Steve Stockman's Blog, page 8
May 20, 2016
Story as a Magical Organizing Force
I have a brain that likes things logical, nicely ordered and in line. You follow the rules, you get the result. I can’t get my head around the order of shots, stories and putting it all together.
Once a week we go to the grandparents house for dinner. We have a niece and nephew, 4 and 1 respectively, that come over as well. It is a good time had by all and I want to capture the moments as they learn and grow. I just can’t figure out what the story is. I get that I should take short shots of what’s happening but when you put them all together, will it make sense?
I’m pretty sure I am just overthinking it, and should maybe just try it.
–Bryan
Yes, you are and you should. But to help you, let me give you a feather to hold in your trunk– oops, I mean a rule you can follow to improve your videos.
Story is a magical organizing force that pulls your video together and makes it more watchable. And you don’t have to do any writing or heavy thinking in advance to make it work. Because magical. Here’s your rule: next dinner, pick the first idea that comes to you and focus on that.
What’s interesting about, say, your nephew? For example, suppose you notice that, being 1, he’s learning his first words. “Baby talks.” Noun/verb. Bang! First thing! That’s your story.
Now shoot short shots of baby playing with language. At some point, as people interact with baby, something interesting will happen. Suppose you see Grandpa showing him how to say “fork” and handing him a kids fork. Baby puts it in his ear. Grandpa repeats the word. Baby tries to say it, instead uttering a familiar Anglo-Saxon epithet. Everyone laughs. Baby repeats epithet over and over, then throws food on floor. Grandpa makes a bad “Meet the Forkers” joke. End of story.
The magical rule has given you an observational focus. Grandpa trying to teach baby to talk. By becoming intensely interested in shooting everything about it, you magically find a story. When this story is done (and it’s done when it feels done or starts to bore you) repeat the observation step and pick another story. Now shoot that one.
At the end of the dinner you will have a camera full of little stories. If you like to edit, cut the ones that don’t work so well. You can package the best ones into standalone bites from vine-length up, depending on how long they stay interesting. Or edit all of them into a video called (okay, this is not my most inventive title ever) “Dinner at the Grandparents’ House.” When you do, you will be surprised to find that these short and interesting stories fit together in some bigger and very watchable way.
To review the Rule* for Story as an Organizing Force:
If you’re having trouble finding story, go with the first thing that you notice
Become intensely interested in it and
Shoot it until it feels over or you get bored
Repeat
Cut the bad stuff.
*Please don’t email about “rules” in video. Been there, done that. Remember this is just a feather for Bryan. For you, when it says “rule” please read “exercise.”
If you think the only thing that would make this blog better would be me reading it to you out loud, check out the audio version of How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck .
May 11, 2016
Can a Teaching Video tell a Story?
How can I better use storytelling techniques for teaching science? Does numerical data contribute to the story, or is having a data table in a video a sure recipe for having viewers click away?
By the way: your book is awesome. In the video I’m working on now, I keep counting to make sure I’m not violating the 10 second shot rule!
–Glenn Wolkenfeld
Nice job, Glenn. This is a fast-moving, clear, well-produced teaching video covering a bunch of cool stuff about surface area. For those of you to whom it did not occur that there was a bunch of cool stuff about surface area, I feel you. Me either. But I watched, learned, and did not want to rip my eyes out and run screaming from the room. Which has happened while watching teaching videos in the past.
I think storytelling can help make your teaching video better. Some of it’s a bit of a stretch to apply, as you’ll see, but let’s try:
In a teaching video, “understanding the concept” is always the intent. Your concept, if I may grossly oversimplify, is that more surface area in a cell = more permeable cell membranes = elephants. Or to put it another way, if cells had too much interior relative to their exterior, they wouldn’t be able to do all the cool chemical reactions that give life to larger animals.
