How can you explore different genres and formats in video production?

1 Know your genre

Before you start filming, you need to have a clear idea of what genre you want to work with. A genre is a category of video that has certain conventions, expectations, and themes. For example, a documentary is a genre that usually involves factual information, interviews, narration, and a realistic tone. A comedy is a genre that aims to make the audience laugh, using jokes, irony, satire, or absurdity. A horror is a genre that creates fear, suspense, and shock, using elements like darkness, violence, monsters, or gore. Each genre has its own rules and codes that you need to follow or break to create an effective video.

2 Choose your format

Once you have decided on your genre, you need to choose a format for your video . A format is a way of organizing and presenting your video content, such as length, structure, style, and platform. For example, a short film is a format that typically lasts between 5 and 40 minutes, has a narrative arc, a cinematic style, and is shown on film festivals or online platforms. A web series is a format that consists of multiple episodes, has a serialized or episodic structure, a casual or experimental style, and is distributed on websites or social media. A music video is a format that showcases a song, has a visual or lyrical theme, a dynamic or artistic style, and is broadcasted on TV or online channels. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages that you need to consider for your video production.

3 Experiment with techniques

After you have chosen your genre and format, you can experiment with different techniques to enhance your video production. Techniques are methods or tools that you use to create and edit your video, such as camera angles, lighting, sound, transitions, effects, and color grading. For example, you can use a low-angle shot to make your character look powerful or intimidating, a high-key lighting to create a bright or cheerful mood, a diegetic sound to add realism or immersion, a fade-out transition to indicate the end of a scene or a passage of time, a slow-motion effect to emphasize an action or emotion, or a sepia tone to evoke a sense of nostalgia or history. Each technique has its own impact and meaning that you need to balance and match with your genre and format.

4 Learn from examples

One of the best ways to explore different genres and formats in video production is to learn from examples. You can watch and analyze videos that belong to the genre and format that you want to work with, and see how they use techniques to create their desired effect. You can also watch and compare videos that use different genres and formats to achieve similar or contrasting goals, and see how they differ in their approach and outcome. You can also watch and critique videos that mix or challenge genres and formats, and see how they innovate or subvert the conventions and expectations. By learning from examples, you can gain inspiration, insight, and feedback for your own video production.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?