Shooting video is no longer just for aspiring filmmakers, it's a form of communication that everyone should explore. It can be used to impress employers and friends alike. You may even be given an assignment in the form of a short film. Getting started is easy once you know the basics.
, a Senior Lecturer in Film Studies in the FASS Department of Art History says authenticity and clarity are key. 鈥淵ou need to be crystal clear about the core message and the narrative needs to be quite punchy, so that you can engage people right away.鈥
鈥淭he best stories are the ones that reflect the writers or directors own experiences and perspectives,鈥 he says.
Dr Isaacs says the University's is a great opportunity for students to have a go at videography at the same time as sharing a unique experience.
Dr Bruce Isaacs
"Creating a film will be an amazing way to document students' own involvement at Sydney, and to explore how you are contributing to student life.
"Having diversity of cultural background within the filmmaking team is fantastic, because it will challenge students to bring their different perspectives together in a coherent way.鈥
While fancy expensive cameras can work wonders for the professionals, videographer Trixie Young says the camera on a smartphone will do a stellar job too if you know what you're doing. Here are her five key lessons.
If your background is super bright and your subject isn鈥檛, this doesn鈥檛 look great. Get in the habit of moving around until your subject is brighter than the background. If you鈥檙e filming indoors during the day, you can position the subject facing a window, so the light hits their face. If you鈥檙e shooting at night, go for places that are well lit, so your audience will be able to see what you鈥檙e trying to show them.
Bad audio will ruin your video more than bad footage, so consider investing in or borrowing a mic that can be used with a mobile phone. Basic mics that plug into your phone are cheap and readily available. If you can鈥檛 hear what your subject is saying, or the audio is bad quality, it can be off-putting and spoil your whole video. Recording interviews in quiet locations is ideal if you can鈥檛 get your hands on a mobile phone mic.
Do whatever you can to stabilise your phone so you get nice, smooth footage. There鈥檚 nothing worse than watching shaky material! (Unless you鈥檙e going for a聽Blair Witch聽style video.) There are phone holders, tripods and gimbals designed for shooting mobile, but you can also keep it simple and just prop your phone up against something to keep it still. If you need some movement and are going handheld, position your elbows close to your body for some extra stability.
Videos are made up of lots of smaller video clips that illustrate your story. The more b-roll footage you have to tell your story, the more effectively you鈥檒l get your story across. You could do things like shoot your subject from up close and further away, or ask your subject to repeat an action (like high fiving someone) a few times so you can capture it from a variety of angles.
Don鈥檛 forget your mobile phone has lots of cool video recording features like timelapse, hyperlapse, slow motion and so on, so consider injecting some different styles into your video for some extra interest. at ThinkSpace to learn how to edit your video with Premiere Pro.聽
Entries for the聽 are currently open. Check the entry criteria, make your film and send us your submission by Sunday 13 October.