The Documentary Filmmaker Podcast
🌒 Welcome to The Documentary Filmmaker Podcast - great to have you here!
Join us every week as we dive into untouched areas of filmmaking that go above and beyond conventional film school teachings.
Your host, Sue Collins, will navigate you through the independent filmmaking industry, guiding you to amplify your craft and foster sustainable careers.
With over 15 years of experience in documentary and impact films, Sue's expertise has resonated globally, captivating audiences through various platforms from Cinema releases, VOD, broadcast television and everything in between.
Get ready to explore the constantly evolving landscape of indie filmmaking as Sue shares invaluable insights into the business while equipping you with tips and advice to produce films that make your intended impact and reach the hearts of your audiences, no matter where they are in the world.
Tune in weekly to fuel your creative endeavours and boost your projects to their fullest potential - we're here to help make your goals in the film industry a vibrant reality ⭐️
The Documentary Filmmaker Podcast
Common Mistakes in Video Production
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What are the common mistakes in video production that you can avoid?
Are you thinking about creating a video for the first time? Then you are probably worried about how to get it right. It’s a big investment in time and money, you want to look good and get your message across clearly, but you're not an actor or a scriptwriter. So how can you avoid the pitfalls?
If you listen to this episode then you’ll be in the driving seat.
You’ll have a
1. A great script that will engage and connect with your audience.
2. You or your talent will be confident and look good
3. You won’t be so stressed about getting it right because you’ll know how to avoid all the common mistakes in video production.
Wahoo. You’re going to produce a great video.
Mike and Sue have made literally thousands of films and videos over the past two decades and they’ve seen just about everything. (no we haven’t seen a man eat his own head. I said just about everything.)
Don't forget to subscribe to Moonshine Agency's Moonshine Moonshot podcast on your favourite podcast platform.
Or
YouTube channel to get all the latest episodes of the Moonshine Moonshot series. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC58nfY3gDeEuytZT_ZWQhaw
Moonshine Agency Facebook @moonshinestories https://www.facebook.com/MoonshineStories/
Instagram @moonshineagency https://www.instagram.com/moonshineagency/
Twitter @moonshineagency https://twitter.com/MoonshineAgency
LinkedIn Mike Hill https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehillmoonshineagency/
LinkedIn Sue Collins https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-collins-moonshine-agency/
LinkedIn Company Page Moonshine Agency https://www.linkedin.com/company/2554319/admin/
📩 Want to stay up to date with the latest? Head to www.thedocumentaryfilmmaker.com to join our weekly newsletter and get all resources to make you the best impact filmmaker in the business.
Find & Follow The Documentary Filmmaker on social:
Website: www.thedocumentaryfilmmaker.com
Facebook:
Instagram: @TheDocumentaryFilmmakerPodcast
LinkedIn: Sue Collins [Host] || The Documentary Filmmaker [ Company Page]
Hi, welcome to the Moonshine Moonshot podcast where we're trying to move humanity forward and we're talking all about impact. Today we're going to be talking a little bit about the mistakes people make on camera and behind the camera. So I'm Sue Collins, your host, and this is Mike Hill.
SPEAKER_01Yep, so we're from Moonshine Agency, we're video producers. We use video to help change the world, make an impact. That's why we're doing this podcast, Moonshot, to help you reach those impossible goals using film and video. Yeah, but video. There are some real common mistakes that we see in our line of work, and that's what we're going to talk about today. So, you know, you don't need to make those mistakes, and um, you know, this is coming from years of our you know experience.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's right. No, I mean we'll be coming from two points of view, one as the person in front of the camera, and one as the person behind the camera, and we've made many of these mistakes ourselves, so it is coming from experience, not just from uh judgy judgy land.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, absolutely. This is meant to be a helpful video, guys. It's not meant to, you know, make anyone feel uncomfortable.
First mistake people make and why.
SPEAKER_01Uh, I would say one of the biggest mistakes that we see is people feeling too self-conscious on camera, and there's lots of reasons that you have that response. I mean, even right now we're surrounded by uh lights, three cameras here doing this podcast. The key thing is to forget about it. But how do we do that?
SPEAKER_00Well, I think I think you've really hit on something there because I think one of the biggest barriers people have to creating video content for their company or whatever it is they're doing is that they just don't want to be on camera. Yeah, and um, I mean I I've fallen into that mistake myself, um, and I think a big part of that is is overthinking the fact that you're on camera. It's you've got to step back from it and think what is the message you're trying to tell people, why is that important, and why is video the right way for you to be telling that message. You're the expert in what you do, so you need to be talking from that place of understanding what your topic is, why you're communicating it, and focusing on that, not worrying so much about whether you say um too many times or whether you you know, because there's all kinds of editing tricks that we'll go into as well that can really help overcome those, so you don't have to be perfect on the first
Video making hack #1
SPEAKER_00take.
