As time goes by, we can clearly see that video content is more engaging compared to any other kind, including photos and articles. But, not every company can afford to buy the expensive equipment, so they can shoot these videos by themselves. Also, they will need professional production software, so they can edit the content, and give it a final touch before it’s published on YouTube, social media channels, or the company’s website.
Some media companies, especially those who are covering the sports events, sometimes want to place their original videos together with the news and articles, but usually, they need an allowance to record the match. In order to get this document, they need to provide proof they have the needed equipment. But, as we said, it’s pretty expensive, and sometimes the journalists are using their smartphones or small digital cameras, so they can shoot some records, and then post-edit the content. Of course, you can’t expect a high-quality video, but sure it can be shared on the social media profiles since most of the people nowadays are using their smartphones to watch them.
Sports videos are usually harder to shoot because there are a lot of unpredictable movements, and everyday smartphones and cameras can’t really focus on the important things. That’s the moment when the professional productions and videographers as Toni Marino jump in, so they can help you capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments, and help you get the most of your videos.
But, if you are sure you want to do all of that by yourself, you need to follow some of these tips and tricks:
Contents
1. Get to know your camera’s properties and settings
Recording a video is not just pressing a button, and waiting for the shoot to end. You need to manipulate the features and settings your camera offers, know how to adjust the focus, and capture the moment that’s important to you. In most cases, you won’t be able to hold onto the rules and theoretical knowledge, and you need to follow your intuition. Who knows, maybe you will catch a better moment, than the one you planned first. Also, you need to practice, because no one can have the knowledge naturally. Maybe you will discover some talent you weren’t aware about.
2. Avoid zooming the objects
Most of the digital cameras offer multiple zooming, but we highly recommend you to avoid this option. It’s always better to be as much closer as you can to the objects and figures you are planning to record, instead of zooming. Probably, you already know all of this, but we need to anyway mention the fact that it makes the shoots pixelated, and that’s one of the things you don’t want in your videos.
3. Use tripods or Gimbals
Sports events are often messy, and you need something stable so you can avoid “motion sickness” shoots. If you have a stable tripod, you will be able to follow the game by yourself and write a detailed report about it, that will lead to creating exceptional content for your website or page. The Gimbal is useful if your hand moves because of the people around you, but you still need a focused and stable shoot.
4. Use sequences, not long shoots
In the end, all the material goes to editing, and if you take long shots, it will be more difficult for the person who needs to edit it to make a good product at the end. Our recommendation is to take shots from different angles, and of course, not to get frustrated if you miss some interesting moment. Some of the media companies also use a fixed digital camera to take long shots, and the camera person who is handling all of that can also take some interesting footages using their smartphones. You can consider this as a useful idea, and if you want, you can use the time-lapse, and slow-motion features, to create great content, that will gain more engagements on your website or social media page.
5. Think about the audio part
The voices of the audience, and the sounds the climate conditions are causing, may mess with the game sounds too. But, you should know that the audio part is also essential when you create the video, and you may need to use an additional microphone together with your smartphone or camera, so you can “catch” all the sounds that are important for the content. Also, you don’t need to get frustrated if it didn’t come out as planned. There are a lot of options, like voiceover, or removing all the noises with additional digital work, and then layering the clean audio file over the video. You don’t only need to be good at recording. Your creativity in these cases is maybe a more important skill because it can save even the worst shoots, and turn them into attractive and engaging content.
6. Use lightweight equipment
When you visit sports venues, you need to be aware that you will have to move from one point to another, so you can get a better shoot. The only exception is the professional televisions, who stream the match, and they need to use advanced equipment and gear so they can do that. But, when you are taking footages for short videos for YouTube or IGTV, you may need to capture the event from different angles, so you can get better vision at the end.
Today, everything is about creating great content that will be published on video platforms, social media, or websites. The good thing is that the technology is allowing us to use even our phones, or small digital camera, to produce exceptional shoots, that will help you engage a lot of likes, shares, and comments on your pages.
Many media companies already prefer videos for digital storytelling, and sports events are a great starting point to become good at that. You just need to learn how to use the camera, the options it offers, and to find a great post-production employee who will create this great video content for you.
