The power of home-level video editing software is now progressing so fast that amazing techniques are appearing at a pace so fast that even an amateur can use them and look like an extremely creative professional; it really is that amazing, and if you have the best video editing software available for your platform then the procedure becomes even easier.
Whether you choose to add effects during the shoot or wait until you get back and do the work in post, there is so much cool content, so many great ideas out there, that you should have no problem creating an amazing video as soon as you have spent your time learning to use some great video editing software such as da vinci resolve. They say that a bad workman always blames his tools – don’t let that be you! Learn your tools, and then you can make the best of them every time. Here are a few examples to get you started!
Neon Scribbling
This technique pretty much demands that you plan the entire video in advance before you start – you’ll want to know exactly where you plan to add the scribble effects. It doesn’t necessarily have to be done in front of a green screen to add the scribble animations, but it can help – either way, once you are working in post-production, you can see where the effect works best and add it wherever you see fit for maximum creativity.
Why not blend outdoor scenes with futuristic backdrops, all the while lighting yourself in interesting ways using the scribble effect? People will be asking how you did it – whether you tell them is up to you, but as long as people are asking that question, you know you have achieved something that breaks the creativity barrier!
Drone Shooting
Drones have been available for years now, but DJI’s latest range of amateur-level drones such as the DJI Mini 2 can shoot in 4K at 30fps, have 4x digital zoom, and even a RAW mode for taking stills. The 10km range means you can create fantastic one-shot pieces that scan huge landscapes, and the Boomerang and Panorama quick shot presets will wow your viewers with little effort on your part. Some might call it cheating – I would call it making the most of your toolkit.
Operating a drone takes significant time to master, and you may be better off hiring an experienced operator with their own drone if you have no experience of using one yourself. Either way, consider getting some drone shots whether just for B-roll or as part of the main performance – you will never question if the results were worth the cost.
Alternate Speed Footage
You’ve probably already experimented with slow-motion video and realized the dramatic effect that it can create. On the other hand, faster video creates a sense of drama and urgency that would be difficult to create whilst filming at regular speed.
Mixing these two styles of film together is the best way to generate an extremely creative piece of film – the variable speeds are sure to create an element of surprise in your music video, because you are breaking traditional filmmaking rules and thus creating an innovative piece of film that will surprise even the most seasoned of video viewers.
Of course, you’ll need to drop back to regular speed for shots where your musician is in view and lip-syncing a part of the song – use this to your advantage by immediately switching back to a high-speed shot, perhaps a high-speed drone shot where you appear to move across a landscape to a new area before dropping back to your artist singing in a completely different landscape.
Use Visual Effects to the Max
When working in post-production, da vinci resolve has dozens of useful templates that will help you add interesting and engaging effects to your video content. A simple performance can be re-made into a dazzling display of visual trickery using these templates; sync the lighting and visual effects with the musical performance for the best results.
If you shoot the band in front of a green screen, this will give you the greatest latitude for making the most of da vinci resolves bank of templates. You can make the music video feel more “real” by placing your artists in amazing locations. If the track is an electronic song, these effects work even better – the predictable beat of the music can be mixed with an entirely unpredictable and creative sequence of visual effects to create a video that people will remember just as much as the song itself.