Still, a lot of that work looks pretty different compared to a year ago. Video production has been fundamentally changed by the pandemic in important ways. Here are the five changes that will shape the future of video production.

The Experience on the Ground

To better understand these trends, we spoke to Cara Yeates, current partner and Head of Production at Trigger Creative, a video production studio. She joined Nick LaClair, Creative Director at SproutVideo, for a round of mezcalitas in the second episode of our Cheers series, where we celebrate important people and topics in the video industry.

Cara has been working on video shoots as a producer during the pandemic, and is responsible for keeping her crew healthy and safe. Watch below to hear what she has to say about the important safety guidelines to follow on set, and what the future holds for video production.

Keep reading for the top five takeaways from Cara’s experiences on set.

1. Health and Safety First

Health and safety on set has been an ongoing issue in the film industry for a long time. From unending shoot days with heavy gear, to dangerous stunts, there are many risks for those behind and in front of the camera.

In some ways, the film industry was primed to adapt to this challenge, despite its reliance on large groups of people and events. Between union and guild guidelines, and the protocols for stars and high-powered subjects on set, many working in film are accustomed to highly regimented procedures. Granted, this is a whole other level of complexity, but prior experience carefully following important regulations certainly helps in times like these.

The pandemic pushed the health and wellbeing of cast and crew members to the forefront. New guidelines from different guilds and organizations have codified those practices and helped productions of all sizes to be safer for everyone involved.

Those new habits won’t necessarily go away as the pandemic ebbs. After all, a shoot can be derailed by illness, even if it’s not during a pandemic. And, some of the practices are helpful for more general well-being, like limiting a shoot day to ten hours.

There has been a problem in the film industry with overworking people… I think it’s really a safety issue. Properly scheduling your day for 10 hours of shooting is going to keep everyone safe and on track in the long term.

– Cara Yeates, Trigger Creative

Granted, we don’t expect most productions to maintain rigorous testing and on-set medics if they aren’t warranted. Still, if the past year has taught us anything, it’s that safety has to come first if you want to be able to do anything else.

2. Hybrid and Online Events

As work has picked up again for the video industry, much of the productions pertain to replacing or extending live events that would typically be held in person. While we’re eagerly anticipating a return to in-person events of all shapes and sizes, online-only or hybrid events are going to stick around for the long term.

Why? Because the pandemic has shown that they work for many types of events and gatherings. In some cases, they even offer distinct advantages. Just because in-person events will become possible again doesn’t mean they’ll obviate the need for an online component, or always be the best solution.

For example, large concerts, conferences, and festivals have been live streamed for years. After a crash course in how to do that over the past year, smaller events that would not have bothered before now have the capabilities and equipment to do so.

Importantly, consumer expectations have shifted. If you can’t attend in person, there’s the assumption that you’ll be able to attend virtually. In turn, that will drive how events are designed and marketed. This, more than anything, will keep the online and hybrid event model around for the foreseeable future.

3. Leaner Productions

Part of being able to produce video during the pandemic has meant doing more with less. After all, having fewer crew members on set reduces the risk of transmission and helps keep everyone safe.

There is every reason to think that we will happily bring back certain roles and team sizes when necessary. However, the reality is that after a year of doing without, many crew members and talent have learned new skills that reduce the need for additional team members.

For example, at SproutVideo, members of our marketing team learned how to set up our own DSLR camera kits and film ourselves so we could keep producing video while working remotely. Before, we would have relied on our in-house video team to handle the setup and filming in our office studio.

While we’re greatly looking forward to getting back to the studio, we can now be more nimble, and produce more video no matter where we’re located. If you’re setting up or expanding your own home studio, check out our guide to the video studio upgrades that are worth your while.

Many teams have made similar investments, and learned new skills that won’t go away when the pandemic does. We expect many will continue to produce more video with less, while welcoming back the extra helping hands when and where it makes sense.

4. Production Partners

Pre-pandemic, most production studios would typically handle all shoots for a project, even in far-flung locations. Today, with travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, shoots on location have only been possible with the help of local film crews on the ground.

In many cases, these partnerships have been so successful that studios expect to continue working in this manner going forward. After all, the partnerships offer several benefits. For instance, there’s the cost savings in terms of time and money on travel, and the local expertise for scouting, logistics, and regulations.

I was nervous at first because you’re really putting your baby in someone else’s arms, but I’ve found really amazing, passionate filmmakers all over the world to work with.

– Cara Yeates, Trigger Creative

With new connections, and the technology to make it possible, production partners expand the scope of what studios can achieve. Importantly, they also save time and money. For those reasons, we think production partnerships are here to stay.

