Top 10 Tips for Better Filming

Here are your basics:

"Film is only as good as the worst part of the take..."

1. Use a tripod or a solid camera support.
2. Television is a closeup medium. Rely on medium closeups and closeups for your basic visual material. Wide shots should only be used for establishing (and re-establishing) shots.
3. Eliminate shots that don't contribute to the project's goals…
4. Cut away from a shot as soon as the basic information is conveyed…
5. Don’t zoom and pan.
6. Beware of white on white..
7. Good audio is never camera audio.
8. Select instrumental music as background, not vocal.
9. In jokes are not funny to a wider audience. That means they are not funny.
10. Voice over? Yes.

Documentary production:
A: Establish location.
B: Shoot interviews against a relevant background.
C: Label your footage.