Filming movies with your new DSLR camera can feel a little intimidating. Whether you’ve gone for an uber expensive model or a budget DSLR, the bells and whistles are pretty extensive for new camera owners. Following a few tips will help you to get the most out of your camera and keep your shots as professional as possible.
1. Be Prepared
Organizing your shot before you even get the cast together will make a big difference in the final product. Brainstorming with your team and creating a storyboard to organize shots will help you prepare for what each shot should look like on the day you film. Whether you’re going to shoot a full-length feature film or your cousin’s bar mitzvah, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.
2. Use Your Tripod
Not every photographer has a steady hand straight out of the gate. While you’re familiarizing yourself with your DSLR camera, you might want to get a few accessories to make your shots a little steadier. Using a tripod can help give your final product a professional look—even if this is your first time filming.
While a tripod is best, if you don’t have room in your budget for camera equipment, you can always use other props to help steady your shot, like a table surface, a camera strap or the back of a chair. Unless you’re going to film the next Blair Witch Project, keep a steady hand for a more professional look.
3. Go Back to Photography School
While you don’t actually need to go back to photography school, employing some simple photography basics in your shots will help make them look more professional and polished.
Keep horizons level – this is an easy way to produce great quality images within your story. If your horizons are level, your final product has a better chance of looking professional.
Shoot a B-roll – always shoot small details to help engage your audience in your story. You can edit these into your final product later.
Use all of your space – don’t waste a lot of your frame with boring details. Keep your subjects front and center, and keep your backgrounds free of extraneous objects.
4. Use Your Shutter Speeds Wisely
To determine your shutter speed, simply double your frame rate. If your shutter speed is any slower, your final project will look blurry; if your shutter speed is faster, your final product will look fake and unnatural. Your setting will look a little off and your audience will notice.
If you want to add a little pizazz to your movie without messing with the shutter speed, adjust your filter settings (see number five below).
5. Play with Your Filters
Taking advantage of your camera’s filters will add a little creativity to your final product without giving it an unprofessional feel. Filters can also help protect your investment by giving your movie better light quality.
Polarizing filter – Using this kind of filter will add a lot of contrast to a shot and keep shots filmed through glass from catching reflections.
Gradation filter – This type of filter is used to minimize the brightness of the sky in a shot; however, this can be a tricky move and often doesn’t work unless you have complete control over the subject and frame.
6. Stay in Focus
Keep your frames in focus by removing your camera’s automatic setting. A manual focus will allow you to manipulate the final product in a way that the automatic setting isn’t designed for. When you’re shooting movement and action, you can keep your cameras on the auto setting. Take this setting off for still shots. Play with this technique a little and notice how the final product changes when you remove the manual setting.
Don’t feel too discouraged if you don’t get it right away—it’s one of the most difficult parts of learning to use digital cameras.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you’re a little frustrated or discouraged from trying out these tips and tricks, don’t give up yet. Getting to know your new camera take a little time and patience. With a little practice, your videos can look beautiful and professional at the click of a button.
