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Developing your Skills Good video takes practice. Of course planning and concept play a key role, but content without eye appeal is no fun to watch. Here’s a list of things to practice: Hone your zoom skills – the best skill to have here is that really slow, unnoticeable zoom. Be able to “feather” the zoom at any speed. (top) Pan – the good pan has to be the right speed. Too fast and we get dizzy – too slow makes it boring. Practice panning with the zoom. Zoom out is a good effect with a pan. (top) Steady Cam – for most applications you’ll want the little LCD screen to be open to help you steady the camera. Large cameras are easier to keep steady. Be careful on extreme zoom as it can be a shaky experience. (top) Framing – with practice and evaluation of your video, you will develop a “feel” for what works and what doesn’t work. In general the novice doesn’t get close enough to the subject. (top) Exposure – make sure that you know how to quickly adjust your camera for any lighting condition. (top) Follow – the good follow has to be smooth. The correct approach is a “heel-toe” step – roll the foot with each step. Keep the upper body still – motion is from the waist down. The classic model training technique with book on head is a good analogy. Be able to do the smooth follow forward, backward, and sideways. (top) Tripod Shots – use the tripod as much as possible. Practice the pan/tilt action left hand on tripod and right hand on camera zoom. (top) Watch the Pros – always keep a watchful eye when watching TV or movies. You’ll find a lot of cutting edge
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