It turns out the Instagram of video is … Instagram. The photo sharing app added video capabilities yesterday.
So now the app that lets us take our sub-par photos and make them look like they were shot in the most perfect of early-morning light lets us take our bad videos and make them look like … well, still bad video.
With that in mind, here are six tips to shooting better Instagram videos.
1. Shoot wide, medium and close-up. Most of us tend to shoot medium shots (that focus on the main subject), and we don’t get shots that show us the the full scene (wide) and that give us essential details (close-up). Be sure to include all three.
2. Keep it steady. You probably don’t have a tripod for your phone, but bracing your phone or your body against something (a wall, a post, the ground) will help reduce the shakes.
3. No panning, tilting and zooming. Hold your shot steady and let the action take place inside the frame. No need to complicate things (and nauseate your views) by adding your own movement.
4. Set up your shots. Take a minute to make sure the light is good (no odd shadows), the location is interesting and there aren’t any distractions (telephone poles sticking out of someone’s head) in your shot before you hit record.
5. Obey the rule of thirds. Putting your subject off-center in your frame creates tension and makes for a more visually-interesting shot.
6. Tell a story. Remember video is about telling stories. Make sure your story has a strong beginning, a middle and a payoff at the end. If you can’t answer the question, “What is the story you’re going to tell?” then maybe you should just take a photo. And apply one of those cool filters.