How do you keep your videography skills sharp?

Watch *everything twice. When you find yourself watching something that really resonates with you. Take time and enjoy the moment and then rewatch and try to identify what resonated most with you. Was it the editing or the shots? Was it the interplay between audio and shot composition? Think about how the moment was created and if you can replicate it. Studying the content you consume allows you to create a mental (or you can write it down) catalog of techniques to pull from when you're in the field.

Nothing like trying to duplicate the video that you watch! It allows you to create and practice an editing style. So watch it, learn from it and recreate it!

Continuous practice and educating yourself.. Not just practicing with your equipment. But also, training your eyes to see the perfect shot!!! Always be a student, there's always something to learn. :)

You have to regularly use your equipment–go out and shoot for fun as often as you can. Keep it a hobby as well as your profession. And as often as you can, try to learn something new–a new feature, a new technique, changes/additions to your kit that come via firmware updates, etc.

One of the ways I've sharpened my videography skills is to step away from videography altogether and look for inspiration from other art forms and influences. A painting class or a music or literary course can profoundly impact your approach to videography and help you develop creative innovations for your craft. Also, study different genres from various filmmakers to explore how you can incorporate their techniques in your work. For instance, can any methods used to build tension in a horror film be applied to a fashion shoot? How could you translate the energy of a music video into a documentary format? In that way, you can find new tools for your toolbox that will feel dynamic, fresh, and innovative when applied in new ways.

Whenever I buy new equipment, one of the first things I like doing is taking it out for a no pressure test run. I’m lucky to have a number of walking paths near me that have natural elements like waterfalls, traffic, plenty of sun and shade as well as animals that I can experiment filming to try out various equipment and camera settings. Testing out various lenses on new cameras, seeing their sharpness at different ISOs and F Stops, auto tracking functions as well as how easy they work in real time on a gimbal is one of the best examples I can share from real time experiences.

Visualize different situations and different subjects… That you might want to video… Then working with the equipment that you have., then try shooting a video with your chosen equipment… And note the results. Then go back and re-shoot the same situation… After editing with different equipment and Settings and noting the results You will learn new things… When you try new and different things…

?? To keep your videography skills on the cutting edge, transform your toolkit into a playground! Experiment with different cameras, lenses, drones, and even mobile devices to see how each affects your footage. Don't stop at hardware—dive into the settings too. Tweak ISO, aperture, and shutter speed in various environments to see their impact on light and motion blur. Mix it up with manual focus to challenge your precision or play with white balance to alter mood. Each piece of equipment and every setting adjustment is a new lesson—embrace them all to keep your skills not just sharp, but evolving.

Staying sharp in videography is an ongoing journey of learning and experimenting. I’m always diving into the latest trends and techniques to keep my work fresh and innovative. Regular shooting, whether for professional assignments or personal projects, is essential. It not only hones my technical skills but also sharpens my creative eye. Collaboration is another key aspect working with others, sharing ideas, and getting feedback brings new perspectives and challenges, which is invaluable for growth. I also make it a point to critically analyze my past work, as it helps in understanding my growth areas and reinforces what works well.

A great way to test out different equipment and settings is to go spec work. If you have a friend who owns a business or wants to further their brand, offer a free video so there's no pressure. It is a win-win situation.

The best way to add to your skill set is shooting every day. Focus on lighting and high quality audio. Using headphones to make sure the audio is consistent with no extra noise.

If you ask me panning and tilting your camera on a tripod is an underrated skill! Camera-people will know what I am talking about. Looks really easy, but it needs a lot of practice to get it just right. So take your time and practice! It's a basic skill, but you can build on that later on.

Constantly shoot videos to refine your skills and experiment with different techniques. Then get a idea of new techniques and thought’s and we can improvise our skills

Gonna blow your mind – the more you shoot, the better you get. It’s like that 10,000 hours rule from Gladwell. Want to level up your shooting? You’ve got to shoot a lot, take any job you can get, shoot on weekends. But hold up, get those basic skills down before you jump into the deep end. It’s like Daniel LaRusso painting fences – you must start with a solid foundation. Wide/Medium/Tight, again and again. Keep the camera steady. If you’re moving it, make it count. Show us something we haven’t seen. Zoom with your feet, not the lens. And the light? It’s all about working with what you’ve got. Finally, roll with purpose, edit in camera, act like you’re shooting 35mm where every second counts. Just keep shooting and have fun. It’s a fun job.

Practicing is extremely vital in any field, especially in videography. It doesn't matter how much you plan on paper or do shot division, without much practice the results will always be unsatisfactory. The more you practice your shots with different equipments, the more you will know about the feasibility of your planned shot with the given equipment. If you plan to take a shot with gimbal or shoulder rig, without practicing, it's hard to calculate the feasibility, the movement required or the shake which you will get. After practicing you will know which equipment will be perfect for the shot etc.

Even if you've been in the field for 20 years, you still need feedback! I'm a big believer in input from others. Never copyedit your own work, you're likely to miss something. Same goes for video. Always run your work by a trusted colleague or professional in the field, because you might be missing something that could bring your work to a whole new level.

