The obvious answer to the question of “How do I improve my Video Skills?” is just about always “Practise”
Thats a very generic and non-specific answer I know.
There is practise and there is practise and one of the single best methods I have found in recent years to improve my shooting and editing skills is by shooting vlog style videos of my family and friends.
I have found many benefits to this style of shooting and I discuss them in this Youtube video.
To summarise 2 of the main benefits of vlog style videos I talk about are;
- You will produce some great video memories of a snapshot in time which you will value in years to come.
- You have free license to try different cameras, lenses, moves, editing techniques and much more. That is the way you improve your skills.
If I was to use one word to describe it, that word would be PLAY, how often have you heard yourself telling someone you are just having a play around with the new camera or if you are editing you are just playing around with some new effects or colour grading.
After all, who doesn’t like playing!
Here’s the link to my personal Youtube channel I talked about in the video, you will see a lot of playing around on that channel.
Hey I just wanted to let you know that the correct spelling is “practice” with a “c”.
Great work I enjoy your emails!
I wondered if someone would say something about that, we use the english spelling of the word down here in New Zealand and the correct usage of the word is actually spelt practise for us. Cheers
I believe you, Grant. Sometimes the english language can be a real mess. I really enjoy everything you do.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no expert at the English language, I had to ask my 9 year old daughter for the spelling of a word the other day. Cheers
I think I became a photographer since I cannot spell myself out of a paper bag. Thank God for spell check or I would be completely lost. Besides, if you know the word that has been misspelled, then what’s the problem? Words are to communicate, not to conform to Germanic rigid rules. After all, spelling only became standardized with the advent of dictionaries (the British and the American put together by two different entities). Before that it was more fonetic. And who came up with “ph” being pronounced as an “f”? Foey to that.
So the porpose of this column is to become freer of convention, try new things, break out of imposed or self imposed constraints photographically, see in new ways with new equipment. If we put an emphisisis on spelling we are sort of depheating that objective.
I always njoy your comets Peter. Cheers
Hi Grant,
Another excellent video – thank you for your candid thoughts on the practise of making films. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the shiny black kit instead of what is really important – actually making films and telling stories visually and capturing the moment.
Right now I’m looking for a 4K video camera on a tight budget, and I have been wasting hours comparing reviews of the DJI Osmo vs Panasonic G7 vs Sony FDR-AX53 handicam vs Sony FDR-x3000 action cam with various mono & stereo external audio capture methods. The actual making is so much more important than the kit, and play/practise is the artistic training for the serious craft. What a revelation.
I’m so proud of my latest two videos, taken completely with my drone – because I’m finally starting to learn how to get good footage out of it. They make my heart race every time I watch them, because they’re special to me for what I’ve learned. But objectively-speaking, they are just eye-candy. They are NOT telling a story, capturing intimate moments with friends and family or the essence of the moment – like you did with that short piece. The most popular video on my YouTube channel BY FAR was taken with an iPhone by my wife. Doesn’t that say it all . . .
Yes its far to easy to get wrapped up in looking at specs and features of the gear and I’m especially guilty of this, just ask my wife! Its sounds like you are making good progress with your drone. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your shots story or no story. Cheers
Such a great help for those of us who struggle.Thank you.
Best Regards
David
Cheers
Had a chance, as I was moving stills and video files to a storage hard drive, to watch you video again, this time in no rush. What a marvelous cornucopia of visual, styles and approaches all clearly fresh. Do your kids ever day “Oh Daaaaaad! Not the camera again?!” My wife turns her back, my best friend puts something over his face. So I tend to do this sort of fun stuff when shooting food, chefs and restaurants and their surroundings for my food and travel site. This is no only an opportunity to get fed well, and usually for free, but to play with shooting styles, miniature equipment (miniature so as to not annoy other diners) and just try things since I am my own client. I make no income from the site, I just get to play and have experiences I would not otherwise get to have, not to mention meeting fantastic and interesting people in the food business.
Perhaps the kids I never had are blessing their good fortune in not coming down as my offspring. Again, thank you for sharing that video with us. It was a lot of fun and very encouraging for me certainly to get out there and play.
My kids quite use to Dad waving the camera around now, in fact its got to the point if we are away for a family holiday or adventure they want me to make a video. They get a bit annoyed with me if I don’t! Not sure how much longer that attitude will last as they get older so I’m trying to make the most it while I can.
My wife on the other hand not so keen on the camera. Your restaurant gig sounds like a great way to practise and get fed well….Cheers