Mizera Digital Video

 

Some really creative cakes here.  Many of the references will be lost on those around my age.  Fortunately, I too am a geek, and even got the Portal cake.  The “Starry Night” cake is stunning, and worth a look on it’s own.  One thing for sure.  Some incredible in wedding cake designing talent is displayed here.

 

A number of my clients contract editing services for video that they, or a friend or family member shot themselves.  Some simply can’t afford a videographer, or just find themselves in a situation where there’s no option but to do it themselves.   More often than not, the quality of the video suffers from one (or more) of a number of common mistakes that could easily be avoided.

 

Don’t place the source of light directly behind your subject.

The result is usually a poorly lit subject, as the camera is compensating for the bright light entering the lens.  The source of light should be somewhere in front of your subject.  Not necessarily directly behind the camera operator’s back, but rather at a slight angle to the subject.  If two light sources are available, they would ideally be at the subject’s ten and two o`clock positions, and one placed farther back than the other.  Full sun is not your friend.  Outdoors, it’s better to shoot in the shade.  Better yet, shoot outdoor video in the last hour of daylight.  This is often called “the golden hour”.

Place the camera on a tripod or table when possible.

The camera movement you see in many movies and TV shows these days is deliberate.  Accidental camera movement is best avoided.  Use a tripod or mono-pod when possible, and is the hallmark of amateur video.  An inexpensive table top tripod can be had for just a few dollars.  If you must shoot handheld.  Rest your elbows on your chest, or a stable surface to help stabilize the camera.  Avoid rapidly moving the camera. This is known as “fire-hosing” and can actually make some viewers nauseous.  Limit the use of zoom.  It’s best to set your zoom before the shot begins, and leave it alone during the shot.  Zoom magnifies camera movement, so if you can just move closer, that’s always the better choice.

Use an external microphone if possible

Sound is one of the biggest problems with amateur video.  If your subject is speaking or singing, use a hand held, or wireless microphone if possible. If not, get the camera as close as you possibly can to your subject.  The quality of the microphone built into most video cameras is modest at best.  Placing it far from your subject will just pick up more echo and room noise.   Poor audio is one of the most common flaws of amateur video.  Be sure to silence any sound sources, and ask onlookers to remain “quiet on the set!”

Many cameras do not offer a way to connect an external microphone.  Almost all smartphones on the other hand do.  Some are quite inexpensive.  If your camcorder does have a microphone connection, A wireless microphone is a great choice.  Wireless lapel microphones start at about $100.  Most larger cities have rental houses that can rent a wireless mic system for as little as $20.  For rare occasions, rental is a great alternative to buying.

Leave edit room

Let the camera roll for a couple of seconds before the action begins, and the camera to continue to roll a few seconds after the action ends.  This is called “edit room”.  YouTube is filled with countless videos that are so chopped off that it would be almost impossible to combine them in a larger edit.

Auto focus has limitations

If a sharp pattern like a brick wall is behind your subject, auto focus will usually set the focus for the wall and not your subject.  If your camera offers the option for manual focus, it’s wise to learn to use it.  An easy way to use it is to first zoom in on your subject so that they fill the frame, and then turn off auto focus.  This will lock the focus to your subject rather than the wall behind them.

Compose your shot

A very common mistake is to place the subjects eyeballs at the dead center of the frame.  If you would imagine a “tic tac toe” grid drawn over the viewfinder, your subjects eyes should usually fall on the upper of the two horizontal lines.  The same is true of landscapes.  The horizon should fall on the upper or the lower horizontal line, and not right in the middle.  This is called “The rule of thirds”.

White Balance

This is one is a bit more on the advanced side.  The human eye can automatically adjust to the type of light illuminating a scene.  You’ve probably seen a video shot indoors with a very yellowish tint, or a video shot outdoors with a blueish tint.  Most every video camera attempts to automatically adjust the white balance.  When they fail to do so, your video will have an undesired tint.  Your camera may have presets for indoor and outdoor recording.  Some cameras have an option to manually pre-set the white balance using a white surface.  Even if your camera has none of these options, you can often help it figure out the correct white balance by pointing it at a white surface for a few seconds before you begin recording.

Check your video recording settings

Many modern video cameras that use memory cards, have several settings for video quality.  The highest quality setting will produce the best looking video, but will also use the most space on the memory card.  Low quality is fine if you just want a quick video posting on YouTube.  If you’re recording an important event, and especially if you intend to edit your video, choose the highest quality setting.  Check your manual and make sure you have enough space on your memory card at the chosen recording quality.  Memory cards are relatively inexpensive these days.  It’s better to sacrifice a few dollars, than to compromise the quality of your video.

Turn your smartphone sideways!

Many users of smartphones will take still pictures and video with the phone held vertically.  This tends to look best when viewed on the phone.  If you are shooting photos or videos that are intended to be used in a video to be viewed on a computer or TV, you should turn your phone sideways.  Otherwise, you will end up with a slim video in the middle of the screen, surrounded by black bars.

 

I believe there are still many couples out there that see a wedding video as an extravagance.  Ironically, some of these same couples will spend a substantial sum on a wedding cake, flowers, custom napkins, or any of a number of other items that will be gone after the reception is over.

Not to say that there’s anything wrong with this at all.  The work of photographers and videographers often get much more scrutiny.  Yet, the recorded images  will last for many years to come.  One problem is that most couples have no frame of reference, as it’s their first wedding.  Often this is made worse by the confusing choice of different packages, questions of standard vs. high-definition, and more.