Sports photography
These 5 tips will instantly make you a better sports videogapher

Do you want to up your sport videography game? Need to capture gripping highlights and more compelling action shots? Look no further than the helpful video below.

The video we are sharing today comes from BeyondTheGameTV. The channel specializes in everything sports. It also occasionally makes tip videos like the one we are sharing to help out sport video creators. The video titled “5 tips to INSTANTLY improve your SPORT videos” presents 5 tips that will help you plan your shots and to set you up for success in the editing room.

Here’s a rundown of all the tips the video covers:

Tip 1: Always shoot a variety of shots

While you should always be shooting a variety of shots for any video you make, sports videos really depend on this variety. To show all the intensity and action of the game, you will need to cut a lot to show it all. While it’s important to focus on the action, you also need to get a few wider establishing shots and extreme close-up shots.

“You needs establishing shots to set the scene for the viewers,” the video says. Establishing shots are wide shots of the entire environment your subjects are in. So, using a sports example, an establishing shot for a football game would be a shot of the entire field while the players are playing. These shots allow the viewer to know where the players are playing, which direction the teams are going and who is playing.

Close-ups, on the other hand, make nice cutaways from all the action. They are especially effective when slowed down. While most other shots are focused on the action happening, close-ups tend to focus on the player performing the action. They could be great for showing a star play or a player’s reaction to a goal.

Tip 2: Record audio at all times

The video says that it’s a big mistake to assume you can just put music over a highlight reel and not bother with audio. “Nothing makes action more real and intense than hearing the audio that goes with,” the video states.

So, always record the audio of the game and have it in the video when it is more impactful.

Tip 3: Tell a story

With every great video, you need to tell a story. Sport reels are no different. Reels shouldn’t be just highlights of the game with music. The great reels look to tell the story of the game in a compelling way. There needs to be a beginning, middle and end. You can even use the music to help tell the story if you’re short on footage.

Tip 4: Pick the right music

Piggybacking off the last item, you need to pick the right music for the video. If there are lyrics, it will affect the story of the video. Pick songs that fit with what you are making. If you want something that’s intense, pick a song that has intensity to it. If you want to make a video that switches between intensity and emotion, pick a song that has highs and lows.

Tip 5: Mix things up

Don’t use the same exact shot formula of ‘play, score, play, score’ throughout the entire video. Mix it up with a defensive shot. Show that it’s a battle. It will make the score much more impactful. And it will keep you viewers on edge, wondering if there will be a score or not.

There you have it. These 5 tips will instantly improve your sports videos if you try them. Shoot a variety of shots that tell a story when put together. Plus, pick the right music for the reel to help tell the story of the game.