SPEAKER_01Right there. Video hack number one, if you're creating videos, guys, make sure you shoot more than one camera. Why? Because it's awesome for editing, it means you can cut out those little things that aren't working so well. Um, not the case in this podcast, we're warts and all here, we're just like letting it ride. Um, but if you see examples of you know our polished finished outputs for our clients, you use all of those tricks. They're so important to use those editing tricks to get around. So you need two cameras to achieve that. Now I want to go back to what you were saying about that feeling of discomfort getting in front of camera, and I think we need to take it right back to that moment when you're told you need to be on camera, and how some of us, us included, winding the clock back, respond to that. Because often people will run to their notebook or computer and start writing a script. And there's a couple of things that you
Things to watch out for when you’re writing a script.
SPEAKER_01need to watch out for when you're writing a script.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, big things you've got to watch out for, and um I think from my perspective, one of those, and if we're talking about making video for online content as well, I should say. We're not talking about Hollywood movies. But when we're talking about writing a script for a video, the biggest issue can be that you don't write the way you speak. So you can write this beautifully crafted dialogue, absolutely amazing, you know, articulate and and really nuanced, but when you go to say that on camera, it sounds so wooden and inauthentic because it's just not the way you speak. And when you're connecting with someone, it's like when when you're reading a blog. The majority of really effective blogs are written in a much more relaxed, familiar style of writing, you know, like even look at the trends, you know, really short paragraphs, one-sentence paragraphs. It's the same when you're speaking on camera, people need to be able to relate and connect to what you're saying. So if you're speaking in very proper language, for want of a better word, uh, which is the way you might write, it's not gonna feel natural.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's so hard to perform as well that type of complicated language. And you're right, writing like you speak is a it's I reckon it's a writing skill. It's not that easy. And I think the best hack, the best workaround if you're developing a script like that, is to say it first, then write it down so you're going through the process of actually having it come out of your mouth.
SPEAKER_00Or better yet, speak into your phone on one of the you know dictaphone apps or just on voice record and and get it transcribed. You know, like there's heaps of transcription services. We use one called Rev.com, which is extremely inexpensive, and um it means that you you are actually starting from the way you speak and you're communicating the way you speak, and then you can tweak it and finesse it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a really key point. Uh so when it comes, so if you're gonna have a script, you don't need to have a script. Uh, as I go through my career, I am less in favour of having a script both in front of a camera and behind it, because I just feel like, particularly if you've got a good director or facilitator, you know, it might be someone in your marketing team, might be someone in your communications team, uh, might be, you know, your business partner or your EA. But if you've got someone facilitating the conversation that's happening on camera so that you feel comfortable, they're pitching you the right types of questions or you're bouncing off each other to get that good, natural, authentic performance, that works so much better when you get to the edit, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I think I think if you've got someone who can throw questions at you from behind the camera to prompt you, I think the key is actually not writing a script as such, but writing the key points, writing the key questions that you need to be asked to prompt you to deliver that information. So I would always err on um I wouldn't say under preparing, but I would just say not over-preparing. So don't try and memorize lines, don't try and um script yourself to the point where it feels unnatural. I mean there's nothing wrong with using a teleprompter. That is a it's definitely a solution for a lot of people who who just really need that kind of um that it just helps them to get what they need to say succinctly across. But again, if you're going to use a teleprompter, make sure you've read the script out loud at least a dozen times before you roll a camera. So give yourself the night before to just read it and make it feel natural, tweak the script, make it feel comfortable for you before you put it on the teleprompter.
SPEAKER_01Uh too right. Like I totally agree with all of that, and I think that sometimes you really do need a script. You have to be on message, you have to be succinct because it's a platform that you're working with. So it has to be tight messaging, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Now let's talk about when you're dealing with a
Why non acting talent shouldn’t memorise scripts.
SPEAKER_01script. Some people write a script and memorize it and then try and remember it on camera. Almost never works, almost never works because it's an acting skill. This is what actors do, they're brilliant craftspeople, uh, but it doesn't come naturally to people who are not actors. Remembering lines and being able to deliver them in a natural way, it's a gift.
SPEAKER_00Just think about yourself trying to remember something. Where do your eyes go? You you instantly you your eyes roll, and it's a natural thing. Everybody does it.