Now the stretch part: Stories need a hero, and for a teaching video let’s pretend that the concept is the hero. In this case “More cellular surface area” is our protagonist. In the beginning, we explain what more cellular surface area means. In the middle, we show what happens if we don’t have it. At the end we show how it’s responsible for all animal life. This story structure helps re-organize and focus your video. You could then:
Re-edit for story. Everything that clarifies what “surface area” is, and your thesis about how it’s necessary for life, goes first. Everything that makes your case about permeability problems goes next. The elephants come last.
Lose everything that doesn’t move your story forward. Restatements and reiterations should go. How many animal examples do you need? I don’t know if it helps me to know about whales or flatworms in any real detail. If you decide to keep them, make sure they’re adding new information, not re-saying old information.
Add intrigue to pull us into the video. Raising questions creates interest, answering them reduces it. For example, how can you hook us with a big question from second 1 of the video, before you even introduce yourself? Something like “Without the right surface-to-volume ratio, elephants wouldn’t exist. And neither would we.” Throughout the video, raise more questions and promise the answers later. Intrigue us, and we will follow you.
Lose the charts. Quick, super-simple animated thing, yes. Tables of equations, no. Those belong in handouts, or accompanying web material. The agar cubes are their own brilliant demo of your point. A graph of same is redundant. An exciting video will drive a lot of web traffic.
I’m hoping that if you do this, the end result keeps all the things you did very well and makes them stand out even more. The video will be shorter and more memorable when you’re done. If you do go back and re-edit, send a link and we’ll post it in the comments below!
Are you following me on twitter? Were you waiting for an invitation? If so, you’ll find it here: @stevestockman
February 13, 2016
Get Serious to Attract Actors
I have an idea for a short film. I have a camera, I have a story, and I have a job, so filming and money aren’t a problem. My problem is that I have no idea where to find a cast that can make the film what I want it to be.
Any advice on where to find actual actors/actresses who will take my project seriously and listen to what I tell them?
–Jack
The way to get actors to take your project seriously is to present them with a serious project. That may seem simplistic, but it really isn’t.
One of the truths about the film business is that there are way more projects out there than will ever be made. That’s true whether you’re in an undergraduate film club or a major studio– there’ll be 50 ideas on your desk for every one worth making. The way we choose projects is by judging for ourselves how likely they are to succeed. That is, how “serious” are they? The more serious the project, the more talent you will attract.
Nobody likes to waste time, and this is especially true for actors, who waste more time than most working with lame casting directors, desperately trying to land 3-line parts in uninteresting projects. Get them excited about your film and you’ll need to hire a full-time bodyguard to keep them from camping on your lawn.
For an actor “serious” means:
You have a great script or shooting plan. The first place most actors look to determine the seriousness of a project is the script. Well written stories that are unusual, emotional, appealing, and smart attract actors. If you are going unscripted (improvisation, perhaps, or some kind of stunt) you’ll need to be able to pitch it so that they get it and love it.
You’re a director they can trust. Actors put themselves in your hands. They want their performance to be good, but they don’t build the sets, or shoot, or edit. They have to trust you, and you need to be worthy of that trust. If you’re new at directing, say so. You don’t have to know everything– everyone is new once. But you do have to be smart about how you’re handling your inexperience: asking questions and listening well go a long way toward making actors comfortable.
You have a great team attached. Great team members attract other great team members. Can you get people with more experience to help you out?
You have enough money to get made. You may not need much money, but if you’re proposing a film with car crashes, actors want to know you have the bucks to pull it off.
It looks like your project can hit its goals. If it’s a Superbowl spec ad, is it a good one? Is there a plan to enter it in contests? If it’s a funny short video, do you have a plan for promoting it? If it’s an indie film, what’s the marketing plan?
Once you’ve got a serious project, finding actors to audition is easy. Big productions usually use casting directors and list casting calls in Backstage or other casting website. Small productions might post audition notices wherever actors are found– local college theater departments, community theaters, or coffee shops next door to theaters. For your first production, you might audition friends and family.
