9 Pro Tips to Make an Amateur Video Look Professional
Avoid embarrassing, out-of-focus, and poorly edited video footage. With practice and pro guidance, creating professional quality videos can be a rewarding and profitable adventure.
surroundedmedia.com gathered 9 pro tips to help you make your amateur videos look professional, along with nine top editing programs (free and paid) to expertly refine your raw footage.
9 Professional Videography Tips
Not all videos are created equal. While anyone can point and shoot, specific techniques and elements can elevate amateur footage to a professional level. Consider the following tips:
1. Focus on Audio Quality: Clear, crisp audio is crucial to high-quality visuals. Invest in a good external microphone to capture clean sound and minimize background noise.
2. Pay Attention to Lighting: Proper lighting can make a significant difference in the look and feel of your video. Use natural light whenever possible, or invest in high-quality lighting equipment to illuminate your subjects evenly, avoiding harsh shadows.
Read more about videography lighting HERE.
3. Use Stable Camera Movements: Avoid shaky footage by stabilizing your camera with a tripod or gimbal. Smooth camera movements can enhance the professional look of your video and keep viewers engaged.
Note: Gimbals are excellent stabilizing tools for your camera to capture smooth and cinematic footage. However, you may still encounter some unwanted shakiness when walking or running with your camera (most of which can be eliminated in post).
4. Plan Your Shots: Take the time to storyboard and plan your shots. Consider the composition, framing, and camera movements needed to effectively tell your story.
Watch this video produced by Surrounded Media for a 75th birthday celebration.
5. Edit with Precision: Editing (post) is where your footage forms a cohesive narrative. Take the time to trim unnecessary footage, adjust color and exposure, and add transitions and effects to enhance the visual appeal of your video.
6. Incorporate B-Roll: B-roll footage adds depth and context to your video and can help cover cuts or transitions in your main footage. Capture multiple B-roll shots to complement your main content and keep viewers engaged.
7. Maintain Consistent Visual Style: Creating a consistent visual style or tone can help give your video a polished and professional look. Pay attention to color grading, typography, and graphic design elements to create a cohesive visual identity.
8. Keep it Engaging: Attention spans are short, so keep your video concise and engaging. Cut out any unnecessary footage and keep the pacing brisk to maintain viewer interest from start to finish.
9. Seek Feedback and Iterate: Don't be afraid to seek feedback from peers or mentors and use it to improve your video. Iterate on your work and continue to refine your skills with each project.
Top Editing Programs
Editing is curating and arranging footage (captured during production) to tell a story. Editing can be used to manipulate time for practical and creative purposes.
Video editing software tools allow you to construct a video's narrative while manipulating and editing it by adding or removing elements, applying effects, adjusting colors and audio, and creating a final polished product. Consider the following free and paid editing programs:
Free Editing Programs:
DaVinci Resolve - A powerful and professional-grade editing software that offers advanced color correction, audio editing, and visual effects capabilities.
Shotcut - An open-source, cross-platform video editing software with a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features, including support for various video formats and codecs.
HitFilm Express - A feature-rich video editing software including advanced compositing tools, 3D animation, and visual effects available for free with optional paid add-ons.
Lightworks - A professional-grade video editing software used by Hollywood filmmakers, offering a wide range of features and support for multiple platforms.
OpenShot - An easy-to-use, open-source video editing software with a simple interface and editing tools, suitable for beginners and casual users.
Paid Editing Programs:
Adobe Premiere Pro - A leading video editing software professionally used worldwide, offering advanced editing tools, seamless integration with other Adobe products, and extensive creative capabilities.
Final Cut Pro X - Apple's professional video editing software, known for its intuitive interface, powerful features, and seamless integration with macOS and other Apple devices.
Avid Media Composer - A robust video editing software favored by professional editors, offering advanced tools for editing, color grading, and audio post-production.
Sony Vegas Pro - A comprehensive video editing software with a wide range of features, including advanced audio editing, visual effects, and support for high-resolution formats.
CyberLink PowerDirector - A user-friendly video editing software with a wide range of features, including intuitive timeline editing, advanced effects, and support for 360-degree video editing.
Pro Tips for Amateur Videographers
In this article, you discovered 9 pro tips to elevate your videography to a professional level and software options (free and paid) to help you produce exceptional, professional-level video.
Understanding videography basics, planning, and production will help you capture and produce stunning video footage for your projects and customers.
Failure to improve your videography skills and use more versatile editing software will leave you producing disappointing, poor-quality video projects.
Sources:
platt.edu/blog/video-production-tips-from-pros
meas.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tips-and-Facts-M-Video-Shooting.pdf
cognitivesciencesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CogSci2020-Best-Practices-Tips-for-Recording-a-Video.pdf
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