Over the last month, I’ve shot and edited more professional video than the previous three years (COVID and all of that) and I’ve really enjoyed learning new tricks. The stuff I’m shooting for myself is pretty basic—setting up a couple of GoPros and recording the entire scene, while the stuff for work is more tightly scripted and produced. I’ve spent a lot of time developing narratives and building out stories from a rough outline, and then teasing out those stories during live interviews, which is challenging and fun.

I’ve also been using a new camera/sound rig: a Sony A7Sii with a wireless RODE mic setup, which has been a challenge to learn but has been yielding some excellent footage. I’ve also done a crash course in shooting S-Log to color-correct in post production, which is a lot like shooting photographs in RAW and making adjustments in the processing workflow. Finally, I’m pushing the boundaries of what I know about Final Cut Pro to take advantage of all of these new methods, and I feel like I’m a lot more proficient with the editing suite.

I think the next thing I really need to push are my setups and framing, to make things look and feel more interesting. Basic interviews are easy, but making them visually interesting is key.