Getting Started: Artistic Vision

Here you are, watching the last video you made, wondering why it looks so dull. It's not that the video is bad, far from it; it's quite competent--good lighting, textbook composition, adequate sound--it's just unmemorable. There's no vision; there's nothing powerful or unique or revealing about it. It's good, but it's not ART.

Now wait a minute, you protest, I wasn't trying to make ART. That may be so, but a little visual style can benefit every video and you don't have to be a professional to create strong, memorable, artistic videos. Although some artsy effects can only be accomplished through the use of computers and editing equipment, most are simply created through camera technique. So whether you are trying to add interest and excitement to a family video or give an industrial tape an aesthetic edge, you can use the same techniques as the pros to give your videos that memorable, artistic look.

Ten "Artistic" Camera Techniques
While all video techniques help you add style and interest to your videos, any professional can tell you that the real key to artistic images is in the camera. Even the most mundane shots can be made visually exciting through expressive camera movement, composition and simple effects. It's all about looking at the world through new eyes and using the medium to express what you see. These easy camera techniques and effects you can perform are guaranteed to add a little more artistic vision to your vide…