As a bonus, making your project more serious to attract better actors also helps attract crew, money, and favors. Everyone likes to work with someone who does great work.
Did you know the audio version of How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck is out now? Here’s how to get a listen for free!
December 14, 2015
Who Needs a Hero, Anyway?
I’m a pure novice at making movies, so your book was exactly what I was looking for! I made one diving video from a point & shoot underwater camera and tried to use your tips, but I struggled with “the hero” – the fish maybe? the turtle? Help!
–Kaidra M.
The “hero” thing can be tricky, but it still works underwater.
The idea of choosing a hero is to make your video about someone. To keep you from randomly pointing and shooting. The key concept: it doesn’t matter WHO the hero is.
Without a hero, your video is about whatever catches your eye: Here’s a fish. CUT. Some coral. CUT. Oh, look– bubbles! CUT. I’m even bored typing this.
But let’s see what happens with a hero: Suppose your video follows some specific, cool-looking fish. Your shots would be something like this: Fish swims into cave. CUT. Fish sticks head out and looks at camera. CUT. Fish darts out to take food from your hand. It’s only three shots– maybe 30 seconds long, but you’re telling the story of a fish in a very watchable, focused way.
If you chose to tell the story “I go on a dive,” the focus of the video becomes you. Shots like “I put on my wetsuit” and “My dive buddy gives the thumbs up as we descend”–but it could also be the same fish story as above from your point of view: “I spot a fish.” “I swim after the fish until it runs into a cave.” “I take food from my pocket and offer it to the fish.”
Would a turtle make an equally fine hero? Sure! The point here is that ANY focus helps your video. Don’t spend a lot of time figuring out who the hero is– just pick one. Making the choice helps you tell a better story, making your video much more interesting to watch.
Who needs hero? You do.
photo by Jan Messersmith
October 5, 2015
Checklist: 20 Questions to Make Your Video Great
Since everyone alive today has been watching film and video from birth, we all have some idea of what bad film and video look like. It’s that stuff you click out of instantly on your browser or your remote, often within 15 seconds of starting it.
“I know bad video when I see it” works great when you’re the consumer, but not so well when you’re the creator. Creators not only need to know bad video when they see it, they need to know bad video before they see it. Ideally even before they start shooting it.
How do you see the bad stuff coming ahead of time and fix it before it happens? Pilots, doctors and other mission-critical actors have been using checklists for years to prevent mistakes. Now you can too! Welcome to the “How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck Checklist”– 20 questions to make your video great.
These 20 questions will help you cull the good from the bad in your own work before you show it to an audience. An ounce of prevention, if you will.
Read through the list as you’re thinking about your next video. The more questions you can answer “yes” to, the stronger your video probably is. Got a “no”? How can you fix it now, before you spend time and/or money doing it wrong?
The How To Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck Checklist
Planning:
1. Is my idea best expressed as a video?
2. Does it tell a clear story?
3. Do I know who the story is about?
4. Is there a clear beginning to the story?
5. Is there a clear middle to my story?
6. Is there a clear end to my story?
Shooting
7. Do all my shots contain a clear subject and action?
8. Does every location help bring the story alive?
9. Do all my backgrounds help tell the story?
10. Do my stars always look great?
11. Do I see a lot of their faces?
12. Are all my scenes lit well, so viewers can see what they’re supposed to see?
13. Are all my scenes miked well, so viewers can hear what they’re supposed to hear?
Editing
14. Is each shot cut to it’s best and shortest version?
15. Have I deleted all shots that look/sound awful or are otherwise technically flawed?
16. Have I used only cuts to transition between shots?
17. Are my graphics simple and elegant?
18. If for the web, is my video shorter than 3 minutes?
19. If it’s longer than 3 minutes, is there a damn good reason?
20. Do I like this video more every time I watch it?
September 1, 2015
Shoot Better Labor Day Video
As you cruise to the beach or barbecue this weekend, take your video camera. And think about these tips to shoot better Labor Day video:
1) Memories are about faces. Faces are where emotion lives. The eyes are the window to the soul and all that. And faces are how we chart time– when you want to remember who you were 5 years ago, a long shot of a crowd drinking beer won’t do the job. When you watch video of small children or elderly grandparents later, you’ll never wish you were farther away.
