Izzy Video tutorials make it easy to learn video.

How can you keep track of all the video clips when they’re archived on multiple drives?

In this tutorial video, I’ll show you how I organize and catalog my video clips. You’ll see:

• The software I use
• The order (workflow)
• Several tips that have made things easier for me

This video is available to members only.

You can click here to watch the trailer.

If you like this tutorial and want access to more than 150 other video tutorials like it, you should learn about an Izzy Video Membership.

How can you make family videos more interesting? Emulate what you see in documentaries.

In this video, I’ll show you the four ingredients of documentaries, and then I’ll show you how you can turn regular family videos into micro-documentaries. (And people will love what you make with them!)

This video is available to members only.

You can click here to watch the trailer.

If you like this tutorial and want access to more than 150 other video tutorials like it, you should learn about an Izzy Video Membership.

Is your video too flat?

I see it all the time in online videos — a camera directed squarely toward a face that’s directed squarely toward the camera. Want to know how to make a more interesting image? Turn something. Turn the person, or turn the camera. Or if you want, do both.

This creates diagonal lines in your image. Diagonal lines help because they add energy and a sense of movement. The human eye enjoys diagonal lines more than flat ones.

How can you apply this when you’re shooting video?

If your subject is a building, move the camera to the side so you’re not shooting directly toward the flat side. You want to see at least two sides.

If you’re shooting video inside a room, move the camera so you’re NOT shooting directly toward a flat wall. A good tip is to shoot into corners. When you focus on this, it’s easy to capture the diagonal lines of the walls.

If you’re shooting video of a person’s face (say for a classic talking head shot), turn the person or the camera so you can see the side of their face a little. This will add more dimension and movement.

One thing to avoid — don’t turn a person’s face too far. Usually a profile isn’t the ideal thing to see. It’s too flat. Instead of being flat from the front, it’s flat from the side. Also, you can only see one eye. This seems a little strange to us. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you can always see both of your subject’s eyes, even if the second one is only barely visible. Unless, of course, you’re intentionally trying to create a flat image.

Remember that one of our goals as shooters is to try to add dimension. We do it through lighting, sure, but we also do it by picking good camera angles.

The next time you’re shooting video, try turning something and see if that helps make a better image.

Patience is hard for video shooters. I guess it’s because we’re human, and humans generally struggle with it.

Still, if you have a little patience when you’re shooting video, you’ll be happier with your results. For example, there’s the 15 second rule. It’s simple, but it will make your life a lot easier.

Here’s how it works:

When you’re getting a specific static shot — make sure you record for at least 15 seconds.

That’s it? Yes, it’s as easy as that.

Why this amount?

Fifteen seconds of a single static shot is more than you’ll likely need. This will give you choices later when you’re editing. Because editors want to hold the attention of their audience, most shots in the final edit will last 4 seconds or less. If they were to use the entire 15 seconds that you captured, it would feel like an eternity to the audience.

By the way, when I refer to a static shot, I mean a shot that has little or no movement. This might be an establishing shot, a video portrait, or a number of other scenarios. When there’s almost no movement, it’s (usually) hard to watch a long clip (such as 15 seconds).

If you’re capturing 15 seconds when you shoot, you have a lot of 4 second options inside of the 15 second clip. For example, you could use seconds 1 to 5, seconds 2 to 6, seconds 3 to 7, and so on. You get the idea.

If you’re like some shooters and you only record for 4 seconds because that’s how much you’ll need in post, then you’ve limited your options. Whether you’re doing your own editing or having someone else do it, remember that editors love options. It gives them room to move. And the 15 second rule helps get that done.

During the 15 seconds, resist the urge to zoom the camera.

Resist the urge to adjust.

But most of all, resist the urge to stop rolling.

Capture at least 15 seconds, and then you can set up for your next shot.

* If you were thinking that the 15 second rule referred to how long food can be on the ground before it’s no longer safe to eat…well, that’s a different rule. This one is for shooters. :-)

Do you have a checklist that you use when you’re shooting video? If so, is it mental or written?

I have a basic mental checklist for when I’m about to shoot, and I use these letters to help me remember it: F.W.E.F.A. (I pronounce this ‘fweefuh”.)

What does it mean, and how does it help?

The first “F” is for “Framing”. This is the composition of the image. Before I do anything else, I pick the camera angle, adjust the tripod, and adjust the focal length. These things create the frame. This helps me slow down and make sure that I’m starting with a well-composed shot.

The “W” is for “White Balance”. This helps ensure I end up with good color in my imagery. I use a gray card for this, but you could also use a white card.

The “E” is for “Exposure”. Exposure refers to the shutter speed, gain, aperture, and lighting. I prefer to get a correct exposure in the field so I don’t have to adjust much in post.

The second “F” is for “Focus”. I set the focus after the exposure because changing the aperture can change the depth of field, throwing your image out of focus. This is why focus is one of the last things I check.

The “A” is for “Audio”. Usually I’m the only one checking audio, so I listen with headphones and watch the VU meter to make sure the audio levels are good and there’s no clipping.

Are there more things I could check? Sure. But these fundamentals help me get a good image with good audio. A good clean image is a great place to start.

• Framing
• White Balance
• Exposure
• Focus
• Audio

Remember F.W.E.F.A. the next time you’re shooting, and maybe it will reduce the chance you end up with video that has no audio.

What else do you do? What would you add to the checklist? Let me know in the comments…