Expand Your Vision: Unconventional Ways to Sharpen Your Videography Skills
December 11, 2023
Good videographers rely on technical prowess, creativity, and inspiration to stay at the top of their field. So, professional videographers always look to innovate, improve, and remain inspired to stay at the cutting edge of their craft. Interestingly, as a filmmaker and videographer, sometimes the best way to keep your videography skills sharp is to step away from videography altogether. By exploring seemingly unrelated art forms like music, dance, and literature, you can profoundly impact your approach to videography and develop creative innovations to your craft.
Exploring Unconventional Influences
One of the biggest challenges professional filmmakers can face, especially with a high volume of client work, is falling into a “style” rut. This can happen when you’ve perfected a “look” that you can replicate quickly, but then you find that you are no longer being challenged creatively when it feels that you are just rubber stamping your work and putting out content that essentially all feels the same. That is when exploring other sources outside of videography can be the key to refining your skills.
Cross-Pollination of Art Forms
Art forms like painting, music, and literature can offer unexpected insights into your role as a filmmaker. For example, a painting course would not only break down the fundamentals of using light and color to create your image but would also reveal what draws the viewer’s attention and how to guide their eye through the image by using composition. All skills that are essential in videography.
Learning from Diverse Disciplines
Courses in music or songwriting can improve your sense of timing and help you think about how to craft mood within your shots. Taking a literary class can show you the mechanics of narrative and give you tools for applying that to a visual medium. Philosophy or psychology classes shed light on how humans think and communicate, allowing you to convey your intended message through your videography better.
Borrowing Across Genres
When Dave Grohl wrote the drum tracks for Nirvana’s Nevermind, he borrowed heavily from the disco grooves he heard from bands like The Gap Band, Cameo, and Tony Thompson. By borrowing across genres, he created something fresh because it was being used in a new way. Similarly, you should explore different genres from a diverse range of filmmakers to explore how you can incorporate their techniques in your work. For instance, can any techniques used to build tension in a horror film be applied to a fashion shoot? How could you translate the energy of a music video into a documentary format? Through this process, you will discover new tools and techniques to add to your toolbox that will feel dynamic, fresh, and innovative.
Always Explore and Learn
Encourage a mindset of perpetual learning, and stay receptive to influences from diverse sources. You never know where you will draw inspiration that will evolve your videography and, in turn, inspire others. In the ever-evolving landscape of videography, we always seek inspiration and to feel engaged. By venturing into uncharted territories, we elevate our craft. So embrace the unexplored, continue to question, nurture your passion and curiosity, and as always - create.
Dremaceo Giles is a filmmaker, editor, and artist from Houston, Texas.