1. Pick a focus for your story
Is the focus of your story an interesting character that lives down the street from you? Or are you planning on doing hard-hitting news story? Whatever it is, think about what you want your video to say and what images would best tell that story.
2. Get to know your video camera
Take out your owner’s manual and figure out all the quirks of the camera and how to make the most of them. Take a few test shots. Most cameras take fine shots in their automatic mode but experiment with other settings. You could get some really cool effects.
3. Use a wireless microphone (if you have one) and a tripod
The wireless mic will cut down on background noise when you interview someone. A tripod is essential to professional looking work. Wobbly video can look really awful and amateur. If you don’t have a tripod, perhaps lean against a fence or place your camera on a table. Anything stationary will do the trick.
4. Do your research
Now you know what you want to say, and how edit it all together, you need find people to interview. It’s important to make sure all interview subjects know that they’re being filmed and how their interview is going to be used—written permission never hurts. For a beginner, three on-camera interviews is plenty. Be sure to dig up the facts—have lots of information on the subject.
5. Start filming
Be aware of how you are framing your images. For example, it works really well when your interview subjects are slightly off-centre and most of their head and shoulders fill the frame.
6. Look for shots of little details (they help heaps in the editing process!)
Film some scenery and clips of other relevant information. Answer the five Ws of informational storytelling: who, what, where, when and why! Be sure to have a large variety of shots so that you can make your video visually interesting (close ups, far away, mid-range etc).
7. Have headphones on hand to listen to the sound
Listen for distracting background noise during interviews—try to schedule those in quiet places! Also, listen for ‘wild sound’ or the sound that is naturally in the environment that you’re shooting in, especially when filming scenery.
8. Take it easy on zooms and panning the camera
They’re fun but overuse can dull the effect. Panning, or moving the camera horizontally, should be used sparingly, and usually to show the relationship between two things that can’t fit into one shot.
9. Figure out your video editing software
When you’ve finished filming it’s time to capture the footage on your computer using video editing software and then log any interesting quotes and shots you want to use. Write down their location in the captured video so you can find them easily when you edit.
There are usually easy to follow instructions or tutorials incorporated into video editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Avid Final Cut or Jumpcut, which is a web-based video editor. Some key areas to learn include knowing how to capture (digitise) the video into the program, rearrange the order of video clips, add titles, adjust the volume of the audio, record audio for voice-overs, and compress your final edits into a usable file (such as .mov, .avi, .wmv, etc.)
10. Write a script.
If you’re using voiceover, write it out first and rehearse it. Don’t use too many big words—simple language is the easiest for your audience to understand. Start at the beginning—pick your first video clip and write to the sounds and images. Factor in quotes from your interviews. Write an interesting ending—it’s what your audience will remember most!
11. Start editing!
The editing process will be much easier if you’ve logged your video and written a good script first. But don’t be afraid to deviate from your script if you need to—sometimes the best scripts just don’t work once editing starts. Save your project frequently, if anything happens you don’t want to start all over!
12. Think you’re done?
Watch your final edit, not once, not twice, but three times. Make sure there are no continuity errors. Be a self-editor—ask yourself, does it all make sense? Do the images match what the words are saying? Does it accomplish what you want it to? Is the sound at an audible volume? When you’re completely happy, congrats!
13. Publish it.
Upload it on ActNow as a multimedia page. Stick it on YouTube. Send links to all your friends. You know you want to!
