If it wasn’t because of YouTube, many talented people would have been unnoticed by the rest of the world. A lot of amateur dancers and singers have established themselves by sharing their work on social media platforms, raising the bar for content of high quality on this platform. The public wants to watch interesting videos, and artists would like their content to be noticed.
If you’re interested in filmmaking and dance you could have a area of expertise. Be aware that there are a lot of dance videos available and only a handful appear to be worth watching, let alone sharing. We’ve put together some of the essential information you should be aware of prior to stepping to explore the world dancing videography.
Filming
Working in an Team
Have you got a group to collaborate with you on your idea? It’s great! Make use of each person’s contribution and utilize several cameras. Make sure you have one camera continuously filming the entire dance – use it to get a clear image that shows the entire dance beginning to end. This will be the base image to use for your video and make use of it to check that the editing isn’t messing up the choreography.
Make use of other cameras to capture the dancers closer to them. For instance, you could make your second camera operator move around using a stabilizer to take dynamic photos from different angles. You can also get more static images as well as close-ups and details by shifting the position of a different camera. A tripod isn’t required but useful.
This technique is perfect to capture live performances with only one shot to capture all the information you want. If you have pre-rehearsed music videos the method will also help speed things up and you’ll only need your subject to dance a few times before you can capture the dancers from every angle.
Nail It All By Oneself
Do you have no teammates? Don’t worry, you can still make amazing dance videos on your own. There are many ways to go about it.
One option is to capture the entire sequence in one single frame. An motion or DSLR camera that has a built-in stabilizer or gimbal will perform just fine. This type of shooting leaves little room for creativity, however it is possible to play around by adjusting angles and selecting your highlights by moving closer. There’s also space to experiment with color grading as well as special effects during the editing phase.
The second option could be to setup a camera to capture that basic picture we discussed earlier and then use a different camera for moving around. The one drawback to this method is that you aren’t able to control the still camera , and it’s hard to know the moment you entering the frame in the wrong place at the wrong moment. In addition, you should follow the same guidelines we described for filming a teamwork.
Third option is the most difficult however, it’s also the most affordable option, since you won’t need to lease an additional camera. It’s best to do everything using only one camera. In the beginning, you take a fundamental shot of the entire process. You may want to record it from several different angles, like moving closer or moving to the side. You can then shoot the entire scene by moving around and taking close-ups. Of course, you’ll have to ask dancers to perform the same dance routine several times and give them the opportunity to make corrections and give an additional piece of footage to fix these mistakes in editing.
If you are hosting live events, the second choice will be the most effective. If you’re only carrying one camera take a video of the entire event in one frame and take a few cutaways of the audience and general atmosphere. For music videos that are specifically recorded there are three options that could work.
General Filming Tips
Try to find strange angles and angles. Take a few close-ups of dancers’ feet using the camera to the ground. Get on windowsills, chairs or nearby terraces – any horizontal surfaces that aid you in rising above the scene to get an improved view. Photograph emotional close-ups of eyes, faces and hand gestures. It is possible to search for them while dancers are moving about and sometimes, getting your camera set up and standing still will suffice to watch your subjects go by.
Editing
Music Video
The most straightforward part about making music video edits is to are aware of the exact soundtrack you want you’ll need and the best way to apply it to the video. All you have you to do is use the music with care and precision to ensure that each beat on the track is in sync with the background music you’ve recorded.
The tough part is fitting the cuts. It is when you will need to go through your footage many times to determine which cutaway is suitable at a specific spot. If dancers are performing various movements, you should try to arrange your footage to make sense for instance, if the person in the picture starts turning, you should find an identical close-up of the person who is finishing their turn and combine them. This will give the illusion of continuous movement despite because the clips are derived from various choreographic elements. Sometimes, you can create an entirely new dance choreography by mixing clips that appear connected.
When you add details and close-ups, remember the things you must concentrate on initially. If it’s the emotions or the mood, gather every cutaways you can think of and then focus on close-ups. If you’re doing choreography ensure that your cutaways don’t disrupt the flow of the dance and you’ll be able to still see the overall structure and flow of dance in clear detail.
Highlights from the Event
Making summaries of the dance performances (e.g. concerts, parties or events) is a different tale. The majority of these are short 1-3-minute moments with a single soundtrack for all of them. Most of the time, you’ll be thinking about how to combine the various elements, that involve people dancing to different songs, and this is where the real work starts. You’ll need to select one music track. After that, you need to carefully choose the tracks which best suit the most memorable parts of your soundtrack. You can play around with the music and not the other way around.
If you see that someone is moving too quickly or slow there is a possibility of making minor changes to the speed. Most of the time speeds up or slows up the speed of videos by about 10-20% could not be noticeable to the human eye but it will allow you to connect the clips into one seamless sound track.
You can try using the same effect by using continuous motion. For instance, if you shoot a couple who walks toward the left and back, then let the couple from the following shot complete their movement in the exact direction.
General Editing Tips
Be sure to verify that the choreographic elements you have included in your video are in sync with the beat, or else everything will appear out of time. Sometimes, you’ll have to go through a number of videos in this particular style of dance to get a clear understanding of the connection between specific moves as well as the rhythm. Yes, it’s more work, but the outcome is well worth it.
Additional Elements
Mixing stories or abstract cutaways, as well as the effects of special effect – it’s all available for you to play with. Be aware it’s all all about showcasing the beauty of the dance as a whole. So , whatever you decide to add to your video clips make sure it is designed to serve the purpose of showing and not distract the viewers.
Do you need a dance show videographer? Get in touch with the experts at danceshowfilming.uk