Keep it authentic. No staging, acting or actors. No dress code. Keep it real.
Keep the camera rolling. Otherwise the best stuff will undoubtedly happen when the camera is off. (Apply this rule to before interviews start and after they seem to end, keep it rolling). Also, the more you shoot, the more the subjects will get used to (and forget) the camera, and that’s when the most authentic moments happen.
Observe (and shoot) even mundane activities. You can show Mom driving, at the computer or in the kitchen alone. More footage makes better video.
When observing, be a wall flower. Simply watch and record.
When interviewing, probe. Get to the reasons behind anything that’s said. You know you’re there when you find the emotion.
Why is always more interesting than what, who, when or where.
2. Capture Quality Audio
Audio quality is as important, maybe more so, than video quality.
Conduct interviews in a quiet area.
Whenever possible, stay away from noisy things like fans and televisions, or turn them off. Even a refrigerator can have noise that you don’t notice when you’re there, but you do when you’re reviewing your tape. If an item like a refrigerator is not important to the current shot, move away from it.
Try to get the camera in front of the person talking (rather than on the side).
Directional mics (ones you attach to the camera) greatly improve sound quality. So do lavalieres (clip on mics) for sit down interviews.
Please keep external mics out of the shots (external mics feed audio into the camera).
Having said all this, don’t sweat it if your audio isn’t perfect. We’re seeking to record real life. If we can understand the person speaking, without straining, you’re off to a good start!
3. Capture Quality Video
Hold the camera steady. Tripods help, especially when sitting someone down for an interview. The action should move in the frame, not the camera move.
Forget the zoom, unless you really know what you’re doing (people who do use it very infrequently and slowly when they do).
Get really close. Think 60 Minutes. You’ll capture facial expressions and good sound. Zooming doesn’t look or sound the same; get close.
More light is better. However, this light should not be behind the subject, or you’ll have a silhouette.
Add information through backgrounds. Why shoot your subject against the white wall when just shifting your camera will allow us to see she’s in the dining room, with the kitchen visible through the open door.
Wipe your lens with an ultrasoft tissue before each shoot. Normal tissues can scratch your lens, if you don’t have wipes made for cameras, use an ultrasoft one made for eyeglasses.
If your camera has a white balance, learn how to use it. This will greatly improve the color in shots. If you cannot, you might be able to select a “pre-set” like “fluorescent lighting” or “sunset”, that will go a long way toward white balancing if the right one is chosen.
Use the manual focus if you know how. On some smaller and inexpensive cameras the manual focus buttons are too small to use with much precision; in those cases use the auto focus.
Having said all this, don’t sweat it if your video isn’t perfect. We’re seeking to record real life. If we can see the action without straining, you’re off to a good start!
A Note on Cameras Any camera (including digital cameras aimed more at photos than video) is potentially acceptable, since well-lit shots with care taken for good audio on an inexpensive video camera will look far better than poorly-lit shots with bad audio on an expensive one.
4. Edit A Concise and Engaging Story
Tell a Story. Even a short documentary has a beginning, middle and end. In the end, something is changed from the beginning, due to the interactions that occur in the middle. If you’re unsure of what this means, we encourage you to learn more about storytelling and story structure. You can start by typing “Scott Simon: How to Tell a Story” into YouTube.
Start with Action. Think of James Bond movies. They don’t start “Hello, my name is James Bond,” but rather first show action to get you hooked, and then give the back story. In our case, the action might be an argument or even your subject at a story making a purchase decision. Classically, story structure begins with setup (“once upon a time”), but modern stories begin with some action, then go into the setup.
Cut like Crazy. We know it’s really hard to cut a lot of great footage down to five minutes. You’ll need to leave out some wonderful stuff. But by cutting here and trimming there, the final video becomes more powerful. And you’ll maintain your audience. Also, you’ll be supplying us with the additional footage if you win, so we will potentially be viewing it then.
End on a Note that Takes the Subject Forward. It might be a lesson they’ve learned, or a goal that they’ve set, or a hope that they have. But most stories end with a gaze toward to the future.
Don’t be Afraid to Break Rules. Though story structure’s noted here a tried and true, we’re interested in anything that works. If the video is powerful and sheds light on the theme, it has accomplished its aim no matter what the structure is.
Basic Skills for Great Reel Insights Videos
1. Get Interesting Footage
2. Capture Quality Audio
3. Capture Quality Video
A Note on Cameras
Any camera (including digital cameras aimed more at photos than video) is potentially acceptable, since well-lit shots with care taken for good audio on an inexpensive video camera will look far better than poorly-lit shots with bad audio on an expensive one.
4. Edit A Concise and Engaging Story