A Video About Shooting Demo Reels Followed By an Article on How Not to Shoot Video for Demo Reels... π
I shot this video to teach about Speaker Demo Reels and hawk my wares.
When I went to trim it, I noticed several things about this video. I thought about NOT posting it because of what I saw. However, I realized there's some valuable lessons in how much the details matter when you are shooting video.
I shot this with a Logitech Brio 4k computer camera, and a Samsung Q2U microphone. I shoot in my bedroom because there are two large windows and the natural light works best. (I do have lights, but I prefer natural if I can use it. Plus, setting up the lights to get them right is such a pain in the rear and I don't want to do it every time I shoot.)
I recorded this on Zoom because I have a pro level account through the National Speaker's Association and it's easy to use.
The video is 10 minutes long and there is a HUGE shift in the lighting. It starts in the bottom corner and you will see the sunlight grow into a big bright spot. Most of the day the sun is behind my house so there is not strong light coming in therefore the natural light is stable. I happened to shoot RIGHT when the direct light starts coming in during the late afternoon.
What happens through the lighting shift in this video is the camera has problems refocusing and doing automatic lighting adjustments.
This is why on a real commercial or film set, shooting is heavily dictated by the lighting. You have to hurry through certain scenes, because if you take too long you'll, "lose the lighting." It's also why a lot of things are shot in a "controlled" setting, meaning no windows or natural lights of any kind in a studio.
(BTW that's one of the benefits of the studio we're shooting the demo reels in. It's a closed set. No windows.)
The other thing about the video is my posture and framing.
When I present live virtual Keynotes, I always stand. However, with this, I had shot some other videos and was being lazy so I brought a stool in and sat. I have dealt with a chronic infection in my hip so it often hurts. I had raised that leg just slightly and rested on the stool.
Because of it, My whole body is crooked. The thing with camera, is that it was JUST BARELY crooked, but the tiniest things on camera become HUGE. If you had been in the room with me, you would not have noticed because the body position was so slight, nor the light shifting.
Acting is just like speaking, in that no matter how much you do or train or "know", you can ALWAYS be better. Always.
Well....this wasn't the lesson I was planning on sharing, but you get a 2 for 1. The video about demo reels, PLUS, (bonus offer), how not shoot a video about demo reels. π
Here is a link to the specific Demo Reel info: https://www.boringtosoaringspeeches.com/demo-reel-experience-workshop
Kindly, Stacy P.
