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Primer disparo

Practice exercises

Reading about video doesn't make you a videographer; shooting does. Here are the exercises from every lesson. Do them with whatever you have, even just your phone, and keep the results: by the end you'll have a small portfolio.

Level 1: fundamentals

  • Lesson 1: What is video

    Your first frame rate test

    Record the same movement (someone walking or water falling) three times: at 25 (or 30), at 50 (or 60) and, if your camera or phone allows it, at 120 fps.

    1. Import the three clips into a 25 fps timeline (30 fps if you shot at 30/60).
    2. Slow the 50 fps clip down to 50% and the 120 fps clip to 20% (or 25% on a 30 fps timeline).
    3. Also duplicate the 25 fps clip and slow it down to 50%. Compare: can you see the stutter?

  • Lesson 2: Exposure for video

    The three-shutter walk

    Film someone walking past the camera or waving their hand, at 25 fps (or 30) with three different shutter speeds.

    1. One at 1/50 (or 1/60 at 30 fps), following the rule.
    2. Another at 1/500 or faster. Compensate with aperture or ISO.
    3. Another at 1/25 (or 1/30). Watch the three back to back and describe in one sentence what each one conveys.

  • Lesson 3: White balance and profiles

    Three white balances for one face

    Next to a window, film the same face with white balance at 3200 K, at 5600 K, and with a manual white balance on a sheet of white paper.

    1. Put the three clips one after another.
    2. Which one feels cold and which one feels warm?
    3. Turn on a household lamp and repeat. Look at the mix of temperatures on the face.

  • Lesson 4: Focus for video

    Your first rack focus

    Put an object close to the camera (a mug) and a person 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 m) away. Film a shot that starts focused on the mug and ends on the face.

    1. Use the widest aperture you have.
    2. Do it first in manual and then by tapping the screen.
    3. Repeat until the shift takes about two seconds and is smooth.

  • Lesson 5: What camera do I need

    Inventory and diagnosis

    Make a list of all your gear: camera or phone, lenses, microphones, lights and supports.

    1. Record one minute of yourself talking to camera with what you have.
    2. Watch it with headphones and note what's worst: sound, light, focus, stability?
    3. That's your next upgrade. Before buying, see if you can fix it for free (a window, a blanket for the echo).

Level 2: visual language

  • Lesson 6: Types of shots

    One action, seven shots

    Choose a simple action, like someone making a coffee, and film it in seven different shot sizes.

    1. From the extreme wide shot to an extreme close-up of the cup.
    2. Put them in order on the timeline from wide to tight.
    3. Then try a different order, for example starting with the detail. What changes in the story?

  • Lesson 7: Camera angles

    The same line, three characters

    Ask someone to say a neutral line, for example “Tomorrow at nine, by the door”, and film it three times.

    1. From a high angle.
    2. At eye level.
    3. From a low angle. Show the three shots to someone else and ask them what the character is like in each one.

  • Lesson 8: Camera movements

    A move with a reason

    Film three moves, each one motivated by an action.

    1. A pan that follows someone crossing the room.
    2. A slow dolly in on a person receiving news (it can be pretend).
    3. A tilt that reveals something: from a pair of shoes to a face, or from a table to a window.

  • Lesson 9: Composition for video

    Fix your background

    Set up a corner of your home for talking to camera.

    1. Film a “before” shot: sitting facing a wall.
    2. Now turn diagonally, move away from the wall, switch on a lamp in the background and put something in the foreground.
    3. Compare the two shots. Take a screenshot of each one and save it for your portfolio.

  • Lesson 10: The 180-degree rule

    A real dialogue

    Write a six-line dialogue between two people and shoot it with a wide shot, a shot of A and a reverse shot of B.

    1. First draw a floor plan with the axis and the cameras.
    2. Edit the dialogue, alternating shots.
    3. Deliberately shoot a reverse shot that jumps the line and cut it in. Notice the confusion.

Level 3: shooting

  • Lesson 11: Lighting

    Three-point lighting with what you have at home

    Light a person using only what you have around the house.

    1. Key: a window, or a desk lamp with a sheet in front of it.
    2. Fill: a white poster board or an open book on the opposite side.
    3. Backlight: a lamp behind them, out of shot. Film with and without each one and compare.

  • Lesson 12: Sound

    Four mics, one sentence

    Record the same sentence four ways: with the camera mic from 6 feet (2 m) away, with your phone mic from about 8 inches (20 cm), with a lavalier (or your phone in your shirt pocket) and inside a closet full of clothes.

    1. Listen to them in order on headphones.
    2. Write down what you notice in each one: echo, noise, presence.
    3. From now on, decide what your minimum setup is.

  • Lesson 13: Stabilization

    The glass of water

    Fill a glass of water to the brim, hold it next to your camera or phone and walk about 30 feet (10 m) while filming someone.