5. Remote Crew Members

After a full year of being forced to be remote, well, we’ve gotten pretty good at it. Now, it’s second nature to loop people in via video to participate in any aspect of video production.

It’s not just the partnerships with studios and film crews in different locations. It’s also the clients needing to approve shots, or the director of photography, or the team broadcasting the stream live. All you need is a live video feed, and anyone, anywhere, can contribute to the shoot.

Of course, there is a certain energy and excitement that comes with being on set. Nothing can ever truly replicate that or replace it. However, the efficiencies gained by this technology will ensure remote crew members remain the norm going forward. It just might not be the entire crew.

What trends do you see emerging from the pandemic as video production resumes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The New Normal for Video Production appeared first on SproutVideo.

In a fifty-year film career, Hitchcock pioneered a number of visual effects that profoundly influenced filmmaking. Often called “the Master of Suspense,” he had a signature style of storytelling, characterized by unique camera angles and movements that engaged the emotions of the audience.

For example, one of the most famous of these was the “vertigo effect,” invented for the 1958 film of the same name. It’s achieved by simultaneously zooming in and pulling the camera away from the subject. Below, we take a look at a few more of Hitchcock’s iconic shots, including what makes them interesting and how they might work in your videos.

1. The High-Angle Shot

One of Hitchcock’s most famous shots is the high-angle. For example, Hitchcock often placed cameras up high to get shots from the top of a staircase (as shown). He also used the rafters of a large room, or balconies.

The high-angle shot creates a sense of drama in a number of ways in Hitchcock films. It gives a full overview of a scene; provides a momentary objective view of a dialogue or an argument; shows a character as entrapped in a space or alone in a space; and reveals to viewers a danger that the main character can’t yet see.

In your videos, the high-angle can accomplish something similar by providing a scene-establishing shot of the place where the action is happening. It can also be used to show action “in the heat of the moment” from a high viewpoint. This would work particularly well for design processes, organizational problem-solving, or any other scene with lots of activity and visual appeal.

Image credit: Shadow of a Doubt, 1943

2. The Extreme Close-Up

Hitchcock used the extreme close-up shot to communicate a visceral sense of a subject’s emotional state, with a certain intimacy that’s always slightly uncomfortable — for example, in the famous shower scene from Psycho (above).

For your videos, close-ups can work to integrate emotion (though of a different kind, we hope) into standard interviews or monologues by video subjects. Alternating close-ups of a speaker’s hands, eyes or mouth, for example, can make the viewer feel closer to the speaker — literally and figuratively — while communicating the speaker’s underlying emotion about what he or she is saying. This would work well in videos that engage elements of passion, inspiration, or motivation.

Image Credit: Psycho, 1960

3. The Circular Shot

Hitchcock is also known for his use of a circular shot that literally pans around the bodies of the actors. He often used this to feature leading ladies or actors involved in a romantic moment. This type of shot creates a particular kind of relationship with the characters. It usually feels very personal and revealing.

The circular shot is a powerful one. It would be an effective way to showcase a beautiful product, or to reveal the mastery of creatives, company leaders, or presenters at work. This shot is best used to express key climactic moments of a video’s narrative — it’s not to be taken lightly!

Image credit: Notorious, 1946. Wikipedia.org

4. Reflection Shot

Made famous by Strangers on a Train (1951), the reflection shot is one that is trademark Hitchcock. This shot uses a reflection – in glass, a mirror, and water — to show the story through a different lens. For Hitchcock, this was a way to “show without showing,” – diverting ever so slightly from the horror at hand to give a momentarily distanced view.

For your videos, you can try using a reflective shot to give a similarly voyeuristic or distanced view of conversations, meetings, interactions with clients, etc. This type of shot serves to displace the viewer from the action.

Since it puts them in a more analytical, outsider position, it can also be used to break tension in an emotional moment. For example, a great use would be as an alternating shot during an interview.

Image credit: Strangers on a Train, 1951

This has been, of course, only a small window into the fascinating world of Hitchcock’s cinematography. We’d love to get your input if you’re as much of a fan of Hitchcock as we are.

If you have a visual moment from Hitchcock you want to add to our list, share away! Please leave it in the comments below or tweet to us.

The post Hello, Hitchcock: Replicating Angles to Enhance Your Videos appeared first on SproutVideo.

A little trilogy named ‘Lord of the Rings’ is full of these clever techniques. Peter Jackson thoughtfully made use of camera angles to skew the audience’s perspective, making Gandalf tower above Hobbits. Here are some classic examples to get you on the path towards camera wizardry.

