Now that you’ve got a masterful story in place (see part 1 if you haven’t already), it’s time to look at camera work. While there has been a trend in movies for that handheld camera effect where everything is jerky, causing many viewers to complain of motion sickness?
Well, don’t do that. It might be en vogue, but if leading cameramen can’t make this effect work, it’s unlikely that you will either – and unlike Hollywood, people aren’t paying to see your production and your cast of stars. You need to minimize potential issues to keep your viewer watching to see your message, not have them scroll on down to the next.
My recommendation is a low-tech, but simple investment: a tripod. These are not glamorous, but what they will do is give you a smooth, non-shaky video that lets the viewer focus on your superb story telling and message, not the headache the camera work gives them!
My favorite tripod is the 3C Smart Octopus, but a GorillaPod is also an excellent choice. If you really want to get fancy, take a look at the iOgrapher, which looks just like a professional rig that you might find in Hollywood.
The most important thing to remember is that it’s all about the story, and you need everything to keep your audience focused on what’s happening in front of the camera, not behind it. If you have a camera store near you, then I recommend visiting it to test out tripods and see which one feels best for you and your budget.
In the next part, we’ll be looking at the technical aspects of filming.