Common mistakes
We've all made these mistakes. The difference between an amateur video and a polished one usually comes down to avoiding ten or twelve very specific errors. Here they are, with their fixes.
Camera audio from a distance
Don't
Record someone 10 feet (3 m) away with the camera's built-in mic: a distant, echoey voice.
Do
A lavalier mic or, at the very least, a second phone recording close to the mouth.
Accidental backlight
Don't
A person in front of a window: a black face or a blown-out white background.
Do
Turn the scene around so the window lights the face from the side.
Auto exposure and white balance
Don't
The image gets darker when someone in a white shirt walks into the shot, and the color changes between shots.
Do
Exposure and white balance locked for the whole scene.
Crossing the axis
Don't
In the reverse shot, both people seem to be looking the same way.
Do
All the cameras on the same side of the line joining the characters.
Shots with no handles
Don't
Hitting record just as the action starts and stopping as soon as it ends: there's no room to cut in the edit.
Do
Three to five seconds before and after every action and movement.
Digital zoom and constant zooming
Don't
Zooming in and out during the take to "make it dynamic."
Do
Static shots of different sizes and, if you need to get closer, physically moving.
Unmotivated, unstabilized movement
Don't
A camera that wanders around aimlessly, with dizzying shakes.
Do
A tripod for static shots, and slow, motivated, stabilized movements.
Not shooting B-roll
Don't
There are only shots of the person talking: the cuts are obvious and the video gets monotonous.
Do
For every minute of interview, several minutes of B-roll: hands, location, objects, details.
Too many transitions and effects
Don't
A different transition between every shot and titles in five typefaces.
Do
Straight cuts, the occasional transition with a purpose and one or two consistent typefaces.
Music that drowns out the voice
Don't
Music at the same volume as the voice throughout the video.
Do
Music about 15–25 dB below the voice, with ducking.
Videos that are too long
Don't
Using everything you shot because it took a lot of effort to shoot.
Do
Cut everything that doesn't add anything. If nobody misses a shot, it didn't need to be there.
Not watching the exported file
Don't
Publishing without checking: a black frame at the end, a typo in a caption or out-of-sync audio.
Do
Watch the whole exported file, with headphones, before you publish it.
Print out the cheat sheet and the shoot checklist. Going through it before you shoot prevents half of these mistakes.
Your turn: audit your last video
Watch the last video you made with this list in front of you.
- Note how many of the twelve mistakes show up.
- Pick the two most serious ones.
- Redo just those two things and compare.