1. Entertain or Die
"The first step to preventing bad video is accepting this truth: Entertain or die. Leave the audience wanting more. If you don't, they'll leave you. You just need competent, compelling video that intrigues your target audience." - Steve Stockman -How to Shoot a Video that Doesn't Suck
Watch the following videos. Hit play and stop yourself the second you find yourself wanting to change the channel.
Do you see any trends in your viewing patterns?
Do you see any trends in your viewing patterns?
video_interest_survey.docx | |
File Size: | 87 kb |
File Type: | docx |
2. You Must Have Intent
An intent is what you're trying to accomplish when you make a video. Why are you creating your video?
Examples:
To raise a lot of money
To show absurd behavior on the boardwalk
To change high school students' perceptions about vaping/recycling...
Exercise: Let's watch the following videos and determine the director's intent and how you know.
An intent is what you're trying to accomplish when you make a video. Why are you creating your video?
Examples:
To raise a lot of money
To show absurd behavior on the boardwalk
To change high school students' perceptions about vaping/recycling...
Exercise: Let's watch the following videos and determine the director's intent and how you know.
3. Know Your Audience
Consider the likely audience for your video. It's more likely to be a hit if you've thought about the audience and what will make it great for them.
THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOT:
WHO is your audience, literally? Male? Female? What do they like to do? Why will they be interested in what you have to show them? Where do these people live? How old are they?
WHO is the competition?
WHAT does the audience want? What interests your target audience? Information? Inspiration? What entertains them? What's in it for them?
WHEN will they be watching? During school? At home in their spare time?
WHERE are most people going to see your video?
WHY use video? What will it show the audience that you can't show them in any other way?
Consider the likely audience for your video. It's more likely to be a hit if you've thought about the audience and what will make it great for them.
THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOT:
WHO is your audience, literally? Male? Female? What do they like to do? Why will they be interested in what you have to show them? Where do these people live? How old are they?
WHO is the competition?
WHAT does the audience want? What interests your target audience? Information? Inspiration? What entertains them? What's in it for them?
WHEN will they be watching? During school? At home in their spare time?
WHERE are most people going to see your video?
WHY use video? What will it show the audience that you can't show them in any other way?
Exercise:
Click on the link below. Check out the graphics the movies use and the little descriptions they provide. Look at the first 3 trailers that seem interesting to you. Then click on 3 more you know nothing about. Finally check out 3 that you know, just from looking at the posters, you are completely and unalterably not interested in.
Click on the link below. Check out the graphics the movies use and the little descriptions they provide. Look at the first 3 trailers that seem interesting to you. Then click on 3 more you know nothing about. Finally check out 3 that you know, just from looking at the posters, you are completely and unalterably not interested in.
Link: trailers.apple.com
Answer the following questions on your sheet:
Can you see which movies are aimed at you? List them and explain how.
Can you see which movies are clearly NOT aimed at you? List them and explain how.
What is the difference?
4. Know Your Story
"We love story. We crave story. We remember story. Every video, no matter how long or short, will be better if it tells a story." - Steve Stockman
A story has four elements: A hero, a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning of any story introduces us to the hero and what situation he's in. The middle tells what happens to the hero next. The end is how it all turns out.
Hero: "Who" the video is about. Can be someone or something.
Beginning: Introduce the hero, tell where we are right now, and give some sense of where we're headed and why we're watching.
Middle: Something happens. It doesn't have to be complicated, but the story must progress. A challenge to a character sweetens the pot.
End: What do you want to leave your audience with? Endings should have some sort of resolution and closure.
"We love story. We crave story. We remember story. Every video, no matter how long or short, will be better if it tells a story." - Steve Stockman
A story has four elements: A hero, a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning of any story introduces us to the hero and what situation he's in. The middle tells what happens to the hero next. The end is how it all turns out.
Hero: "Who" the video is about. Can be someone or something.
Beginning: Introduce the hero, tell where we are right now, and give some sense of where we're headed and why we're watching.
Middle: Something happens. It doesn't have to be complicated, but the story must progress. A challenge to a character sweetens the pot.
End: What do you want to leave your audience with? Endings should have some sort of resolution and closure.
Exercise 1: Look at the pictures below. Create a story with a hero, a beginning, middle, and end.
intent_audience_story.docx | |
File Size: | 88 kb |
File Type: | docx |
He had warned her about the library, but now it was too late.
He tried with all of his might, but the third stone kept skipping back.
His heart was pounding. He was sure he saw the doorknob turn.
Exercise 2:
Watch the animated short of Alma. In addition to documenting the story, utilize your prior knowledge about camera shots to keep track of the shot variety in the scenes already broken down for you. Complete your chart with the information required.
Watch the animated short of Alma. In addition to documenting the story, utilize your prior knowledge about camera shots to keep track of the shot variety in the scenes already broken down for you. Complete your chart with the information required.
alma_and_story.docx | |
File Size: | 60 kb |
File Type: | docx |
5. Think in Shots
Exercise:
Look at your surroundings. Don't worry about looking at anything in particular. The goal is to see how you visually examine where you are. Write your observations down on your notes.
Exercise:
Look at your surroundings. Don't worry about looking at anything in particular. The goal is to see how you visually examine where you are. Write your observations down on your notes.
Exercise 2: Watch the following video. Stand or note on your paper when you find it difficult to listen to the speech. Think about why it has lost your attention.
Hollywood directors don't make a two hour movie by rolling the camera for two hours nonstop. Instead the film has lots of cuts - zipping from one picture to another every few seconds - this is known as the camera shot.
Cutting shots together creates meaning and creates a richer story.
Exercise 3: View the images below. What story does it tell? Write it down on your notes and be prepared to share.
We connect the shots in our minds, even though we never see the camera moving from shot to shot. Watching the shots cut together make meaning.
Tell your video in shots. Either shoot it that way, or edit it when you're done. Less is definitely more.
Tell your video in shots. Either shoot it that way, or edit it when you're done. Less is definitely more.
6. Make Every Picture Tell the Story
Every part of a well-made video tells a complete story.
A film: the entire compilation of a story.
A sequence: a section of a film that covers a big part of the story.
A scene: a smaller part of the sequence that happens in a single place and time.
A shot: a single piece of film or video without cuts. Subject +action = shot. Start thinking of your shots in a complete sentence - noun, verb. The man knocked on the door.
A frame: images that create one shot. (long shot of man walking along a residential street/ medium close up on his face that shows he is looking intently/ cutaway to the address plate/ close up of the man showing he recognizes the house/ over the shoulder of him walking up on the door/ POV of his hand knocking on the door)
*** Story-less shots add up to a bad scene. Bad scenes make bad sequences. One bad sequence can kill a film.
Every part of a well-made video tells a complete story.
A film: the entire compilation of a story.
A sequence: a section of a film that covers a big part of the story.
A scene: a smaller part of the sequence that happens in a single place and time.
A shot: a single piece of film or video without cuts. Subject +action = shot. Start thinking of your shots in a complete sentence - noun, verb. The man knocked on the door.
A frame: images that create one shot. (long shot of man walking along a residential street/ medium close up on his face that shows he is looking intently/ cutaway to the address plate/ close up of the man showing he recognizes the house/ over the shoulder of him walking up on the door/ POV of his hand knocking on the door)
*** Story-less shots add up to a bad scene. Bad scenes make bad sequences. One bad sequence can kill a film.