Video tips for stills shooters #2: Simple storytelling

By Tim Robinson | 25 September 2024

Creating an engaging video is not difficult, but there are a few things to keep in mind to effectively communicate what you are trying to say to your audience.

Have a clear message

Your message is the most important factor in storytelling, so before hitting record on your camera, be clear about what you want to communicate. Your message may come in the form of a presentation to camera, narration, or an interview.

Whichever way you decide to convey your topic, you need to introduce your idea, give some detail, and then conclude with a call to action. A call to action may be how your audience can contact you, how they can respond to your content, or perhaps a Jerry Springer style ‘final thought’ – remember that crazy show?

Supporting imagery

Once you have recorded your message, you need to add supporting imagery into your video to keep your audience engaged. This is sometimes known as ‘b-roll’, which refers to any intercut imagery that is not the main action.

An establishing shot to provide some context and set the location.

Consider what has been communicated in your message, as this will help you to decide on what images will fit best. You don’t need to cover your entire video with b-roll, but it is a way to keep your video dynamic and captivating. There are a few kinds of imagery you may consider:

Shooting in sequence

I like to shoot b-roll footage in sequences. Here is an example. During a recent road trip following photographers Darran and Frazer Leal across Central Australia, my two subjects came across a pair of Wedge-tailed eagles.

So I wouldn’t miss the action, I first shot b-roll of the eagles in case they didn’t stick around for long.

Initial shots of the eagles were the first priority, as they could always fly away and without them the footage wouldn't work.

Then, I filmed Darran and Frazer with the eagles inside the frame. I like to shoot over my subjects’ shoulder towards the main subject to show scale and proximity.

An over the shoulder shot like this gives a sense of size and distance.

A wrap around shot showing the subjects.

A still from the motion shot showing the subjects moving closer.

Then, I reversed the shot to film back towards Darran in action. After I had all the shots I needed with the eagles in frame, I captured a few additional angles of Darran taking photos and approaching the birds.

An interview to camera. This has the added bonus of also being able to run over the b-roll footage if needed.

Lastly, I interviewed Darran about the scene, so that we could tell a story over the b-roll we just captured.

Photographs

Photographs can be a great source of b-roll to support your message. Again, try to shoot images in sequence, mixing up your shot size and changing your point of view for variety.

Graphics

You might also like to include a title screen, a map, or some other graphic. Just keep in mind that you should only use imagery that supports your message and will engage your audience. ❂