We all have a limited amount of time in a day, month, and year. There's only so much we can learn, develop, and create. Like many creators, you probably want to up the level of your creations in the fastest time so you can create better content; in other words, prioritize the skills that make the biggest difference. However, there's no "cheat code" to become a master.
Why I bring this up is that I don't have infinite time to create tutorials, lessons, and as this website is somewhat of a side-hobby I do in my free time, I'm doing it because I want to help you to be a better creator. If I could I would write an endless amount of articles tailored for every discipline that I am capable to teach. Over time, I'll be able to flush out this section of the website more so I can pass more knowledge onto you and other students. But for now, what are some of the skills most important to develop as you continue videography?
The top skills that I find advantageous to learn include:
Mastering Manual Settings
Audio
Lighting
Editing/Color Grading
Marketing
Over time, I'll be able to have more in-depth guides on these 5 areas, but if you want to continue adventuring and already finished all of the previous articles I've written, these are great starting points for further research.
Now, I've arranged these skills somewhat chronologically, in an order that will maximize the time put in to measurable quality increase. A trouble I see that many creators run into is that it can be easy to get lost into counting megapixels, ogling at the newest gear, and getting into extremely technical areas at the start. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong about this (I personally enjoy gadgets and cool tech), if your goal is for other people to look at your video and say, "damn, that's amazing," getting extremely technical may not be the way to initially achieve this. Once you have a strong foundation of skills, getting into more intricate things will have a greater difference.
Mastering Manual Settings
If you haven't already, feel free to visit the dedicated guide here
The first item in the list I put is the basic fundamentals that separates dedicated videographers to casual recording. By learning ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and other manual settings, you'll learn how to control the camera to get the look you want rather than just letting the camera's processing chip deciding itself what the picture should look like. If you want to learn how to get that nice blurred out background or shutter effect that movies use, these settings are the ones to master. Plus, if you end up working for a production studio or Hollywood, cinema cameras such as RED and ALEXA cameras often require the camera operator to set these manually, the camera won't handle these settings on its own. In this topic, I also recommend learning how to use manual focus, although this may not be initially necessary, if you have plans to get into big production studios, its a must. A full guide to these skills is linked here.
Audio
You don't need an expensive mic or studio to get good audio, placement and isolation is key!
The second item I put in the list is audio. I decided to put audio so high because I believe its absolutely essential for people to watch your video and not click away. While having somewhat questionable footage won't dismay your audience too much, having overblown or terrible audio is almost unbearable. It can be quite difficult knowing what microphone is the best for the situation. As a basic rule of thumb, try to get the microphone as close as you can to the audio source (obviously not too close though, don't be touching the mouth), and record 10 seconds before every clip so you can use the empty background audio in post to enhance the foreground audio. A lavalier is pretty versatile and doesn't require adroit skill to use, so it can be a cheap way to level up audio. (look for ones with a 3.5 mm jack if you are on the tightest of budgets; you can plug it into your phone)
Lighting
An example of the effect good lighting can have [credit: FTF]
Lighting is a great skill to learn to drastically change the look of interior, interview, and other shots where you can control the stage. Obviously, when creating on-the-street content, you won't have as much control over the stage, but most videos include some in-studio/interview shots. Learning key lights, background lights, and color gels can really give your shot a unique, professional look, even with just normal lamps that you already own. You don't need to buy $1000 lights to drastically change your look, a simple $10 reflector can do wonders, or just knowing which angle to point the camera in a room. Just make sure to lock the AWB (auto white balance) and exposure so the camera doesn't keep over-correcting. Plus, this is one of the things you have the greatest control over, because you don't need to buy a new expensive lens or camera.
Editing/Color Grading
LUTS and Color Grading leaves much room for creative expression
Editing and Color Grading is slightly lower on the list because they require a more tuned toolset and can be quite tricky; it takes a long time to make a significant oomph to your quality. Finding your creative style can take a long time. However, if you are interested in maximizing your footage, color grading can be the final cherry on top that really seals the deal. Color grading can even start before you record, making sure the color settings of the camera are what you want with color profiles, or with modes like SLOG. It can be pretty difficult to master color-grading, so if it takes you a long time, don't stress about it. All of the above tips will have a much bigger difference than this one, at least when you are starting out.
Marketing
Always wanted to use a RED camera with a production studio?
The final item on the list mainly pertains to students who want to pursue a career in filmmaking, make cash on the side, or create a social media empire. Marketing is probably the biggest thing you can do to advance these goals that I just mentioned. Even if your skills are lacking, marketing can get you in the door so you can master what you enjoy doing. Marketing is extremely hard, with college majors dedicated to this craft, and people earning millions out of giving advice to people. However, a decent place to start is to learn some basic graphic design (or get a friend who can use Photoshop) and have consistent branding. A website is a good thing to have too, as you can direct potential clients to a place to see your work, contact you, and host your portfolio. Even if your social media presence is lacking (my personal YouTube channel only has 800ish subscribers and few views) you can still get fulfillment and even make good money.
One of my personal life-hacks is to have an outstanding business card and have them on hand when out and about. Perhaps do one or two gigs for free as a volunteer service, such as for a charitable organization. Then, there's a good chance someone will ask you what you do, and you can give them a business card and tell them about how you can make videos (Plus, you'll have more on your portfolio & helped a good cause). Around 50% of the people I work with have been through word of mouth or business cards. Although the globe is vast, the filmmaking world can be smaller than you think; word of mouth can travel quite fast. Be confident, and know your skills and it'll turn out well.
I hope you found this article helpful, or at the very least enjoyable to read. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and I'll be sure to answer them.
Hopefully in the future, I'll be able to write guides covering all of these items that I have mentioned, so stay tuned and maybe they'll be a new lesson soon. But for now, congrats for making it so far and I hope you are successful in whatever you want to do!
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