5 High Quality Video Shooting Tips Every Filmmaker Should Try in 2024

The production of quality video has evolved significantly over the past several years and the fact that video is now one of the most widely valued forms of content online has caused even more businesses and brands to seek ways to produce quality video. As such, the days of videotaping with little focus on the end result are over. While today’s devices include cameras, it takes more than just a camera to produce high quality video. These video shooting tips are a mix between intelligent, effective, and adaptable for use both on location and in the studio. We think every filmmaker could benefit from trying out these video shooting tips in 2024.

At Beverly Boy Productions, shooting videos is something we do daily, with businesses and brands large and small, but providing tips directly from the set is something we rarely get a chance to participate in. We’re excited to share these video shooting tips with you!

1. Focus On Composition & the Rule of Thirds

The composition of your film is important and it’s also something that you happen to have the most control over. So before you shoot video, you should be thinking closely about the composition of your video and here’s what we think is most important:

• Framing your subject in a unique manner.
• Following the rule of thirds, placing your subject in the left, right, upper or lower third of your frame.
• Ensuring the background is clean and uncluttered. 
• Ensuring a shallow depth of field if the background is busy.
• Filling the frame with your subject by zooming in on your subject.

2. Utilize Patterns & Elemental Lines

There are always video shooting tips that focus on things like the use of specific objects in your footage to draw attention to the viewer’s eyes.

For this particular tip, we believe it’s important to use pattern and elemental lines as a means of drawing your viewer in. The patterns that you utilize in your footage can be anything from a bridge or fence to a trail, power line, or other stable source. 

3. Shoot During Golden Hour

There are literally hundreds of different posts and articles that discuss the use of Golden Hour lighting to capture the best shots, you can find some of those posts on Beverly Boy Productions and other sites.

However, these video shooting tips are not going to focus totally on golden hour shots but on the use of light.

You’ve got certain times of day when the lighting is just right, and then there are times where you really have to use your training and your equipment to make the lighting worthwhile for a shot.

When Golden Hour lighting is not on your side, consider the following:

• Use reflectors and light diffusion to filter the light and produce shadows.
• Incorporate the use of color gels to mimic golden hour hues.
• Use the light you’ve got, or lose it.

4. Move the Camera

The best thing you can do when shooting video is to get maximum use out of your camera. Move your camera to add a level of drama and emotion to the footage that you capture.

If you’re using a tripod to shoot, you certainly have limitations on the ability to move your camera, but that hardly means you can’t move it at all – consider the use of slider shots, dolly shots and other uses of camera movement to improve your footage.

To maximize your camera movements, consider the following:

• Use pan, tilt and zoom to add focus on your subject.
• Consider how your camera movements impact the visual representation of your subject and make sure they align.
• Tilt the camera to pull the subject into the frame when it’s otherwise too large to do so.

5. Take Time to Review & Reshoot

Of all the video shooting tips that we could provide, this is by far the most valuable and the most widely skipped — it’s immediately reviewing your footage and setting up to reshoot while your set and lighting and everything you need is in place.

Taking time to reshoot while you can is important. You are your greatest critic. This is your chance to take steps to review your footage before post and to save yourself time later on.