2022
- last edited on by
Corrie
Hello Local Guides,
My name is Ashley and I’m a Community Manager at YouTube. Some of you may remember me from the Local Guides Summit last year in San Francisco. 🙂
Local Guides Summit 2017 applications will are now open and some of you may be a little nervous about the 1-minute video submission. I wanted to share a few simple tips from the YouTube Creator Academy, to keep in mind when creating your video.
Tip 1: Lighting
Good lighting keeps viewers engaged with your video. Soft, even lighting will help your camera’s image sensor maintain detail in the brightest and darkest parts of the image. Ask any top creator, the best light is always natural light. Here are a few tips to consider for great lighting:
- To achieve soft and even lighting, try shooting on a cloudy day. This can result in a good-looking, detailed image.
- On sunny days, try shooting in the shade to avoid bright sun and dark shadows.
- When filming at home, you can capture natural light by setting your camera up near a window.
Tip 2: Sound
It’s important that audiences can watch your video and understand what you’re saying. Here’s a list of things you can do to help record great sound when shooting with your phone.
- Try staying as close to the microphone as you can.
- Think through your shooting locations so that you can enter or move around within a shot without creating extra noise, which can be distracting. Don’t forget that even small background noises can have a major effect on your end result.
- Consider using an external microphone to improve your sound quality when filming in a loud environment.
Tip 3: Filming on Mobile
You can film your summit video on a computer, DSLR camera or whatever you have handy. More and more creators are starting to film on their mobile devices. Here are 7 tips to consider, if filming from your smartphone:
- If filming on a mobile device, be sure to hold your camera horizontally to shoot in 16:9 high definition
- Use the device‘s rear camera which often records in a higher resolution
- The automatic settings are great for taking photos, but not always ideal for shooting video. By disabling auto mode and using the camera’s manual settings you’ll have complete control over the images you create.
- Disable auto mode and experiment with the manual exposure, white balance, and focus settings on your camera.
- Adjust the depth of focus and exposure manually to produce a sharp, clear image.
- Lock both the exposure and focus to avoid the camera changing brightness and sharpness during your shoot.
- Locate your phone’s microphone, so you don’t cover it when shooting!
These are just a few tips for creating a great video. Don’t feel pressured to produce a professional video; the above tips are just for guidance. The most important thing to remember is to have fun and to clearly communicate the reason you want to join the Summit and your passion for Google Maps!
Be sure to check out the Creator Community for more advice on creating great video, from real YouTube Creators!
- Nepal | 
