Video Company in Michigan

The Top Five Mistakes to Avoid On A Video Shoot

In Blogging, Video by Siobhan Findlay

If you’re new to videography not only do you need to know what to do, but there are also a few key things you need to know to avoid on a video shoot. Even if you’re an experienced shooter, you may have made some of these mistakes before!

Here is a list of the top 5 mistakes to avoid when going out on a video shoot:

1. Don’t Forget To Hit Record!

It gives me the shivers just imagining it: You have everything set up for an interview and about halfway through, after your interviewee starts talking, you realize that you never hit record, then you have to start the interview over again. Save yourself the grief by triple checking that you hit the record button before you start shooting.

2. Check Your Audio Levels

So now you’ve gotten all of your footage, and you begin editing, but you can barely hear anything! What happened? Well while you were shooting, you never checked the audio levels! Audio, for a lot of people, is tricky to master, and it can be very easy to think “Alright, this shot looks great, I’m ready to go”, and forget the audio levels. Always make sure to test your audio levels before you begin; shoot some tester b-roll to see if the levels are where you want them. If you are interviewing someone, most videographers have them start counting from 1 upwards so that they can check their audio levels when they are talking.

3. Charge Your Batteries

Showing up with dead batteries is a tragic mistake. Looking at your camera and remembering that the battery died the last time you were shooting is the absolute worst. One way to make sure this never happens is to charge your battery right away after you get back from a shoot, that way it will always be charged for the next one!

4. Know Where You Need To Be

Sometimes you might be doing a shoot at a new location that you’ve never even heard of before. A lot of us, myself included, assume that iPhone directions will never fail us. You don’t want to be on your way to a video shoot and then realize that the address you got doesn’t exist, or that the only way in is through a basement that you can only see from one side of the building. There are many different scenarios, but the point is that it’s best to make sure you know everything you can about where the location will be, this way you can make it there easily and on time!

5. Get Where You Need To Be, On Time!

Recording a video can be a process that takes a few hours or even all day. The worst way to start any shoot is showing up late. If someone is hiring you, or the company you work for, to create a video for them, you showing up late reflects badly on the services you are offering them. Or, let’s say someone is helping you out on a video you are creating; you definitely don’t want to keep them waiting when they are doing you a favor and being a part of your video.

I hope that these tips help your next shoot to run smoothly and help make your video something that you are proud of! Check out some of our videos at https://michigancreate.wpengine.com/case-studies/

– Siobhan Findlay