Creating a video can be an exercise in fun – or frustration. Using beautiful and compelling shots can make for a far more watchable video. But how do you achieve it? A few simple tips can make all the difference.
In most video projects, there is B-roll, which is the video shots used over audio. They may be used over a person’s interview, scripted narration, or music. But B-roll shots enrich a project and show more detail in storytelling.
Shooting effective B-roll can vastly improve a project. Remember, variety is important, and you can never shoot too much. Sometimes when you’re editing, that needle in a haystack – the perfect B-roll shot – appears from your laborious shoot.
The B-roll should capture details that might be important to the story. While the interviews are taking place, make mental (or written) notes of things mentioned in the interview, so you can shoot B-roll of them later to potentially be used in the video. Also, it’s helpful to shoot B-roll of all people you are interviewing, as this video can prove incredibly valuable in the editing process. You may want to shoot the entrance and exit of people being interviewed, as well as shots of them walking, interacting with others, and doing activities mentioned in the interview.
Try to get a combination of wide, medium and close-up shots for the B-roll, and move around so the shots show different perspectives. Don’t forget to hold your shot; stay on it for a good 10 seconds or more. That helps with editing later. Another often overlooked practice is to get eye level with your subject. Whether you’re videotaping children, people sitting, or any other subject, make sure the camera is level with the subject’s eyes.
Good videographers are aware of framing, and attempt to shoot in unexpected ways. There are ‘rules’ for this such as the ‘rule of thirds’ and ‘looking room’ that you can check out, but the main idea is that it’s OK not to have your subject in the center of the frame.
Having compelling foreground and background elements to add more depth and interest to the frame can bring interest to projects. Depth of field (blurred backgrounds behind subjects) offers a pleasing look, and draws the attention to the object in focus. Also, lighting is a big topic – beginners might shine light right in front of the subject, but there could be more interesting ways to light the shot. Be aware where your primary light source (whether natural or artificial) is coming from and intentionally position your subject if possible to avoid being lit from straight on. Side lit or back lit subjects often look great on camera.
B-roll can make or break your video project, so address it intentionally for the great value it lends. Just as you are strategic about your subject matter and interviews, consider B-roll for the true asset it can be to your video.
To watch a tutorial video of me covering this material with some example clips, click the source link below.
