/h3>\n

Depth of field is an important tool for separating your subject from a background. Backgrounds may distract viewers – especially in instances where there are vibrant colours or a lot of movement. In this situation, you can blur out the background by decreasing the depth of field.<\/p>\n

To achieve this look, you need a lens with a manual aperture. The aperture (or f-stop) dictates how much light hits your camera\u2019s sensor. By increasing the amount of light, you\u2019re able to reduce the depth of field, which in turn blurs anything that isn\u2019t in focus.<\/p>\n

Start by reducing the f stop to as low a number as possible – the lower the number, the more light you\u2019re letting hit the sensor. Then focus on a subject or object in the foregrounds. By focusing on a foreground, you\u2019re able to blur out anything in front of or behind your subject.<\/p>\n

The two examples below show the difference between an f\/22 and f\/4 shot. Notice the background is completely blurred out at f\/4, whereas it\u2019s still recognisable at f\/22. <\/p>\n

This is a great technique to instantly add variety to your shots, but use it sparingly as viewers may become disorientated.<\/p>\n

\"An

Having the F-Stop at f\/22.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"An

The same shot, with the F-Stop at f\/4<\/p><\/div>\n

2. Lighting<\/h3>\n

Lighting plays a key part in any production. Like depth of field, the right lighting can help to lift your subject from a background and it can also help to create a mood in each scene.<\/p>\n

For example, low key lighting can help to create a sense of tension by isolating subjects and removing all lighting from the environment around. Different coloured lighting can also help to cast moods in your scene; blues create a cool feel and yellows\/oranges help cast sun-like warmth.<\/p>\n

Many directors and cinematographers use stronger, more abstract colours like red and green to help provide contrast throughout a film.<\/p>\n

In the examples below, we\u2019ve chosen a couple of different lighting setups that help to cast different looks.<\/p>\n

Ambient Light<\/strong> – this uses just the light available. You\u2019ll notice it\u2019s hard to distinguish where the outline of our lead character is.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using ambient lighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Hair Light<\/strong> – A soft, subtle light is introduced on our lead character\u2019s hair. This helps to provide some distinction between the subject and background.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using hair lighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Side Light<\/strong> – An increase in light source from the left of frame helps to further lift our character from the background, casting light onto the cloak. The light in this instance is placed to the left of the character.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using side lighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Top Light<\/strong> – A top light helps to lift the parts of our subject that are towards the top of the frame – in this instance the hair. The light is placed directly above the subject.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using top lighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Flare Light<\/strong> – A flare light works by projecting light straight down the lens. In this example, this not only backlights the main character but creates a light haze around the centre of the frame. This helps to set the characters in the background back.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using flare lighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Perspective and Angles<\/h3>\n

By changing angles and perspective your viewers are able to gather more information from your shot. For example, by positioning the camera in a low angle you\u2019re able to create a sense of the subject looking over or scanning beyond the frame. Subconsciously, it also creates a sense of authority, by positioning the character above the viewer. Low angles are achieved by positioning the camera lower than your subject and pointing upwards. <\/p>\n

\"An

Using a low angle<\/p><\/div>\n

Another shot example is the medium shot, typically this positions the camera on the same plain as your subject. By positioning the camera at eye level, you create a sense of equality – by reading into eyes (and looking into the soul). These shots work well for capturing character emotion.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using an eye-level angle<\/p><\/div>\n

The final example is a high angle shot. This is typically the most unnatural of the three – inducing a voyeuristic feeling in the audience by positioning them over the subject. These shots can be used to hide the subject\u2019s view from the audience, or to reveal a vast expanse. When used subtly, they can also give a sense of empowerment over a character.<\/p>\n

\"An

Using a high angle<\/p><\/div>\n

We hope this has given you some great ideas about how to make your videos visually more exciting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s more important than ever for businesses to get in front of the camera lens. Our customers Hydra Creative have three great tips for making your videos look amazing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,21,24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-guest-posts","8":"category-social-media","9":"category-web-design"},"yoast_head":"\nTop Three Tips for Better Video - Heart Internet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's more important than ever for businesses to get in front of the camera lens. 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