Cellphone videos are super-cheap and really easy to use. They can be a little shaky, however, and the sound is usually not very good, but if you want to grab some video quickly and easily, the camera on your cell is a good option. Digital photo cameras regularly have video features, and some are quite cheap and fairly high-quality. Cameras with SD cards are widely available and user-friendly. HD Cameras can run anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars and will look very professional. Many low-budget Hollywood movies have been shot on basic HD cameras you can buy at electronics stores like Best Buy, or even explore renting options in your area. [2] X Research source
If you’ve got a helper, you can shoot simultaneously from different angles to provide cuts in your finished product with editing. This can be a cool effect that will make your finished product seem finished and professional. Try to stay out of peoples’ way, especially if there’s a sizable crowd. You want to get the close shot and the right angle, but you’re not the only one there. Make sure everyone can see and shoot from a reasonable distance. [3] X Research source
Don’t try to edit together your video on the fly. It’s better to avoid lots of stops and starts to the video because you’ll have trouble remember what shot happened when which will be much easier to sort out if you’ve got longer shots. You can edit out the unnecessary bits later, but most cameras have lots of room on them, so take advantage of it.
A common mistake on iPhone cameras involves holding the phone vertically while taking video, as opposed to horizontally. When you upload the video to your computer later to edit it (if you want to) you’ll have annoying bars on either side of the screen. Shoot the “landscape” style and hold the camera long-ways. It’ll show up sideways on your phone, but you can tilt it later on your computer and it’ll look right.
Save the raw footage as a separate document so you can feel free to edit and make changes. You can always go back to the original footage if necessary, confident that you won’t lose any of it. You can always start over.
Popular free versions of editing software include: iMovie Avidemux Professional editing software includes: Apple Final Cut Pro Corel VideoStudio Pro Adobe Premiere Elements Adobe Premiere Pro DaVinci 16 Resolve Adobe After Effects
iMovie Avidemux
Apple Final Cut Pro Corel VideoStudio Pro Adobe Premiere Elements Adobe Premiere Pro DaVinci 16 Resolve Adobe After Effects
iMovie and other kinds of software have lots of complicated fades and transitions that you can use but use them sparingly. It can distract from the final video if you get carried away. Stay true to the content and make the video the most important thing, not the fancy transition you just learned how to do on the computer.
If the video has wider appeal, upload your video to YouTube. As long as it’s short enough, you can create a YouTube account and upload your video relatively quickly. It’ll be online in no time and then you’ll be able to share the link with anyone you want. If you want your video online but would prefer it to stay somewhat private, you can upload privately with a Vimeo account. The video will be password-protected and very high-quality, meaning that you can share it freely with anyone with who you provide the password, but it won’t be visible to just anyone.