    1. First walk normally; then with the ninja walk and your elbows tucked in.
    2. If you have a gimbal, repeat with it.
    3. Compare the shots and how much water you spilled.

  • Lesson 14: Shooting on your phone

    One minute, phone only

    Make a one-minute video about your neighborhood or your workplace using only your phone.

    1. Lock exposure and focus on every shot.
    2. Use at least two different lenses.
    3. Record your voice-over with the microphone a hand span from your mouth, in a room with furniture.

  • Lesson 15: Interviews and podcasts

    A three-question interview

    Interview someone with two devices (a camera and a phone, or two phones) and a separate audio recording.

    1. A medium shot from the front and a side close-up.
    2. A clap at the start.
    3. Sync in the editor and cut one minute alternating cameras.

Level 4: editing

  • Lesson 16: Workflow

    Your project template

    Create this lesson's folder structure on your computer and save it empty as a template.

    1. Copy a recent project into it.
    2. Generate proxies for a 4K clip and compare how smoothly it plays back.
    3. Rename your exports with numbered versions.

  • Lesson 17: J-cuts and L-cuts

    The same conversation, three edits

    Shoot (or download royalty-free footage of) a short two-camera dialogue and edit it three times.

    1. With straight cuts only.
    2. With two J-cuts and two L-cuts.
    3. Adding a reaction shot with an L-cut. Compare the three versions with someone who hasn't seen them.

  • Lesson 18: Pacing and editing

    Your own Kuleshov

    Film a neutral close-up of someone looking off camera for five seconds.

    1. Film three shots to go after it: something appetizing, something sad and something unsettling.
    2. Edit three versions: face + shot.
    3. Show them to three different people and ask them what the character is feeling.

  • Lesson 19: Transitions

    Three transitions without an editor

    Shoot three in-camera transitions to get from your home to the street.

    1. A whip pan.
    2. A block with your hand.
    3. A framing match (for example, a door).

  • Lesson 20: Audio in the edit

    A one-minute mix

    Take a minute of an interview or of your own voice and add royalty-free music.

    1. Clean up the voice: high-pass, gentle compressor.
    2. Duck the music by hand with keyframes.
    3. Measure the LUFS and set the overall level to −14. Listen on a phone speaker.

  • Lesson 21: Color grading basics

    Correct and match three shots

    Choose three shots from the same scene filmed in slightly different light.

    1. Correct the best one while watching the waveform and the parade.
    2. Match the other two to it.
    3. Duplicate the timeline and apply two different looks. Pick one and explain why.

  • Lesson 22: Titles and export

    One piece, three outputs

    Export the same minute of video for three destinations.

    1. A master in ProRes or DNxHR.
    2. A YouTube version in H.264.
    3. A vertical version with burned-in subtitles. Compare file sizes with the bitrate calculator.

  • Lesson 23: DaVinci Resolve

    Your first complete edit in Resolve

    Make a 60-second piece from start to finish in DaVinci Resolve.

    1. A project with the right fps, bins and proxies.
    2. An edit with one J-cut and one L-cut.
    3. A title, a color correction, music with ducking and an export at −14 LUFS.

Level 5: storytelling and publishing

  • Lesson 24: Script and storyboard

    One page before you shoot

    Plan a one-minute video about someone you know and their trade.

    1. The one-line sentence.
    2. A two-column script.
    3. A 6-panel stick-figure storyboard and a shot list ordered by location.

  • Lesson 25: Video formats

    One topic, two formats

    Pick a topic (your neighborhood, your job, a hobby) and make two pieces.

    1. A two-minute interview with B-roll.
    2. A 30-second reel with the same footage.
    3. Compare what you had to change for each format.

  • Lesson 26: Vertical video

    Three hooks for the same video

    Shoot a 30-second reel about something you know how to do.

    1. Edit three versions that differ only in the first two seconds.
    2. Post them on different days (or show them to several people).
    3. Compare retention at the start.

  • Lesson 27: Music and copyright

    Your safe library

    Create a folder with ten music tracks you can use with peace of mind.

    1. Search the YouTube Audio Library or a stock library with a clear license.
    2. Save the license or a screenshot of the terms for each one.
    3. Note in a document whether they require attribution and how.

  • Lesson 28: AI for video editing

    Save an hour

    Take an interview of ten minutes or more and edit it with the help of AI.

    1. Transcribe it and select the lines by reading the text.
    2. Do the first cut by text and polish it by hand.
    3. Note how long it took you and what you had to fix.

  • Lesson 29: Common mistakes

    Audit your last video

    Watch the last video you made with this list in front of you.

    1. Note how many of the twelve mistakes show up.
    2. Pick the two most serious ones.
    3. Redo just those two things and compare.

  • Lesson 30: Scene analysis

    Break down a two-minute scene

    Pick a scene from a film or series you like.

    1. Do the four viewings.
    2. Fill in the breakdown template shot by shot.
    3. Write three sentences about what makes the scene work.