SPEAKER_01Um trying to remember what was the next thing.
SPEAKER_00And so your eye line looks weird on camera because you're trying to recall its memory recall, and as soon as you go to that, if you're not a professional actor who's got all the tricks of the trade and years of you know experience in how to do that, it's gonna feel clunky and weird, and you're gonna be stressed, and then you're not gonna enjoy yourself.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, you're gonna be stressed out, you're gonna be looking up, like you said, what are you looking at? Oh, now I'm looking at the light, now I'm looking at the camera in the corner.
SPEAKER_00Of course, everyone's looking at me and I'm making a fool of myself. At best six people standing around rushing in.
Another useful hack #2
SPEAKER_01That's another hack, guys. Get as few people in the room when you are uh filming as possible. You know, you only want the bare essentials there. I mean, today Sue and I are doing this podcast, there are exactly two people in the room, Sue and I. That's it. Like they're not always possible. You're often going to need a crew for good reason.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right? Uh, particularly when you're filming on location, there's gonna be a couple of people with you, but keep it to a minimum. You don't want a huge audience uh there when you're trying to perform something on camera.
SPEAKER_00And I think this is the tree uh a hack for the person behind
Tips for how to get your talent to relax
SPEAKER_00the camera if you're the one who's actually organizing the shoot and you've got talent or you know, whoever's coming in to be in front of the camera, don't freak them out before they even arrive with a whole bunch of rules about everything that's gonna make them really stressed. You know, don't say no check shirts, you can't wear green, you have to have your hair like this, you you know, don't wear glasses, you know. That that's just instantly gonna make someone feel very, very nervous and uncomfortable. Use really simple things. Say, bring a couple of options. Bring a couple of different shirts you're comfortable in, or bring two different tops, or whatever it is, and then just help them feel relaxed when they get there. Let them have a glass of water, let them have a chat. If anywhere you can just take the pressure out of the situation, I know it's not always ideal, and time pressure can be a big thing, but the more you can just help people relax, explain the process that they're going to be going through, and just help them feel comfortable, it's gonna be a better experience for everyone.
SPEAKER_01I I you know, like that's it, right? Just make it as natural as possible, get into it, do it in a workman-like way. I used the word performance before, totally the wrong word to use, because this is about an authentic communication, because communicating authentically is what cuts through and what we can all relate to, we can connect with. So it's not a performance. And as soon as we feel like you know, there's this performance expectation, it's gonna, you know, it's gonna influence the way that you communicate. So, okay, so we've talked about scripting and the cautionary tale about memorising lines. Uh you
Why teleprompter can be useful and affordable.
SPEAKER_01we do have great tech now, like teleprompters, auto cues, they're sometimes called. So these are so accessible and affordable now. Uh, for those of you who don't know what we're talking about, uh, it's exactly what the news readers use when they read the nightly news. So you write a script, uh, you often put it on an iPad. Uh, this is how a lot of teleprompters these days. You load it into an app on your iPad and uh you set the scroll speed and you set it off, and this you know, teleprompter has reflective glass uh that kind of goes up on a diagonal from the camera and it's right in front of the camera often, and you're simply reading the script. I think there's a couple of little pointers and tips we can give about using a teleprompter. Um, I personally like them in the right context when you need to do a scripted on-Message
Tips for teleprompter use
SPEAKER_01base. So, what would your tips be around teleprompter use?
SPEAKER_00My tips would be always give the person who's reading the teleprompter's script opportunity to rehearse. Yes. Tweak it if they need to get it into their own words. Don't be so rigid that they can't relax because and and make sure the speed's right. Just give them opportunity to rehearse so that that pressure's not on, and that will make the read feel far more natural and far more authentic. There's a few other technical things, you know, that can't be too close to the camera because otherwise you'll be able to see that they're reading the teleprompter. So there's a few sort of camera tricks. I don't think we'll go into that here. That's probably something for other videos we can direct you to to help you with those sorts of skills.
SPEAKER_01But um So rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, edit, rehearse, you know, because by the time Preparation. Yeah, by the time you get to action, then you will be so familiar with those words coming out, yeah, that you're able to, you know, adjust a bit. You know, you're able to embellish, you're able to give it a bit of high and low, you know, you're able to breathe life into it. And you know, if you go a little bit off script, it's not a big deal because it's already top of mind. So I think that's really helpful when working with a teleprompter.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. And uh, I'm just wondering as we're talking about this, what what do you think's been the the biggest blooper you've ever seen
The biggest blooper Mike has ever seen.
