6 Tips to Make Your Flip Videos Rock
By Linsey Knerl (from Wise Bread) on July 26, 2010
The Flip is a popular handheld digital video camera used by many to
capture precious family moments and create stunning viral videos for
display on the web. While the cameras themselves are super simple to
use, the results are often less than glamorous. With the help of the
experts, we share 6 ways to make your Flip (or any other brand of
camera) clips look like a pro handled them!
1. Stabilize your Video
No one wants to watch a video that's jarring, shaky, or causes nausea in the audience, so take care to keep your camera steady during filming. While there are a number of Flip accessories designed to keep the camera still and free your hands for more important things, the best tip is surprisingly free! Michael Natkin of Herbivoracious.com states you can "just hold it firmly against a wall, on a chair or a bookcase, or even your knee if you are sitting down. You'll be amazed how much more watchable your videos are."
2. Pay Attention to Color and Patterns
Not understanding how these two factors can appear in a video is a big mistake that amateurs often make. Helynna Brooke, Producer of West Coast Video Productions, gives a few pointers for avoiding a dizzying effect. "Avoid fine checks, stripes, herringbone or other busy patterns. Men, skip the authoritative black suit with the red power tie. Your bold logo on a t-shirt may be too distracting on video." She recommends sticking to solid colors, such as pastels, and neutral colors, such as beige, gray, green, brown or blue.
3. Accessorize with Care
If you really need glasses to see, it's understandable that you wouldn't want to remove them for a video. Helynna suggests that you ditch them, if possible, however, as they may cause a distracting glare in your videos. The same goes for shiny or metallic pieces of jewelry or clothing. "And skip the beautiful silk ties or scarves, as they make weird noises on the microphone," she says. The same goes for noisy cell phones!
4. Watch the Sound and Lighting
A big factor to how brilliant a video may look is the lighting. Online services like YouTube can further degrade the effects of lighting during the compression and upload process -- so it's best to get it right from the beginning. "More light is better. If you're in a dark area, move towards a window or outside," says web video professional Steve Garfield. Sound issues can be resolved by being aware of your surroundings. If at a noisy conference hall or busy social event, move to a quieter place. Steve also finds that using an audio recorder works well to capture great audio. You can then merge the video and sound with an editing program at a later time.
5. Zoom with Your Hands (Not Your Feet)
When you find that the action is a bit farther away than you'd like, avoid running up to the subject to get a closer view. Most Flip cams come standard with a certain level of zooming capacity, but getting a steady shot can be nearly impossible. Dave Sniadak, Creative Director for Axiom Productions, recommends you take the extra time to do it right: If you're going to do some post-filming editing, anyway, he suggests you "start and stop your recording from multiple distances on the subject your video taping. Start with a wide shot, walk about halfway, shoot a medium shot, then get as close as comfortable to the subject for your tight shot." Your post-production results will be smooth, and people won't know that a professional videographer didn't do the honors!
6. Keep it Short and Sweet
What one piece of advice did most of our experts agree on? Content is king, and while you may think that all 19 minutes of your child singing the ABC's is sure to be an internet sensation, others will be bored after the first 30 seconds. Focus on the main point of your video piece, and trim anything that doesn't support that vision. After all, our attention spans are short - shouldn't your Flip clip be?
[Headline Image: iStock]
What special events have you celebrated with your handheld video? Share them with us by linking to your video in the comments!
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Linsey Knerl is the Community Manager for Wise Bread, a community dedicated to helping folks live large on a small budget. She loves savvy tech solutions that help her share the world with her children.
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