There’s a famous quote from the Dalai Lama:
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”
If he’d been talking about making videos, he might have said:
“Let your viewers see you from all angles, and they will become more engaged.”
Why do different angles help?
Using a mixture of angles in your film adds visual interest and makes it look more professional.
Especially if you’re making a how-to video or one which involves you doing something rather than just talking to the camera. People like to see what you’re showing them from a variety of perspectives, just like they would in real life.
Whilst a single-shot video is simpler to make – and might feel a better way to communicate your message – a video made up of a variety of shorter clips is actually more interesting to watch.
So by switching from one angle to another through your video, you can give your viewers a deeper, more engaging experience and help them feel like they are right there with you.
The key is to think about the purpose of your video and consider whether there are extra shots you can take to complement your main angle. This might involve a section showing a product or setting in more detail, or additional clips of the same activity from different perspectives. For example, if you’re demonstrating an exercise move, your viewers will find it helpful to see you do it from the side as well as in front.
My advice is to have a play and explore recording extra footage from different angles to add to your film.
Don’t forget to factor this into your script-writing process as well by adding pauses or voiceover sections for when the shot moves off you talking to the camera. Or set up a second camera on a tripod to record you from a different angle while you speak.
Top tip:
Make sure that when you switch perspectives, you shift by at least 45 degrees. Small changes can just look messy and jarring, so your angle shift needs to be big enough to be obviously deliberate. And don’t change the angle too often either, you don’t want your viewers to get seasick!
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