Video Production

The critical aspects of video recording are lighting, composition and sound.

Lighting:  It’s not a good idea to take shots where the light is not good. Outside is always OK. If interior shots, you may need the assistance of artificial lighting, which does not mean fluorescent light which can give a green colour to the shot. When outside, do not shoot directly into the sun – it’s best behind you where the subject is exposed.

Composition: For interviews, you need to decide whether it’s amid shot or closeup, never a long shot unless you are filming the location. Watch for people walking past, or backgrounds that reveal too much. Filing is now on 16:9 formats, so there’s plenty of space to work with. Except for close up, you do not need to centre the subject in the frame.

Sound:  Many a video has been spoilt because of poor sound quality. Therefore you will need an external microphone – a lapel mike if it’s close up; a directional mike if it’s mid. Listen to the ambient noise to make sure it’s not overwhelming – therefore use headphones to listen to the sound and always test before shooting.

If you are using Zoom for a video interview, ensure the subject is well lit, is in the right position in the frame (not too far way or too close), and is using an external microphone.

These tips are the same as for when you are recording yourself. You may have notes to assist your delivery (refer to them, but try not to read them), an autocue or rely on your memory. Remember to read out loud a few times before recording. You may need several takes, but try to do the whole script in one go.

Video Editing

Because the length is short for a news item (60 seconds), the editing process will not be so complicated. You need to view all the shots you have made, select the sections you need, and then upload these to your editing software.

A few tips on video editing:

• Remember, you are constructing a news story, so the content rules (over aesthetics).
  
• Do not make cuts within a sequence without inserting another shot (a cutaway). The edit will otherwise show a visible jump.

• Cross fades or other fancy transitions are not used in news videos.
  
• It’s generally very difficult to cut out individual words or ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ – the edits can be seen if not done with extreme care.
  
• Add captions to people interviewed giving their name and organisation.
  
• What you can achieve by editing is only as good as, what you have recorded.