You don’t have to be an expert in recording movies to make them look professional. Being persistent self-taught, you can get great results and delight people with your creations. Of course, you need to spend some time learning, but the effects can be seen very quickly.
Most websites use MP4 technology to embed video clips on pages. The widespread use of this format for storing digital video and audio streams may lead you to use the Youtube video downloader to convert your clips to the desired format.
- Professional equipment is not the most important thing
Do not overestimate the role of equipment. Observing the others and seeing the equipment they use, you can quickly fall into the shopping trap. You can easily spend a lot of money on photographic equipment, and professionals actually spend a lot. More depends on our skills and knowledge than on the capabilities of our equipment. Basics of composition, lighting, or even getting to know all the functions of our camera – these are the crucial factors. We have to admit that the best camera is the one that we can handle well. Every one of us probably has a smartphone that can record decent videos. Compared with cameras, recording a movie with a smartphone is easier because some of the decisions are made for us by the built-in automation. If we do not want to rely on the phone entirely, we can always play with, for example, aperture or shutter, and leave sensitivity (ISO) as automatic so that too many parameters do not distract us.
- Sound in movies
Sound is essential for every filmmaker. You will quickly realize that it is influenced by a lot of different factors (e.g. type of room and its suppression), and the equipment is just one of them. However, not the most important one. Often, when recording movies at home, we are not able to avoid the sound bouncing off the walls or windows. For recording, you can use a tie microphone that allows you to eliminate the “room effect”. There is no good recording without sound effects. Without this, you can’t build the desired atmosphere or stimulate emotions. Remember this and think about investing in a microphone.
- Proper lighting will make your work easier
Lighting is probably the most critical factor that will make your video look good – this aspect is even more important than the technical quality of the camera you use. Find a well-lit place, and it doesn’t have to be a light-glowing studio. The light must be cold, and illuminate the details of the plan. You don’t need a professional studio for recording. In professional productions, the recorded person is well lit so that the focus is on their eyes, not on the background. Try to avoid filming against the light, but if the film concept requires it, set the light measurement to the person being recorded (in some smartphone models this can be done by touching the phone screen on the indicated object). When planning photos at night or in dark places, it is worth investing in additional lighting.
- Get rid of monotony with editing
Avoid monotony – no matter how professionally you approach the topic, a film is telling a story using a picture, so the verbal message sooner or later will bore the recipient. Prints or additional clips are a great solution to keep the attention of your audience. Grab a camera or phone and record a few-second fragment that will help illustrate what you are saying or use ready-made stocks to give the material dynamism.
Before we start assembling all the material, it’s time for a peaceful collision with reality. If you have not yet selected a program for editing, it is the right time to make this extremely important decision. The program has to be as intuitive as possible. Don’t make your choice dependent on others. Test a few free programs and choose the one that suits you best. Properly chosen editing tool will extremely shorten your working time. Look through the entire material and consider whether you have all the content in it and whether it is engaging enough to attract the viewers.
- Image Stabilization
A stable shot is a basis for making your movie resemble professional productions. So if you do not have a tripod adapted to hold your phone, it is worth having a universal smartphone holder that can be screwed to the connector of an ordinary tripod. An interesting solution is also a small tripod with flexible legs, which can be mounted on various objects, e.g. railings or branches in the field. For stable shots, while moving, you can mount your phone on a stabilizer. Hand-held smartphone gimbals are available on the market. Such a 3-axis stabilizer reduces any vibrations, ensuring smooth motion recording.
Summary
The fact is that you can make a great movie today using the tools you already have. You can record excellent quality material, and you don’t need any expensive equipment. All you need to take care of is your skills and passion for creating. All great creators like Nolan or Spielberg started with trial and error, and this is the only way to perfection.
©Paula Sieracka