How to Keep Your Video Skills Sharp Over the Summer
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a storyteller, so I was very excited when I started to take video production classes in high school. I learned a lot during my junior year and was hungry to learn more. At the end of the school year, there was one thing that terrified me the most: summer vacation.
The number one thing I hated the most during summer vacation was the long break without doing anything with video. I was very anxious to keep learning and I was motivated to go out and make all of these stories that were stuck inside of my head, but I didn’t know how to do it. I had no guidance on how to help my video career during summer vacation. That is why I am writing this article, to help someone who wants to keep learning when there is no teacher present.
Here are 5 tips to keep your video skills sharp during the summer:
1. Watch More Movies
The best thing that you can do to help learn more about video is to watch movies or the type of content you want to make. Watch everything from a constructive point of view and ask questions after you finish it. How did they get that shot or effect? How did they write that scene? Why did they choose that lighting? What camera did they use? Do a couple of hours of research and try to find behind the scenes footage on that project. You never know when you are going to use those same elements for your future projects.
2. Write Something
If you don’t have gear to make something, write a story or a script. You don’t even need to know proper formatting or use scriptwriting software in order to write a good story. I won my first scriptwriting award by simply using Microsoft Word. Now is a perfect time to get all of the ideas out of your head. If you don’t want to fully write the plot out, write a paragraph summary of the entire story. The goal here is to get it on paper, so it’s out of your head.
3. Keep Learning
Use this time to learn something new. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube that cover anything you want to know. You can learn the basics of editing, proper script writing format, different lighting techniques, and many more. I still use YouTube tutorials for my editing software. If you are a student, see if your school has a subscription to lynda.com. If you don’t have access to the internet, your local library probably has sources as well. You can learn anything from Adobe Creative Cloud to Maya. The more skills you learn now, the better you become at your craft.
4. Say Yes To Everything
If given the chance, say yes to anything video related. This industry is mainly built on connections and the more connections you make early, the better chance you have to get more experience. If a friend approaches you to be a part of their small project, do it. I cannot tell you how many projects I was a part of just by knowing people. Even if it doesn’t pay, the experience you will gain is priceless. If you don’t have any connections, reach out to people for a conversation. Many filmmakers are happy to share their expertise.
5. Make Something, Anything!
Last, but not least, make something with what you have in your house. You don’t need big expensive gear to make a short film. You know that iPhone in your pocket? It can most likely film industry standard quality content. Some directors are making feature films entirely with an iPhone. I made a feature length documentary with gear less than $5,000 in total. It just shows you that it is the painter behind the masterpiece, not the brush.
Meet the Author, Brandon Young
Brandon Young is currently a Stage Technician at Walt Disney World. He is also a Producer/Director for Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village. His previous experience included being a Videographer and Editor at Trinity United Church of Christ, and a Media Specialist at North Canton Community Christian Church. He has produced projects for ESPN, NASA, TED, Sherwin Williams, Hyland Software, and the Canton Palace Theatre. He graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Digital Media Production and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Denver for Professional Dramatic Writing.
He most recently completed a documentary called “One Last Summer,” where he was the director, producer, and editor. The film premiered at the Canton Film Festival and was nominated for “Best Feature Documentary” at the Las Cruces International Film Festival. He most recently wrote a feature script called “McDonald’s Massacre” that has been accepted into eleven script writing competitions, including “Best First-Time Screenwriter” at the New York Genre Screenplay Competition and placed in the Top 3 at the Ivy Film Festival in Rhode Island. He has also a screenplay screener for the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition and is on the board for the Canton Film Festival.