Better video through self evaluation

I like to think I know what I'm doing with a video camera. But occasionally, things happen to remind me that knowledge and practical application sometimes don't mesh.

In the newsroom, I try to help reporters and photographers with their videos and offer simple tips "for next time." I'm usually jokingly critical when I see errors they've been taught to avoid. Let's face it. You can't avoid every potential sound or lighting problem all the time. But I like to think that the reminders and Monday-morning quarterbacking helps us all stay alert out in the field.

A few days ago, Angela Grant over at Newsvideographer.com asked me to write a critique for a one of her readers. I was told to be honest and constructive, which I think I did a fair job of. But after I was done, I realized that despite the four or five years I've been doing web video, I make some of the same mistakes that I see less experienced videographers making.

This is a humbling realization for me and reminder that as with any craft, we should always be looking for ways to improve our skills. It reminds me of all the videos I did in my first couple of years that I now look back on with a slight sting of discomfort. It reminds me of the first video workshop I went to, where the instructors found faults in work that I had previously thought was great. I learned to get better. It also reminds me of a couple of videos I've done within the last year that probably wouldn't get through a critique without a slew of suggestions for improvement.

The point is, whether your just getting started or have already been hitting the pavement for awhile now, it helps to take an honest look at your work. And while I don't look forward to being on the receiving end of a critique, I will definitely remember to place a critical eye on my own work more often.