Thinking of shooting distant closeups of vague human figures in front of a smoking grill? You’re doing it wrong. Get close.
2) Ask real questions and you’ll get real answers. “How’s the beer, dude?” may get you a high-five from your buddy, but asking him what he did this summer will be a lot more interesting. Ask people to describe the guests, ask kids to tell you what they did today– anything that requires just a little thought reveals more of the real people in your life on video.
3) Shoot action. “Dad” is not a shot. “Dad putting too much lighter fluid on the grill” is. Subject plus action = interesting. “Grill blowing up.” or “Mom sprays Dad with fire extinguisher” should also be good.
4) Shoot what interests you, and it will be interesting. Just because you’re going to Ocean City for the weekend doesn’t mean you have to shoot a video showing the family lying on the beach. Make your video about something instead.
Anything will work. Your video can be about your quest for the perfect oyster, your two brothers taking their first vacation together in 20 years, or how much you hate tourists. It’s up to you. But the trick is to go one step past “point and shoot” in your head. Have a point of view. If you shoot something you’re interested in, we’ll be interested too!
July 18, 2015
Respect the Process Podcast
I just discovered commercial director Jordan Brady’s podcast, Respect the Process. I discovered it when he invited me to be on it, but it turns out I’m late to the party– he has a ton of subscribers and some really great guests.
The podcast is now up. Jordan’s beat is creativity and (surprise!) process in film, video and entertainment, which I’m always happy to talk about and learn more about. We covered a lot of information– about shooting video, how to get started in unscripted television, and how he once shot a spot in my garage.
You can see that commercial, admire my garage and hear the podcast here or check it out on iTunes.
Mr. Brady also runs a commercial directing bootcamp in September. Worth checking out.
June 27, 2015
Shooting like the Pros
Watch any film or TV show and you’ll see a series of very short shots (read why here). I argue that most people should get out of the habit of running the camera non-stop when shooting. And every so often I get a letter like this:
I am a professional videographer, and your advice to “shoot short shots” is totally misguided. Pros shoot more than they need so they can make their video perfect in the editing room. Turning the camera on and off is an amateur move. How have you made a living in this business?
–Chris F., New York
Chris isn’t wrong. My advice to try in-camera editing isn’t based on professional videographers, who do shoot differently. But the underlying principle is true– for pros and everyone else. To understand, let’s break it into two cases, the editors and the non-editors :
If you don’t edit later: Dads at soccer games. Employees at the company picnic. Grandparents at graduations. For anyone documenting a live event and not likely to edit later: don’t run the camera non-stop. Not only will that 45 minute ballet recital be horribly boring to watch, but if you shoot everything in real time, you’ll need an extra lifetime to view it. For these people, shooting short shots instead means their video will fall out of the camera looking professionally edited— and way more interesting to watch.
If you do edit later: Pros still plan their shoot because pros know that shooting and editing aren’t free. The more you shoot, the more time it takes and the more money you pay your crew. The more footage you shoot, the more time you need to edit later. Yes, pros shoot differently than someone going with friends to a rock concert. They budget extra time and money to try multiple takes, repeat moves, and take more flyers on things that might not work (but would be awesome if they do!) But even pros can’t run the camera non-stop.
Your movie has to be shot in 45 days and edited in 10 weeks. Or your commercial has to be shot in 12 hours, and delivered in 2 weeks. To make those deadlines (and the budgets that come with them) you need to carefully plan your shooting and know when to stop.
