Video Composition Tip: What Angles to Shoot at (and Why)
- Learn Beginner Videography Techniques in This Tutorial for Photographers
- Why Videography is Important for Every Photographer
- How to Make the Move From Photography to Videography
- Basic Composition Tips for Beginner Videographers
Image Credit: welcomia via iStock
It seems to me that a lot of photographers that decide to start shooting video think that it will be a breeze because of their photography background.
And while being a photographer can't hurt when you're starting out in videography, it certainly doesn't mean that you'll be making masterful videos right from the start.
That being the case, here's a few tips and tricks for composing better videos by paying attention to just one thing...angles.
You might be surprised just how much changing the angle from which you shoot can alter the outcome of your videos!
Editor's Tip: Make the process of creating videos faster and simpler by using video templates. See beautiful, professionally-made video templates you can use for your next project.
Consider the Story You're Trying to Tell
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Like photography, videography is all about telling a story and engaging viewers in that story as deeply as you can.
And by simply changing the angle of view, you can tell a much different story in your video, even if the people you're filming don't say a single word.
For example, if you want your subject to look more powerful or imposing in the frame, shoot upward.
As you can see in the still shot above, the model appears larger than life because we've got a "child's eye view," looking up at them.
This also works for things like landscapes: shoot at an upward angle to emphasize the size of things like trees, waterfalls, or mountains. Keep in mind that the steeper the angle of view, the more powerful and imposing your subject will seem in the shot.
Image Credit: onebluelight via iStock
Conversely, if you want to create a more intimate or vulnerable sequence, try shooting down towards the subject.
Doing so has the opposite effect of shooting up towards a subject - the downward plane of view makes them seem smaller, and by consequence of that, the viewer can interpret that as the subject feeling down or weak or even insignificant.
Of course, you can also shoot on a flat plane, looking directly at the subject. This allows the viewer a little more power to determine how they interpret the feeling of the shot. In other words, it's more of a neutral angle from which to shoot, so the viewer can decide if they think the sequence is conveying power, happiness, vulnerability, and so forth.
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Think About Aesthetics
When considering how you attack the shots for your video, you have to think about aesthetics in addition to the story you wish to tell.
Of course, how you want your videos to look is completely up to you, and there is no right or wrong answer for the aesthetics of your videos.
If you watch a variety of videos (like the one above by Joe Allam), you'll notice that they include many different sequences in which varying camera angles and types of shots (establishing shots, medium shots, and close-ups) are used.
You'll also notice that there's an aesthetic quality to many videos that's added in post-production. The use of color overlays, transitions, text, and so forth can certainly help you create the aesthetic you want in your videos (more on that later).
Image Credit: hsyncoban via iStock
That being said, aesthetics and the storyline certainly go hand in hand.
That is, if you want to create a moody video that makes viewers feel the sadness of the subject, you wouldn't want to shoot the entire video from a low angle looking up at the subject - that shooting angle simply doesn't trigger that kind of emotional response.
Likewise, you wouldn't process the video to have very bright sequences with lots of shots of sunshine or videos of people laughing if the mood of the video you want is dark and gloomy, as shown above.
So, while the aesthetic features of the video are certainly up to you, just make sure that they jive with the story you're trying to tell.
Editor's Tip: Not sure how to vary the angles of your videos to get the effect you want? Learn more about using angles to enhance the story in your videos.
Learn How to Process Your Videos for a Cohesive Look
Image Credit: Ignatiev via iStock
Composing the sequences in your video is just one important step in creating an eye-catching video that people will love.
Another important step in that process is editing your videos to give them a cohesive look.
When you're just starting out in videography, it can be tough to master the art of processing videos because so many of the video-editing programs available today are either really complicated, really expensive - or both.
That's why I use Kizoa as my go-to video maker.
The great thing about Kizoa is that you can make professional-looking videos without having a ton of video-making experience.
The Kizoa interface is incredibly easy to use with a simple layout that doesn't overwhelm you.
But don't take that ease and simplicity as an indication that Kizoa isn't a powerful tool - far from it!
Whether you use Kizoa's web-based platform or their free iOS app, you'll have the ability to add music and text, transitions, special effects, and much more.
You can easily move video clips around to create a sequence to your liking, or if you prefer, you can use pre-made templates to get the process of creating your video underway more quickly.
Once you've made your video, you can easily share it with the world too! Burn your videos to a DVD, email them, post them to YouTube or Vimeo, all with a few clicks of the mouse or taps on the screen.
Better still, you can edit RAW photos and JPGs, edit 4K videos, make slideshows, store your files in Kizoa's cloud-based storage system, and so much more.
And all of that is available to you for a one-time fee of just $30!
In other words, the key to success when making videos certainly lies in your talent to compose beautiful shots.
But just like in photography, you also need the tools to edit your videos and create a final product that's sure to wow audiences.
When you make a video, think about the angles from which you shoot and the story you wish to tell. But also be prepared with the right tools and resources so that you can make the best videos possible!
