To overcome a shaky image when shooting hand-held video, use the Instagram Hyperlapse app. It works…and it’s free. Check out a side-by-side demonstration. Hyperlapse is also used for time-lapse cinematography as illustrated in this 45-second demo:     FacebookTwitter

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A jiggly image is guaranteed to annoy viewers. Luckily, there’s an easy to avoid this pitfall. When you’re shooting a tracking shot–that is, moving along with your subject– simply place you camera on a dolly. A dolly is a wheeled device that holds your camera and enables you to take smooth ovine shots. This assumes a location with…

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  Here’s an easy way to add visual delight to your videos. Instead of keeping the camera at eye-level,  try shooting down on your subject (high angle shot). This technique can be effective in just about any kind of moviemaking, for example, in a thriller, in a documentary, or in a music video. Angling down may require using…

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When you want to shoot tall subjects—such as skyscrapers and basketball players—don’t turn your camera vertically.  Instead, using the landscape or wide orientation, get close to the subject and smoothly move your camera upward. FacebookTwitter

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Although you can shoot vertically or horizontally, generally the results will be better if you frame your subject using the horizontal (landscape) orientation. After all,  given that we have side-by-side eyes, this is how we see the world.   Even when you need to capture a tall object, instead of shooting vertical, use the tilting trick. FacebookTwitter

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Here’s a simple but powerful way to bring your audience into the action:  After shooting a character doing something—for example, preparing to hit a baseball—record what the character would see. This is called cutting to the character’s point of view (POV). A few more examples: At night, a character looks up. Cut to the starry sky.…

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