Stories Video Production

Tips for Creating Stories Videos

• Vary your shots

  You're telling a story with visuals. Where are we? What's it like? Who's here? What are they doing? What's happening? What does our protagonist think about all of this? Then suddenly? When telling a story, you need to work with you wide, medium and closeups to lay the story out piece by piece for the viewer and you bring them into your world. Vary your shots, your distance, angles so you'll have great footage to work with in the editing room. A rule to live by is 25:25:50 with 25% wide, 25% medium, 50% closeup for given shoot.

• Get the sequencing right

  Certain sequences just work better. Wide or medium shots at the same distance/ angle don't usually work well together. Each shot is answering a question as you tell a story.What is the subject of the shot doing? (close)What does the subject look like? (close)Where is the subject doing it?/what's going on the background? (wide)What's it look like from the subject's point of view? (Over the shoulder)What suddenly happens? What is strange about this place? Who is watching? What else do you want the viewer to know? (telling a story)

• Take Long Shots

  There is nothing worse than getting the perfect shot that cuts out too soon. Take your time. Get longer shots and leave the rest on editing room floor later. We've all seen those "mistakes" in movies when shots had to be redone later of next day. Something was off. The lighting was different. Their hair just doesn't look the same. Overdo it or be disappointed later. Some of it may seem like a waste, but it is much better than having to completely recreate the scene or shots.

After using 90 Seconds for our videos, we would never do it any other way.

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