What Separates Amateur Videos from Professional Videos?
These days, “high-quality” video is easily attainable. In your pocket or purse, there is likely a cellphone that can film up to 4k resolution with image stabilization built in. Furthermore, 5-axis gimbal rigs and tripods can be obtained for well under $300. These can give you a perfectly stable image, so you may be asking: “Why would anyone need to hire a professional team to film talking head type videos for their business?” The answer is more complex than many initially think.
Think about it this way: you can give a paint brush to anyone and they’ll create something, but you can’t expect a Da Vinci style masterpiece from just anyone. Just as a paintbrush can’t turn anyone into an artist, a good camera can’t turn someone into a professional filmmaker.
In short, good filmmaking is more than just equipment, it’s a combination of all sorts of skills and abilities. Professionals know how to balance a photo’s subject and other external elements in order to produce the most effective picture. We’re trained to think outside of the box when it comes to things like perspective, direction, lighting, and sound elements. We know how to take risks that will pay off, artfully toying with variables such as manual exposure, composition, color correction/grading, and other similar technicalities
But instead of explaining with our words, we’ll explain it using the tool we know best: a video. The clip below explains the difference between an amateur production and a professional video, all using the exact same camera and studio location.