When you’re someone who loves working professionally with video footage, capturing that truly cinematic look is exciting. However, of course, not everyone sees the perfect path to making content look like a blockbuster instead of lackluster. Luckily, enhancing your content isn’t as laborious as you might expect, requiring little more than careful planning. Let’s discuss a few effective and easy ways to make your video footage look more cinematic.
Precise Editing Techniques
Editing is a critical component of professional videography, whether you’re shooting a documentary, short film, news broadcast, or a wide range of other subjects. Simply put, editing helps create the story structure, sometimes shifting from what is in the original script.
The more deliberate your editing is, the more engaging the story can be as a result. In other words, bring purpose to each cut, whether to highlight a facial expression or an item in the background that will come into play later. For this reason, being mindful of editing when you’re shooting helps maintain consistent visual flow from shot to shot.
Is there a logic to the visual flow that will engage the audience or lose them entirely? Likewise, do eyelines and actor positions match between cuts? Even when you have a professional editor ready to help, having the ability to communicate your vision will ensure you create truly cinematic and engaging footage.
High-Quality Hardware
Skipping professional-grade hardware can hold your video quality back. For example, if you don’t have a proper tripod, nor a camera cage with handles, finding ways to shoot with variety and camera stability is challenging.
Luckily, you can easily track down high-quality gear online that will elevate your content immensely. For instance, at Ikan, our library of camera equipment online features many options for camera support. Suffice it to say, your options are wider than you might expect. Investing in high-quality hardware, and taking care of that hardware, are among the first steps you must take to elevate your video footage to a cinematic level.
Remember Your Influences
When it comes to easy ways to make your video footage look more cinematic, look no further than your inspirations. By bringing influences from other stories to put them in a fresh, creative environment, you can find ways to break away from formula in interesting ways. Combining inspiration with original, creative ideas is the key to giving your video footage a true personality.
Sure, Quentin Tarantino makes original movies, but he proudly wears his influences on his sleeve. Christopher Nolan is the same; original stories with very distinct influences. However, there’s a difference between inspiration and rip-off. Once you find that fine line to ride, you’ll discover that it can open storytelling doors you didn’t even know were there. Thankfully, with these tips sitting in your brain, you can start unlocking those doors on and off set sooner than later.