Yesterday we talked about the success of this year’s most popular Superbowl ad. Simplicity was the key, but saying that making a simple video production isn’t enough. After all, a simple videos of people lecturing at a camera are rarely very popular. So how can a video retain simple qualities without getting boring? In short, it’s all about camera-use, editing, and story.
There are three fundamental ways to shoot video. You can keep the camera stationary, you can zoom, and you can pan. A good video tries to combine all of these, but implements the different methods for a specific effect. Panning works when you need to follow some kind of action. Zooming works when you want to emphasize a certain element in the frame.
Make sure editing is clean. Don’t let scenes linger after their message is complete. If a scene is supposed to end when someone leaves the frame, you don’t necessarily need to wait for them to exit the frame to make a cut. In fact, if a person is leaving the frame, the shot can be cut after they walk past the halfway point of the frame. That is called assumed action and your audience will understand that the character is going somewhere.
Finally, there is story. In the Volkwagen commercial, the story can be explained as such: A little boy tries to use the force on different household items. Nothing happens until he tries to use the force on his dad’s car, and his father uses keyless ignition to surprise the boy. Those two sentences capture the entire essence of video editing. Next time you are producing one, consider your objective, and the simplest way to convey that. What do your characters want and what will they do to get that?
And don’t forget, a good video production company can always help if you are struggling to create a video that you want representing your company. To find out how we can help you with your video editing, call or email us today!
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