To prepare well for the shoot, you need to plan what types of shots you are going to shoot.
We recommend 5 rules for how to shoot your shots.
These rules are not set in stone! They are, like the rest of this guide, guidelines to help you compose your shots.
Consider them as benchmarks for achieving a “neutral” project. By moving away from them, you can compose more original shots … but also potentially less readable.
Keep a straight horizon line
This is a detail that can be forgotten in the heat of the moment and which greatly improves the quality of the video. We can take as a reference a horizontal line in the image (a table, the table, etc.) and make sure to keep it straight.
Frame up to the students
Frame, in general, at the height of your subject (the table for preparing a cake, the ground frosted to show winter, etc.). The viewer will feel more immersed, especially for children in other classes who will be watching your report.
Here, the framing is at the level of the pupils and the face or the eyes of one of the pupils are found on a point or a line of force. Also, the 2nd table occupies 2 thirds of the screen while the “champions” column occupies 1 third.
You can of course frame it differently. In overhead shot, the camera overlooks the subject; low angle the camera films the subject from below.
These framing each bring an effect to the scene, and can serve the purpose of your report: for you to judge!
Compose the background of the interviews
Try to avoid backgrounds glued to a white wall and choose a background that relates to what your subject is saying.
For example, a child in the foreground presents hopscotch while other children play hopscotch in the background.
Illuminate well
Because of the size of their lens and sensor, smartphones struggle in low light. Let’s help them by trying to illuminate our subjects as well as possible: a reoriented lamp can illuminate a shadow area.
Avoid filming against the light, that is to say in front of the light. For example, you can approach the subject from a window and place the camera with your back to the window.
Using the rule of thirds
It is a rule in photo and video. We imagine the image divided by 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines. Have one of the verticals cross your character and their eyes are on the top horizontal.
Also, we can try to occupy 2 thirds of the image with one element, and the last third with another element.
Example: the sky occupies 2/3 and the sea 1/3:
