Transitioning from being a still photographer to making movies might seem like a piece of cake, but you’ll fi nd that there are still a few things to keep in mind to make those videos shine.
SEE DIFFERENTLY
When I fi rst started creating videos with my DSLR, I really started to pay attention to the cinematography of TV and movies. I noticed that the camera was usually still while the world around it moved. Subjects moved into the frame and out of the frame, and the camera didn’t always try to follow them. It can be tempting to move the camera to follow your subject, but sometimes keeping still can add more impact and drama to your scene (plus a lot of movement might make your viewers dizzy!). So let your subjects move in and out of the frame while you take a deep breath, relax, and keep your camera pointed in the same, unchanging direction.
DON’T RUSH
As still photographers, we tend to see things “in the moment.” When recording videos those moments last longer, and they need to fl ow through from one scene to the next. A common mistake that new video photographers tend to make is that they cut their videos short, meaning they stop the recordings too soon. It’s important that you have extra time before and after each scene not only to allow for smooth transitions in and out of the video, but also for editing purposes. It’s always good to have more than you need when piecing video clips together in postproduction.
So, when you think you are done with your video clip and you want to turn it off… don’t! Count to three, or four or fi ve, and then stop your recording. It will feel odd at fi rst, but don’t worry; you’ll get the hang of it. Those extra couple of seconds can make a world of difference.
VIDEO EDITING
Once you have recorded your movies, you might want to do a little bit more with them, such as assemble several video clips into one movie, or add sound or additional graphics and text. If so you’ll probably want to learn a thing or two about how to edit your videos using video editing software. Many different software programs are available for you to choose from. With some of the free or inexpensive programs, like iMovie (for Macs) or QuickTime Pro, you can do basic editing on your video clips. Other programs, such as Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premier Pro, will allow you to do even more advanced editing and to add creative effects to your movies. Using editing software is not required to play back and share movies created with your 7D, but it is a fun way to take your movies to the next level.