BASICS OF VIDEO PRODUCTION Camille Andrews, Matt Ryan &
Jimmy McKee
GUIDES.LIBRARY.CORNELL.EDU/VIDEO Mann Library
BASICS Cornell University
PRE-PRODUCTION
Project Planning
Script
Storyboarding
PRE-PRODUCTION COURSE FROM YOUTUBE CREATOR ACADEMY
3 ACT STRUCTURE
From a simple outline or interview questions to fully formatted screenplay, you need to know what happens in your video
& make people care using your knowledge of your purpose & audience & story techniques like the basic three act
STORYBOARDING WILL HELP
YOU…
Save time
Communicate your vision
Film more efficiently
Edit more effectively
INCLUDE IN YOUR
STORYBOARDS
Shot sizes
Shot angles
Camera movement
Voiceovers
Google storyboard template or use
software like StoryboardThat or Storyboard
Fountain (free); or Canva, Storyboard Pro,
Boords, or Plot (free tier or trial)
SHOT SIZES AND
ANGLES EXERCISE
WIDE SHOT
127 Hours (2010)
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Seinfeld
Seinfeld (1989)
MEDIUM SHOT
The Big Lebowski (1998)
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP
Inception (2010)
CLOSE UP
Alien3 (1992)
CUTAWAY SHOT
Downfall (2004)
EXTREME CLOSE UP
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
POINT OF VIEW
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
EYE LEVEL
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
LOW ANGLE
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
HIGH ANGLE
The Avengers(2012)
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Good Will Hunting (1997)
STATI
C PAN TI ZO
LT OM
The camera The camera moves from The camera moves up or The camera stays still, and,
does not one side to the other. down by adjusting the lens, the
move. picture zooms in and out.
TRACKING
The camera follows motion by either panning, tilting, or
trucking (physically moving the entire camera along with
the action).
180° RULE
Correct
Incorrect
RECORDING ON ZOOM
VERTICAL VS. HORIZONTAL
Wrong Right!
USING A TRIPOD
Example without tripod Example with tripod
FOCUS
COMPOSITION
RULE OF THIRDS
LEAD ROOM
Wrong Better… Right!
HEAD ROOM
Wrong Better… Right!
LIGHTING
3 POINT LIGHTING
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Backlighting Low lighting, high contrast
AUDIO
AUDIO QUALITY
If you have to, choose good audio over good video.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
WHEN SHOOTING:
Remember all the usual public health guidelines still apply!
Make sure your battery is charged and you have enough space on your
internal memory or SD card before going to record (and bring spares).
If you’re borrowing one of our video cameras, familiarize yourself with how
to operate the camera and change the settings. Test it before the day of the
shoot!
Shoot more than you think you’ll need & at least 10 seconds per shot.
Review your footage BEFORE leaving the location.
OTHER RESOURCES
See this list for much more: http://guides.library.harvard.edu/Finding_Images
COPYRIGHT CONCERNS
http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/
(including the Fair Use Checklist:
http://copyright.cornell.edu/policies/doc
s/Fair_Use_Checklist.pdf
)
UNDERSTANDING FAIR USE
Four factors to consider:
1. The purpose and character of the use –
is it transformative?
2. The nature of the copyrighted work – is
it factual? creative?
3. The amount and substantiality of the
portion used – have you used more
than necessary?
4. The effect of the use on the market of
the original – does your use impinge on
the market for the work?
Use the fair use checklist and check out the
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Onli
