Video Technique: the Basic Five Shots

For anyone who just starts to shoot videos, follow the basic Five-shots sequence.

1. The Hand Close-Up:

Why: It tells the audience what the subject does.
How: Camera should be held right next to the hands. Hands take up most of the screen.
Difficulty: difficult to make sure that the hands fill the screen and the shots are close enough.
Pitfalls: Many hand shots are not close enough therefore do not turn out to be as engaging.


2. The Face Close-Up:
Why: It tells the audience who the subject is.
How: Camera should be held right in front of the face. The face should take up the whole screen.
Difficulty: This might be the most difficult shot in the five shots because the camera is right in the subject's face and might be uncomfortable for the subject.
Tips: Take the shots later in the interview after the subject is more relaxed and is used to someone holding a camera around him/her.

3. The Medium Shot:
Why: It gives the audience a sense of surroundings of the subject.
How: Shoot from head to torso.
Difficulty: Easy. These are one of the most common shots in raw material.
Tips: When framing such shots, make sure your subject is 1/3 to the left or right of the screen. Don't put the subject in the center of the screen for aesthetic reasons. If the subject is on the left 1/3, make sure that he/she looks to the right so that there is little dead space on the screen.

4. The Wide Shot:
Why: It gives the audience a larger sense of surroundings.
How: Shoot from head to toe.
Difficulty: Easy. Another very common shots in raw material. Normally, there will be enough medium to wide shots material. Make sure you don't have too many of those and too few of the close-ups.
Tips: Same frame structure as the medium shots. In order to get a good wide shot, communicate with the subject and know where the subject is going to move from and move to so that you could anticipate and take the ideal shooting spot before it takes place.

5. The Over-the-shoulder Shot/The Point-of-view Shot:
Why: It shows the perspectives from the subject towards the surroundings as if the audience experience what the subject is experiencing.
How: Camera held up against the subject's shoulder from behind, showing part of the subject's head and shoulder.
Difficulty: Easy.

Extra: The creative or the experimental shot:
Why: Add variety to raw material. Add personal style to the video.
How: free style
Difficulty: Varies depending on how creative the videographer is.
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