The micro-video revolution has begun. It started with Vine in January 2013 and very quickly top photo sharing app Instagram had their spin on micro-videos out by June 2013. Since then the debate has raged whether Vine’s limitation of six seconds or Instagram’s expansion to fifteen seconds of video let users be more creative and capture what they want.
Both owned by tech giants now (Vine by Twitter and Instagram by Facebook) the companies have set the rules for micro-video sharing. And while it is up to the user to decide which platform is preferred, we offer to you some tips for making micro-videos whichever you shall choose.
1. Show Don’t Tell
So often the advice given to writers, “show, don’t tell”, holds true for your micro video as well. It is essential that you, as both director and possibly star of your own micro video have a clear reason to be filming. In other words, recognize why it is a video and not a tweet or photo. Not every message needs to have a video, nor is every beautiful sight better recorded as opposed to photographed. Be sure you have something to show in your video, not just tell.
2. Keep it Simple
The beauty of the micro-video medium lies in its simplicity. See for yourself and search some of the best Vines and Instagram videos. Most are telling a simple story. Capturing a moment in time. Displaying an imaginative use of the platform. Keep it simple and film often and you will find your videos will improve.
3. Creativity > Quality
The videos that are replayed the most have nothing to do with big budget productions. If that is what is holding you back from creating your own videos, then recognize that it is creativity that people crave in micro-videos, not high quality production. There are some
technical tips that you could follow to help improve the quality of your videos, but at the end of the day, remember it is the creativity that people want to see.
4. Move Camera Angles
Movement is exciting. No matter how slight are eyes are evolutionarily trained to pick up movement. That is why some people struggle to focus during a conversation if a television is on in the back, or why slide shows of a family vacation are made more enjoyable with the Ken Burns style movement of photographs. It doesn’t have to be a massive shift, but if you are just talking into the camera, perhaps you can pause midway through, and switch to a profile angle to make the video more dynamic. A simple solution to stale videos.
5. Pre-Game
Both platforms are merciless on mistakes. A six second video can end up taking a lot longer if you are making it up on the fly and changing your mind as it continues. Putting in some time planning before you shoot will pay off in the long run of the production of the video. There is no substitute for effort, and short videos still require work, especially beforehand.
- Source: http://blog.fiverr.com/six-tips-for-creating-awesome-micro-videos/?utm_source=nt_ct&utm_term=n922#sthash.5KyE1vKb.dpuf