To summarize: If you’re not editing later, edit “in camera” by doing short, thoughtful shots and your video will be way more watchable. If you are editing later, keep an eye on your time and money. In both cases, the more you plan and think about your shots in advance, the better.
Running the camera non-stop just means you have no idea what you’re doing.
June 15, 2015
5 Tips for Father’s Day Video that Doesn’t Suck
Father’s Day Video. Memorable–or as undercooked as the runny eggs and cold toast the kids bring Dad in bed? Here are a five tips to improve the video you shoot this Father’s Day.
1. Find the Hero: Focus your attention on someone– anyone! Having a hero invites us to think about our videos as stories about someone, which makes them more intriguing.
Choosing a hero changes the video. For example, if Dad is the hero, your story might be “Dad gets woken up for breakfast in bed– at 4:30am.” Told from Dad’s point of view, the story might alternate shots of the kids sneaking toward the bed, dripping coffee everywhere, with shots of sleeping Dad. The grand presentation would focus on Dad as he gamely chokes down breakfast.
If your daughter is the hero of the same video, it might be called “Sarah surprises Dad.” That video might spend time with 7 year-old Sarah in the kitchen making eggs in the microwave (and a colossal mess) because she’s not allowed to turn on the stove.
There’s no wrong answer here– just focusing on someone will make your video better.
2. Interview your kids: We see interviews on TV all the time for a reason: They work. They work especially well at capturing the precious moments of childhood. You’re only 6 once. Start before the big day and ask them to show you what they’re preparing, tell you how Daddy’s going to like it..how they thought of it…if it’s a surprise or not. Interrupt as little as possible. If you’re lucky, you’ll get plenty of material for the inevitable embarrassing wedding video in 15 or 20 years.
3. Interview Dad: Dad’s less likely to say something cute, but your kids will want to remember what he looked like way back…um…now. And future birthdays may also call for embarrassing video.
4. Change your perspective: We tend to stand and hold our video camera at chest height so we can see the monitor. But where you hold the camera changes the look and feel of your video. Shoot kid shots at kid level for more intimacy. Try shooting Dad shots from slightly to the side, or over his shoulder as the kids visit, or super close-up. A different point of view reveals a different world (see also 50 Ways to Shoot My Daughter Doing Homework.)
5. Stay Close. Zooming in may look great for a few shots, but as a shooting member of the family it also puts you far from the action. This can make your video feel less intimate. Father’s Day is full of subtle emotion. Stay close to the action and your family’s faces to catch it. Added benefit: you’ll actually be able to hear what they say. There’s no such thing as a “zoom microphone.”
May 11, 2015
Free Download: The Power Of Story
Have you had this experience? You grudgingly agree to watch a friend’s video. You click on the link. The first few shots are good. Cute kids. But about 10 seconds in you start to get a sinking feeling. This video isn’t about anything. It’s a bunch of shots that aren’t leading anywhere. And you’re stuck having to watch enough to lie to your friend about how much you loved it.
You are watching a video without a story. Your friend took out a camera or phone, pointed without thinking, and shot for a while, also without thinking. The result is a series of unrelated images that become more boring the longer they continue. Your brain is trying its best to make sense of the images cascading before your eyes, but failing. That failure induces boredom, distraction and tension.
This happens in pro video too- it’s the difference between a satisfying ending (and a rush to be the first to share with friends) and something that’s cute but just peters out.
If you know story, your videos will be better– whether they’re birthday parties for the kids or short films with actors. But talking about “Story” scares people. Screenwriting books are filled with stuff like “three act structure,” “inciting incidents,” “act 2 turns” and “petting the dog.” Here’s a secret: it’s all jargon you don’t need to know. Story is simple.
The real secret to story is right here– 12 pages of it. Jargon-free, with exercises you can try right away. No registration required, so feel free to share the link with your story-challenged friend.
Click the cover for the free PDF. No registration required!
