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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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theres a whole load of factors which can affect how good video looks, the main ones being what you shoot it on, what you light it with and how and what you're doing with it afterwards.
One of the main problems i've seen with self shoot videos of all sorts, is people who stand in front of a window or light and have their camera on auto exposure. This basically means that the camera will look at the light levels for the whole picture and expose it for the brightest point- so if thats not you or your subject then you'll be in the dark.
try to use a nice soft light, professional lighting is an artform (i've been working with lighting for 15 years and i'm still in awe of the skills of a good D.O.P.) and the kit is very expensive, but you can get reasonable results with stuff you have in the house. If you have a bedside lamp, switch that on but try to keep it out of the shot if possible, you can also have several others out of shot if your shot looks dark. Try to keep them more on one side as this will give a more pleasant look- although you also have to make sure the other side isn't too dark. Or, if you have one of those yellow halogen worklamps used on building sites, stand it about a meter from the wall furthest from your bed, turn it to face the corner of the wall/ceiling and try that (known as a bounce light).
The basic film lighting technique is called 3 point lighting (google is your friend but creativecow.net is an excellent and extensive resource point used by pro crews worldwide). 3 point lighting surprisingly uses 3 light sources- Key light, which is the main light usually to the front and side- fill light, used to mainly perk up any significant dark patches on the other side to the Key light, and finally a backlight to separate the subject from the background- not overly important in what you're trying to do.
Depending on the camera you're using, see if you can turn off the auto setting so you're in control of the iris (how much light is allowed to enter the camera)- a camera is just a device to capture light, so this is an important thing to understand. To get the right framing, google 'rule of thirds' as this technique has been used for years- before cameras, back in the days of paintings. once you have an understanding of thirds, go watch some telly so you understand how its used and how to bend/break the rule for more artistic shots.
If you're shooting hand held, learn how to hold a camera steady- if not, use a tripod!
Last thing- make sure your partner is happy, always makes for a better shoot
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