Tips on Visual Style
Developing a Visual Style: Consistency Across Media
- Are there existing treatments in video or print?
- Fonts (serif and sans serif)
- Color palettes
- What visual language will be used?
- Minimize intrusion of techniques on content
- Plan to cut between shots just as the eye blinks when looking around
- Use dissolves to represent change to new place or time
- Can you tell a story about your project?
- Plan a beginning, middle and end
- For a piece longer than 5 minutes, capture interest with an open sequence
- Develop sequences or scenes to illustrate the story
- Capture actions and reactions
- Shoot discreet shots
- Vary the visual scale
- Use wide shots to establish the location
- Use tight shots that show the action
- Vary the pace of the action
- Alternate between long and short shots as appropriate (3 – 10 seconds)
- Shoot only as much material as you need to cover your outline
- Will you use narration?
- Pre-interview talent, record narration, write script, re-record narration audio
- Prepare script for on-camera talent
- Print cue-cards in large type on letter-sized paper
- Consider shooting primary themes on camera and reading remainder of script
- Will you conduct interviews?
- Prepare a full range of questions covering the topic
- Interview several participants with the same questions
- Be sure to shoot multiple “cutaway” shots illustrating the themes/questions
