Settings
- Shoot at double your delivery frame rate if you want the option to slow it — 50 or 60fps for a 25 or 30fps timeline
- Shutter at roughly double the frame rate for natural motion blur
- Lock exposure and white balance so clips match each other
- Wider apertures separate the subject, but leave enough depth to stay in focus while moving
Movement
- 01Move slower than feels natural. Almost all B-roll is improved by halving the speed.
- 02Start recording before you start moving and stop after you stop. The still moment at each end is what makes the clip cuttable.
- 03Move your whole body, not just your arms — walk the camera rather than swinging it.
- 04One movement per clip. Combining a pan with a push gives you a clip you cannot use either way.
Framing
- Put something in the foreground. Depth is what stops B-roll looking flat.
- Shoot through things — doorways, leaves, glass, gaps
- Change your height. Most people film everything from standing.
- Fill the frame for detail shots. Get closer than feels right.