When Spontaneity is a Good Thing

“Are you available, like, today?” That was the request on the other end of the phone line last week. A devoted daughter wanted her father’s memorial service preserved on video. It was about four hours before the service started… and the location was two hours away. Quickly packing, I arrived in plenty of time to create a stunning tribute to a great man.

#ProTip: Consider adding some spontaneity to your video.

Film shoots often have an element of spontaneity and unpredictability. Yes, planning is important, but some of the most natural and most beautiful moments will happen off-script. A good videographer will be flexible and have the equipment and personality that allows for improvisation. As a client or a person being filmed, you should feel free to voice sudden inspiration, experiment, and change plans even as the camera is rolling. If the experiment doesn’t turn out quite as expected, well, that is what editing is for. But if it does, you will likely end up with a video more natural, full of life, and dynamic than if you had stuck to the plans.

Katie Rutter is the executive producer of Thing in a Pot Productions. She has received multiple awards for her videos and the overall quality of her work, including being honored as Video Producer of the Year in 2018 by the Catholic Press Association. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our video Pro Tips in your inbox every month!