Messing up on Camera

Filming yourself can be nerve-wracking at the best of times. It may help ease some nerves to know this: it’s good to mess up. This may sound like bad advice, but being comfortable with getting things wrong will help you practise more and get your message across in a way that’s more natural to you. You’re unlikely to get it right first time, but it’ll come, so give yourself a break!

There are a few aspects of production and post-production that create an environment perfect for messing up; a safety net, if you will. They’re really handy to understand, so here goes:

Editing

What you upload isn’t necessarily what you’ll see in a final video. Once you’ve submitted your clips, a load of magic can happen. This is just some of that magic:

• Cutting clips by taking the best or most relevant bits of what you film.
• The jump cut, which is basically an abrupt transition from one clip to another. This works particularly well when cutting between bits of the same shot and subject, to give the effect of skipping slightly forward in time. This means that an editor can sew all your best bits into a sequence so you don’t have to!
• The addition of music adds emotion and momentum to video. Good to know you’re not alone.
• Don’t forget the other video clips that might be combined with yours to form a rounded message or narrative.
• Effect and context will be added through text, title slides, animations, and rhythm.

Watch this video. Which of the above can you spot?

See, there is so much that can enhance what you film!

*Note that editing can’t fix everything, so it’s advisable to consider what you’re filming to some extent!

All the Time in the World

Okay, so you don’t have all the time in the world. However, if you check the time limit on the top-right of the Seenit App camera, you’ll probably find that you have enough time to give what you’re saying a few tries before uploading. This can help you analyse and improve as you go, and gives the editor a few options to work with.

When giving multiple takes, remember the almighty pause. Between takes, take a deep breath, look at the camera, and start over. This makes it easier to cut when editing.

Um’s and ah’s are a natural part of speech, especially when you’re a little nervous. If you find yourself using these between sentences, just try to slow down and pause before you start speaking again. This will allow for cleaner cutting of clips.

Again, just relax and use the time that’s there. If you’re not happy, have another go! It may take a few tries.

Outtakes are so in right now

Everybody loves a blooper reel, right? We all mess up on camera, and those moments can be some of the most relatable and enjoyable to watch. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and to upload those mistakes - they’re gold!

So you see, messing up is very much a part of the process of filming great footage. With that in mind, go forth and embrace your errors - never be afraid to mess up!

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