The pandemic has brought life to a halt for several months now. To curb the spread of COVID-19, billions of people worldwide are locked down in their homes. As a result, days have become repetitive for many people as they do not have anything exciting to look forward to.
On the other hand, several others are using this opportunity to explore new skills or pursue their hobbies. If you are considering doing something exciting, then filming your quarantine life may be the right choice.
Not only will this be an excellent memory for you to look back at, but your videos might make the day for some lonely person looking for solace on the internet.
Having decided that you want to film your quarantine life, the next major step would know where to begin. Although it might look overwhelming at first sight, filming your life is very simple. Here is a detailed guide on the same.
Procuring the Instruments
Under the pandemic, you shouldn’t go out and shop for filming equipment. A simple mobile camera should suffice. The use of a microphone for improved audio quality is a good option. If that is not feasible, you will need to put in some extra efforts at editing to do away with unwanted background noise.
Working on the Basic Settings
Be familiar with your camera’s basic settings before you start recording your quarantine life. No one enjoys watching a video that has been shot at a wonky angle. To avoid this, add a grid to get the correct reference.
Holding the camera straight and the focus intact is another essential requirement. Turn on the build-in stabilization of your camera while recording. Use the IS only if your camera is going to be steady (placed on a still surface or a tripod) throughout the shoot.
Lighting
Unlike photographs, once shot, it is challenging to edit the lighting of a video and make the subject brighter. Even the best instagram video editor pc will not be of much help there. Moreover, poor lighting reduces the frame rate of the video, which leads to jerks in filming that cannot be done away with.
While filming your quarantine life, if you do not have access to a bright light source, try to substitute with multiple sources of illumination in the same direction. Remember that the usage of the camera’s flashlight must be minimized as much as possible.
Create a Cover Art
With hundreds of quarantine videos available at the click of a button, there is immense competition for viewership. An easy way of ensuring that you stay ahead in the competition would be by creating exciting cover art.
The cover of your video is often the basis of most people’s first impression of your video. When shared over social media, this is what catches the attention of people.
As you film your life under quarantine, it will be wise to devote your attention to creating an exciting cover. Several online tutorials can guide you through it. Alternatively, you can look for experienced freelancers, who will make you professional covers in exchange for money.
Plan your Content
While it is a good idea to start filming your quarantine life, clarifying what you want to show is essential. Sit down and chalk out the number of videos, topics to be spoken/ shown in each video, length of each video, and other such things.
Try to maintain a certain uniformity in terms of length and format to keep your viewers hooked. It is a good idea to have a teaser of the next episode as a part of every episode.
You don’t need to be the sole artist in all your quarantine videos. If you are living with your friends and family, you may involve them in some of your videos to keep the content engaging.
Hold the Camera Well
While filming your quarantine life (or anything else for that matter), always use the rear camera of your phone. This holds good irrespective of the phone you are using. Even if you are recording yourself, try to prop your phone against a wall for the best results.
Also, make it a practice to record your videos in landscape mode. Portrait mode recordings look good only as long as they are viewed on a mobile screen. Remember, the more effort you put in while filming, the lesser will be your editing woes.
Work on your Angles
When you decide to shoot your quarantine life, it is crucial to invest in identifying the best shooting angle. From taking a wide shot and then zooming up to the subject to shooting from an angle, there is a lot of room for experimentation.
While zooming on a subject, it is a good practice to opt for the manual approach. Here you shoot from a distance and pause. Walk up closer to the subject and resume. That way, you avoid digital zoom, which is one of the significant culprits of video quality degradation.
Avoid Editors with Watermarks
As a viewer, one loses interest in a video if that has a noticeable watermark. Hence, while editing your quarantine video, special care must be taken to ensure that you do not disappoint your viewers. Both iOS or MAC device users, need to do thorough research regarding which is the best free video editor without watermark.
If you use an editor with a watermark, the quality of the video reduces considerably, and the professional look of your video is also jeopardized. No famous video artist will ever make this mistake.
Do proper research on which editor works best for you as it will not be possible for you to keep changing video editors now and then. Find a reliable and cost-effective one so that it does not hamper your savings.
Conclusion
Like every other skill, shooting a video is something that comes best with practice. By filming your life, you will not just reach out to your viewers, but will also embark on a journey of self-learning. Putting your videos on the internet will help you find a new purpose in your quarantine life.