Take your filmmaking and videography to the next level with these simple tips.

In this post I will give you 5 tips that will instantly improve the look of your videos. I will show you how with just a few simple adjustments you can get much more professional results.

This post is sponsored by DJI. This is great because I will be using their Osmo cameras and microphone which are perfect for both beginners and pros.

1 – Framing & Angles

Experiment where you place the camera. Instead of always keeping the camera at your eye level which gets boring fast, try to get down to get a more dramatic shot.

Or up high for another unique angle. In a wide landscape shot try to also get something else close to the camera to better show the scale.

Also avoid always placing your subject dead center. Especially If it’s a shot of a person, try putting them on the sides or top using the rule of thirds.

2 – Lighting

Make sure you are in a well and evenly lit setting, specially when you want people’s faces to look good. Avoid a strong backlight. Instead of filming in front of a window or a big light source just turn around and have the light source behind the camera or to the side. Sometimes a bit of backlight can be great but only if you know what you are doing. On both the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and Action 4 cameras you can manually control the exposure in those difficult situations.

So instead of relying on auto exposure where the image will get drastically brighter or darker you can set the  exposure to stay constant. For example, during the day if you have a lot of light behind your subject, the auto exposure will try to compensate for it by darkening your whole shot. With manual exposure you can let the subject stay properly exposed, while the background is blown out.

Same thing happens at night when it is too dark behind your subject. Your camera will try to brighten the whole shot which results in a very noisy shot. In manual exposure you can keep the background black, while the subject stays properly exposed. 

3 – Audio

A great looking video with horrible audio is painful to watch. So use a microphone when you can. Never rely on the built in mics that each camera has. A separate microphone allows you to place it close to the source you want to record while your camera can be placed anywhere to get the best looking shot. DJI Mic2 is a great option because it wirelessly pairs up to the DJI Osmo cameras and allows you to also record internally as a backup. These mics can also connect to your phone or laptop or any other camera that you might be using. I got the Sony hot shoe adapter so I even use it with my pro film cameras. You can even connect multiple of these mics to your cameras. So if you have two people talking you can hear each one perfectly. If you are filming in a windy setting these mics come with a little furry windscreen that makes a world of difference from the internal camera recording. Have a listen for yourself. 

Gear I used
➡DJI Mic 2
B&H https://bhpho.to/4e95X7v
Amazon https://amzn.to/3TEw7ai
Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/3BmUkLJ
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3zhQeUO
Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3XQLnDu

➡DJI Osmo Pocket 3
B&H https://bhpho.to/3Bci5Gs
Amazon https://amzn.to/4gu2ulJ
Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/4ebS34C
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/4egf32v
Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3ZtFuNx

➡DJI Osmo Action 4
B&H https://bhpho.to/3TATstq
Amazon https://amzn.to/3MQ6Q9h
Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/4d8YqVa
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/4ddvn2E
Amazon Germany https://amzn.to/3zCTMAS

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.. Thanks!

Similar thing happens when you are recording in loud spaces. The internal camera microphone picks up all the noise around which makes it hard to hear what people are saying. By placing the mic as close as possible to the person talking you will get much better quality audio. 

Another great feature that the DJI mic2 has is the internal backup recording which can also record in 32-bit float settings. This essentially allows you to capture a wider range of audio than any camera can. This makes getting good audio easier because you can forget about adjusting levels. Just hit record and it will capture all the really quiet parts as well as all the really loud sounds.

Remember to never neglect the importance of capturing good audio. If your video looks beautiful but all we can hear is background noise, wind or echo, then nobody will stick around to watch the whole thing. Don’t also think that you can just capture bad audio and then fix it all later when editing. Get the best audio you can when recording.

4 – Camera Movement

Avoid shaky and erratic shots that most home videos suffer from. Either keep your camera steady which is super easy thanks to the DJI Osmo cameras building image stabilization. The Pocket 3 camera even has a gimbal to help with that. If you are going to move the camera then do it deliberately. Stop for a second before you hit record and think of where your shot will start and where it will end. It can be slow or fast but always smooth. If you are using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 that will be very easy thanks to it’s gimbal. Otherwise put both hands on the camera and walk evenly like a ninja, so you avoid big up and down movements.

Also know that in some cases, camera movement is not necessary or even that noticeable. If you are close to a subject then moving the camera will make it more alive but in a wide open shot you might not even notice it, unless you frame your shot so you have something in the foreground to create a sense of movement. You can also create fun transitions using camera movement. 

5 – Video Editing

I personally use Davinci Resolve to edit my videos because it’s a free application that does everything that any other program can do. It’s also got amazing color grading tools! I adjust the colors by first applying a LUT and then tweaking each shot. LUTs are sort of like Instagram filters. You can get my favorite LUTs for free on my website at tomantosfilms.com 

There are also a lot of great tools that can help you clean up bad audio but I will again say that it’s best to first start with good audio when you are recording. 

Also, when editing videos remember that you never want to include everything that you shot with your camera. Be selective and only pick shots that are interesting and also only use the good parts of each shot. In video editing less is better. Trust me! There is no point in creating a 1 hour long video of your family vacation that is so boring that nobody will watch it. It’s better to edit that same video to 5 or even 2 minutes so something new happens every moment. A good, short video will still convey the feeling that you want to share, while making the video a lot more shareable with your family.

Hope you guys enjoyed these 5 tips. If you did make sure you let me know in the comment section. Also let me know what other posts you’d like me to create. Thanks!