SPEAKER_00on a set? Like, what's the biggest mistake you've ever kind of experienced or witnessed?
SPEAKER_01Oh, like I think the setting, you know, can be part of it, you know, because you can the setting can throw up all types of you know unpredictable things. But I do remember we were filming an interview with Larry Flint at his office in LA one time. And I mean it was a beautiful setting. It was his penthouse office in Hollywood, you know, and uh but there was a phone on the desk, you know, and mid-interview the phone goes off. And do you remember this?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, and this is pre-mobile phones being everywhere, yes.
SPEAKER_01I'm in the middle of a damn TV interview, you know. Uh and he was actually a really nice guy. But the thing is, distracting settings, you know, it they're really easy to you know to get into. And you do you want some background that makes sense, that tells a bit of a story, that resonates with the communication you're doing, but you don't want something that's gonna have a lot of distraction, background noise, people moving around. Uh that could be really tough to work in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, particularly for people who aren't used to being on camera. I mean, just think to the nightly news when they're filming in a shopping center and you've got all the people running up behind, giving them the you know, craziness behind that. I really admire newsreaders who can just keep on barreling the camera and just keep on keep on track because it's gonna be so distracting.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, I think that's a few good tips for you know, I what we're really focused on today is not a long laundry list of you know um mistakes that you can make while shooting, although there are many others that we could go into, but I think we're focused on a couple of the really big and important ones, which is how to create a natural environment that allows you to communicate in an authentic way. So, you know, what are some of the key take-home messages for you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I I would say um first thing, preparation, don't be over-prepared, but certainly don't be underprepared. So when we're talking about being prepared, we're talking about understanding the message you're trying to convey, thinking through the key points that you need to make, thinking through whether you're gonna use a teleprompter or if you're gonna ask someone to ask you questions. Um we've talked about um wardrobe, a couple of changes of clothes. Yeah, a couple of different options for wardrobe. You know, I mean, there's nothing worse than you know, going to a shoot and then spilling coffee down your front, and then like what are you gonna do? So just you know, little things like that, being prepared for that. Having a little bit of powder if you're feeling shiny, you know, just really simple. You don't need makeup, but um just a little bit sometimes you'll get makeup on something.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_00But if it's not an option, then then a little bit of drop powder just to take that shine off, particularly for guys.
SPEAKER_01Um and uh get right into it, like as much as you can. You just want to block out the lights and the cameras and the you know, everything else that you can.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, focus on the why you're doing it, not not on the you know the the what's going on around behind the scenes.
SPEAKER_01And I mean politely, I think politely you can't ask people to leave the room if there are people who don't need to be there from a technical standpoint.
SPEAKER_00And if you're behind the camera, just make your make your person in front of the camera feel really relaxed and comfortable within time constraints, let them rehearse as much as they can, don't pressurize it. I mean, the amount of times you know you put pressure on someone and suddenly that the just can't the word they just keep it stumbling and then it doesn't speed anything up.
SPEAKER_01You're gonna end up in 20 takes. Whereas if you do all those other steps, you've often got it in one, two takes, you know.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So get your heart rate down, breathe, you know, get you know, find yourself, do all of that stuff. But most of all, enjoy yourself, guys. This is about communicating, it's like talking, um, you know, talking to someone you love, talking to your best friend, talking to a customer you love, interacting with. That's you know what you're doing.
SPEAKER_00And you know, people talk about public speaking as being their number one fear. They're more afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying. So they'd rather be dead than talk in public. Being in front of a video camera is way less scary, in my opinion, than public speaking. So it shouldn't be your number one fear.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I mean if you are about making an impact, it can be hard not to be the face of your communications and your messaging. You know, I think it's becoming more of an expectation these days. Um that uh you know, people do front up to the camera so that we can get a sense of who they are. So I think it's becoming more and more common.
SPEAKER_00And you know, with everything that we've just said, if all you've got is an iPhone or a web camera, don't not do it. Just use the best of what you have available to you and do the best that you can, and what you put out is still going to be better than not doing it all.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a lot of the same tips apply, you know, no matter how big or small uh the profile of the kit is.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. So anyway, thank you everyone for joining us on this. We'd love to know what you thought. We'd love to know if you have questions because we can actually answer those questions in future podcasts or videos. So please leave comments and um you know, let us know um what you what you want to know more about.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00And if there are any other traps that you worry about or tell us your funny experiences because I I love hearing people's stories. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01All right, look forward to hearing from you soon.
SPEAKER_00Till next time. Bye
.jpg)
.jpg)