I primarily focus on travel and landscape photography but have recently starting making travel films and solo hiking videos. When it comes to photo and video however, many principles and methods of approach are very much transferrable or interdisciplinary. Videos like the above featured by wolfcrow (Sareesh Sudhakaran), always teach me a great deal about technique and the importance of intent.
Sareesh’s ten tips include (watch the video for details on each):
- Whose point of view is it from?
- How many subjects in the shot?
- How big should the subjects be?
- How high/low should they be?
- The point of focus
- Get your heart racing
- Every shot has something new
- Use the 180-degree rule
- What is the physical relationship?
- Where should they look?
While I am primarily a one man film crew (except when I have the luxury of my photographer friends joining my trips), several of these tips have given me something to consider. The videos will always be from my point of view since I am the main “actor”. However, despite having the most important question answered, how I present and/or structure my story is equally important in this case. With less moving parts, it is especially important to consider the importance of presenting them in unique, ever evolving, ways in order to keep things interesting and fresh.
According to Sareesh, the next most important consideration is point 6. He presents a quote from Emir Kusturica stating “every time you look through the viewfinder of the camera at the shot, your heart should race faster.” In other words, I have to be excited about what I am seeing. If I am not moved, how will I convey an emotion I am not feeling to my audience? For example, in a hiking video, how would I approach a particular landscape? Do I appear as a small dot to show the majesty of the nature surrounding me? Do I take up most of the frame to show dominance of my surroundings? Then there is the important task of finding and weaving that all important thread that runs through the entire story linking each shot into a cohesive narrative.
Make sure to check out wolfcrow studios on their Instagram as well!