Working with others, be it partners, mentors, or even clients, is a learning experience. Collaboration pushes you out of your comfort zone, merging different styles and ideas, and leading to unique and creative outcomes.

Two minds are greater than one, and three are better than two.. you get my point! Doesn't matter how skilled you are, a constructive feedback, or just a fresh eyes looking in to your project will always help you to see maybe your video from different angle or perspective. So collaborate, dont be afraid of critique, its the only way to improve!

Feedback is an invaluable tool, and it’s free. Collaborate with your team and clients and really listen to their feedback. Gather opinions from your creative peers as well as friends and family. Seek honesty. The pieces of feedback that you may be uncomfortable with are often times your most important notes. At the end of the day, you’re creating content for others to enjoy. Make sure they enjoy it.

Always get feedback from your other fellow videographers. It's how you've become better and more improvement. Even we ourselves can be too critical with our projects. Having a feedback from others can give you more insightful of how it can be better or how you can view their own version of the project.

I suggest that videographers adopt a platform-agnostic philosophy and embrace the challenges that arise from new platforms. I still meet people who react with scorn when they hear that I make TikTok content, and while I understand where these knee-jerk reactions are coming from—jadedness about the social media landscape plus the national security concerns about TikTok specifically—I think it's misguided. I've personally enjoyed the fact that there's less emphasis on exquisite production value, and more emphasis on the substance of the video. I still produce lots of projects that require high end cinema cameras and lighting and all that, but it's nice to be able to set that aside and shift focus to different creative challenges.

One good measure of growth is to look at your earliest work and it doesn’t make you cringe, at least a little bit, then you are not growing. If you are really developing skills and getting better at your craft, your early work should scare you!

Getting feedback from other professionals is a great way to learn the industry standards and maybe learn a new technique. Remember feedback can also be subjective and not let it discourage you.

Watching webinars, taking courses staying on top and practicing the latest techniques and, doing simple projects on your own so you can add to your muscle memory.

I find immense value in YouTube tutorials by creators like Cinecom and Rob Ellis. Their insights unlock new techniques, enriching my skill set and amplifying my creative edge in the ever-evolving world of videography.

This is by far the best way of improving your skill set. Each video, I always try something slightly different, whether that be in colour grading, an animation, or even a style of B-roll. It’s great having a series of shots or editing techniques that work every time, but challenging yourself to try something new will end up with a much fresher end product, and keep the work exciting for you, the videographer.

Elevate your videography skills by embracing creative challenges that inject fun into process. Set prompts and engage in storytelling exercises to enhance your narrative abilities… Explore different genres and experiment with editing techniques. Test out the styles of your favorite filmmakers, document your progress, and collaborate with others to gain new perspectives. Most of all - don’t be afraid to create your own style and be totally yourself. Videographers are artists after-all.

Remember why you started making films or videos in the first place: it is magical and fun. When you experiment, you will inevitably create something you don’t like, but you will learn something about yourself and that is invaluable. Don’t let low budgets stifle your ideas. Figure out how to make your vision come to life by experimenting and bending your mind to come up with a way! It may not be the way you originally planned it, but limitations can sometimes force an idea you never would have come up with otherwise. As new technology emerges, experiment immediately! You don’t always have to have an elaborate vision, you can just play around and see what happens. Keep having fun!

Set yourself small goals to try and achieve, start with a small skill from each project you want to get better at and then in the long term you’ll see huge improvements! Just test and keep testing!

Early on in videography I had a mentor push me to do take after take until I got what he wanted, and I'll never forgot that moment. It taught me to not be satisfied with my weaknesses and limitations. It's exciting to learn something new in a profession you hopefully love. And the more tricks you have in your bag the more adaptable you are for most any situation or style.

Build psychology into your work. Once you know the equipment, the only way to get better is different techniques, ways of thinking and approaches to the content you are capturing.

Watch and read industry publications like American Cinematographer Magazine, CineD, No FIlm School, Filmmaker Magazine, VideoBrand, and VP Land

I once heard someone say, "Your client work will get you paid, but your personal work will get you noticed." This idea really resonated with me. Make sure you are delivering professional, polished, and easy-to-follow stories to your clients. Then have some fun and stretch your creative abilities with your personal work. In time you will learn new skills, refine your craft, and you might just attract a client that shares in your creative pursuits!

Esto es como todo deporte, cuando mas practiques mejor entrenado vas a estar, así que no importa como ni cuando o donde, tienes que ponerte a trabajar haciendo lo que sea, graba a tu perro, a tu abuela cocinando, o ponte a grabar las nubes cuando pasan, pero ponte a grabar y luego analiza lo que has hecho, se aprende de los errores mas que de los aciertos. Así que graba, graba y graba.

Having passion projects on the side can help keep your video skills sharp. Sometimes when working in the industry it can be hard to experiment, due to a lack of time in budgets. Taking the time to experiment, in a pressure-free environment, can be great for keeping your skills sharp and will also translate to the outputs you produce for clients.