It's NOT all about the Camera
John Keedwell
Your Copywriting Department - Award-Winning Book Author - Writer - Many years as a film and TV cinematographer - 71 countries - Over 3,700 interviews - BAFTA voting member
Video has been seen as out of reach as a medium by many people...until quite recently. The simple Smartphone in your pocket right now is a very capable tool to communicate extremely effectively. That is, as long as you know how to use it properly.
I'm often asked if I really think it's possible to create a brilliant quality video using only a smartphone?
My answer is always the same. Yes, you can. As long as you know how to get the best from the camera, and know the restrictions it places upon you then it's a good quality camera. If you learn how to use it the right way.
There is, in fact, a Bentley video I show people to prove the point. A complete short documentary was made using the iPhone 5S at the time, and at the end of the video it shows how it was produced, and the professional techniques used in making it happen.
I am not saying this is what you need to learn, simply the fact the camera is not the main limiting factor in making any video. The limiting factor is knowledge and expertise of the operators. This can all be learned, however. Nobody is ever born knowing how to operate a video camera! Take a look at the bottom of this article for the Bentley commercial link.
Driving a car
To drive a car you need to understand some elements about how a car works. On a simple level, it can be put fuel in the tank, turn the key, put it into gear and press the accelerator. Steer and brake as and when necessary. Turn off the engine and get out...
Clearly, that set of instructions above is unsatisfactory on anything other than on a very basic level. There are fundamental essential elements that been have left out if we were to drive safely on a regular basis. Factors such as handbrake, clutch biting point, use of lights, engine power bands, gears, indicators, mirror use, observation of the driver, awareness and experience of the driver, and even putting a seat belt on before you drive.
However, you don't need to know the full mechanical workings of the internal combustion engine, or how the tyres grip the surface, and how the brakes and suspension work to successfully drive a road car. If you are a racing driver it's extremely valuable, yet most of us are not racing drivers, and never will be. Nor do we aspire to be one. Looking at the steering wheel of an F1 car would be daunting to most people, to say the least.
Back to video and cameras. That is often the difficulty. Many people will not take a small investment of time to learn the techniques to learn how to make a better quality video. They have the ability to make their smartphone into a capable professional promotion tool, yet they simply don't bother. They don't know what they don't know.
Why that is a big mistake.
Some may feel a wobbly, jerky video with poor lighting, unflattering camera angles, bad framing, bad sound and uninspiring content is still acceptable, for some reason.
I will tell you here now, the days of "wobblyscope" videos used to promote your professional business are numbered. You now need to step up and elevate your brand above the crowd, and you can leave the others behind wondering what just happened.
The professionals
Professionals mainly use larger and more advanced cameras and equipment and will use different specialist techniques of course. I have personally invested in a reasonably expensive drone camera capable of shooting 4K video, along with a drone operators licence. Yes, there are less expensive ones available, ( and some are considerably more expensive), yet I felt a certain quality and functionality was important.
Often the professionals in film and TV will use their own techniques to make the video shoot go smoothly. It's quite often the situation has arisen before, and experience counts in the speed of implementation. For example, I have a tip for you using a simple matchbox that helps when interviewing that is worth hours of your time working it out for yourself! When you attend a course you will find out what it is!
I teach you the many secret techniques the video professionals use to make video look and sound great. This will elevate your video to a higher level and make your videos appeal to many more professional people.
Yet the modern smartphones are very capable cameras, and all the techniques you need to know can be all learned.
Speaking
Ah yes, speaking. We all do it daily, yet when a camera is pointing at you, do you feel nervous and shaky? You are not alone.
There are different techniques for keeping calm, remembering your script, and being entertaining and interesting. After more than 3,000 interviews with a wide variety of subjects as a TV cameraman, it was quite apparent even huge stars can often be nervous of the camera. Over time I developed my individual system to put people at ease, and this worked for everyone I worked with. The stars would often make a point to thank me afterwards for making it so easy for them.
I developed that knowledge more recently, and with a great deal more research and references from many areas, I developed my system of speaking to a camera. This is a unique method called the Epics M.O.V.I.E.S.T.A.R. System?. Whilst there are courses out there teaching stage speaking techniques and TV presenter techniques, there is nothing I know of that takes references from so many areas.
If this sounds interesting to you, please see below.
I have to say here and now this is not for everyone. If you think you can simply watch a video and then be an instant camera speaker this is not for you. It requires practice and taking the information and using it, and more practice. That is why I have the coaching side of the programme, we often need feedback and tasks to be set to get the best results.
There are different ways of accessing the information on my course. One way is an online course. The address is below. The preferable way is often through my coaching system, and that can be accessed from anywhere in the World.
I am only taking a limited amount of clients at the moment, as there is a lot of individual work involved in this method. If you feel you would like to know more please email me and we can schedule a chat, with no obligation at all.
By the way. I do not get a commission from Bentley if you wish to run out and buy one! If you have enough money to buy one then please get in touch with me, I can find many ways to help you spend it!
John Keedwell
Epics Academy Ltd.
Founder of the Speak To Camera System?
Founder of the M.O.V.I.E.S.T.A.R. System?
Email: [email protected]
Bentley iPhone 5S video