The Low Angle Shot

Low angle shots are powerful storytelling tools. This shot is meant to give the subject power or height by making the audience feel like they are looking up at a character from below. These shots make characters feel psychologically dominating, making the audience feel small, vulnerable, powerless in a scene, insecure, or even confused. Use low angles to garner empathy for perilous situations.

More subdued low angle shots are often used to make actors appear taller than they really are. Ever wonder why some actors seem shorter in real life? Similarly a low angle can make your audience feel immature, after taking on a toddler or pet’s point-of-view. These shots can also convey speed. Shooting a moving car from the ground up will make it appear to be whizzing by.

This classic scene from Citizen Kane demonstrates how the effect can be used to heighten the confrontation between Kane and Leland after his election loss. Fun fact: Welles crew dug holes in the floor of the set to capture some of the ultra-low angles used in the film (we won’t ask you to do that).

The High Angle Shot

High angle shots are just as impactful. This shot takes away power from a subject, making them part of a wider picture. High angles convey that a subject is weak, powerless, harmless, apathetic, short, vulnerable, or even juvenile. Like low angles, high angles are used by directors to gain empathy for or show the perspective of a particular character. Heroes up against their nemesis are shot from a high angle to demonstrate the insurmountable odds that are stacked against them. High angle shots also make actors look more diminutive.

One of the most famous high angle shots in film history is this scene from Psycho. Hitchcock makes Marion seem even more vulnerable to Norman Bates. Combining high and low angles, like Hitchcock, is a powerful way to show the power or age differences between two characters. This Scrubs example might be one of the best demonstrations of both effects in action.

High and Low How-to’s

You don’t have to climb a tree or get down and dirty to get these shots. All you need is an adjustable tripod. Simply lower or raise your tripod so that that your camera angle is above or below your subject. Before you start filming, do some test runs to figure out the best angle and frame for your shot. If you don’t have a tripod, you can still get the same effect by tilting your camera up or down as you film. Again, do some practice runs to make sure you’re getting enough drama from your angle.

The Dutch Tilt

Ah, the Dutch tilt. Also called the canted angle, this easy camera trick is a way to instantly make your audience feel uncomfortable. Ever watch Battlefield Earth? If you answered yes, you know what we’re talking about. By leaning the camera sideways, directors make their audience literally feel unbalanced, resulting in disorientation, psychological uneasiness, and tension. The effect is often used to simulate madness and evoke feelings of alienation from the audience. Originally called the “Deutsch” angle, the effect was used in early German cinema and was characterized by angling the horizon instead of placing it on a horizontal plane.

Dutch angles can be hard to visualize. The effect is used frequently in Slum Dog Millionaire to heighten tension and churn the audience’s emotions.

Dutch Tilt How-To

Theoretically, this trick seems, well, tricky. In reality, all you need is a tripod. Simply place your camera on the tripod head and rotate 90 degrees from its normal, resting position using the pan handle. As with the high and low angles, test your shot out a few times before you start filming to make sure you’re getting the desired effect.

Want more challenging hacks? Here are a few bonus tricks that require a bit more ingenuity than angling your camera.

The Bird’s Eye View

A bird’s eye view captures a scene from directly overhead. Make familiar objects seem unfamiliar or demonstrate the scale of a character to their landscape. The shot is also known as a ‘God’s Eye View’ shot, because it seems to give the audience omniscient awareness, looking down on the action of a scene.

This may be the most literal example we could find. We do not endorse trying this at home. Ever.

Mastering the bird’s eye view can take some finesse. You DO need to be above the subjects of your shot for this one. If you don’t have a crew or a handy friend to help you build a rig, plan your shot out. Find locations with bridges or high walkways and use some caution and good judgement.

The DashCam

Have the need for speed? Grab your trusty dashcam. Dashcams are easy ways to get shots on the go or to infuse a bit of action into your video. Dashcams can make an audience feel like they’re traveling at high speeds, or like a passenger, along for a ride in a scene. Their grainy footage can make it appear as though one of your characters took the footage themselves.

Dashcams can start at upwards of $50, but all you really need is a smartphone and a dash mount. Free apps like Daily Roads Voyager record as you drive, capturing everything, but allowing you to navigate through footage to save the most interesting or relevant files. A background clean-up process automatically deletes old or irrelevant footage, ensuring your SD card doesn’t fill up.

Have other interesting effects or tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!

If you’ve mastered your camera angles, and have a video ready to share, open a free 30 day trial and get started right away.

The post Camera Wizardry: Getting the Best Angle appeared first on SproutVideo.