The Basic Rules of Videography

Great videography often looks effortless. A sweeping landscape shot, a perfectly lit interview, or a dynamic action sequence can feel so natural that you forget a person was behind the camera making it all happen. But like any craft, filmmaking is built on a foundation of rules and principles. Understanding these guidelines is the first step toward moving from simply recording video to truly creating cinematic moments.

Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker, a content creator looking to elevate your YouTube channel, or a marketer wanting to produce more engaging video ads, mastering the basics is essential. This guide will walk you through the fundamental rules of videography. Think of these not as rigid laws but as trusted tools in your creative toolkit. Knowing when to use them—and eventually, when to break them—is what separates good videographers from great ones.

We’ll cover everything from how to compose a shot to the technical settings that bring your vision to life. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear framework for creating videos that are more polished, professional, and powerful.

1. The Rule of Thirds

If you only learn one composition rule, make it this one. The Rule of Thirds is a principle borrowed from photography that helps create more balanced and visually interesting shots.

What is the Rule of Thirds?

Imagine your screen is divided into nine equal rectangles by two horizontal and two vertical lines. The Rule of Thirds suggests placing the most important elements of your shot along these lines or at the points where they intersect.

Why does this work? Placing your subject directly in the center can feel static and predictable. Off-center composition, however, creates a sense of movement and visual tension that is more engaging for the viewer’s eye. It forces the eye to travel across the frame, making the image feel more dynamic.

How to Use It

Most cameras, including the one on your smartphone, have an option to display a grid overlay. Turn this on.

• For people: Position your subject along one of the vertical lines. If they are looking or moving in a particular direction, give them “leading room” or “nose room” by placing them on the opposite side of the frame. For example, if your subject is looking to the right, place them on the left vertical line. This creates a sense of anticipation and gives their gaze a destination.
• For landscapes: Align the horizon with either the top or bottom horizontal line instead of placing it in the middle. If the sky is particularly dramatic, place the horizon on the bottom line to emphasize it. If the foreground is more interesting, place the horizon on the top line.

2. Master Your Exposure Triangle

Exposure refers to the brightness or darkness of your video. A properly exposed shot is neither too dark (underexposed) nor too bright (overexposed). Exposure is controlled by three key settings, known as the “exposure triangle”: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Aperture

Aperture is the opening in your camera’s lens that lets light in. It’s measured in f-stops (e.g., f/1.8, f/4, f/11). A lower f-stop number means a wider opening, which lets in more light. A higher f-stop number means a smaller opening, which lets in less light.

Aperture also controls the depth of field—the portion of your image that is in sharp focus.

• Low f-stop (e.g., f/1.8): Creates a shallow depth of field, where your subject is sharp and the background is blurry. This is great for portraits and interviews, as it isolates the subject.
• High f-stop (e.g., f/11): Creates a deep depth of field, where more of the scene (both foreground and background) is in focus. This is ideal for landscape shots.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed determines how long the camera’s shutter stays open to expose the sensor to light. For video, this setting has a direct impact on motion blur.

The general rule of thumb for videography is the 180-degree shutter rule. This states that your shutter speed should be double your frame rate.

• If you’re shooting at 24 frames per second (fps), your shutter speed should be 1/50th of a second (since most cameras don’t have a 1/48 option).
• If you’re shooting at 60 fps (for slow motion), your shutter speed should be 1/120th of a second.

Following this rule creates a natural-looking motion blur that is similar to what we see with the human eye. A much faster shutter speed will make movement look choppy, while a slower one will create excessive, smeared motion blur.

ISO

ISO measures your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. A low ISO (e.g., 100, 200) means the sensor is less sensitive, which is ideal for bright, well-lit conditions. A high ISO (e.g., 1600, 3200) makes the sensor more sensitive, allowing you to shoot in low-light situations.

The trade-off is that increasing the ISO introduces digital “noise” or grain into your image, which can reduce its quality. Always aim to use the lowest ISO possible for your lighting conditions. It’s better to add more light to a scene than to crank up the ISO.

3. Prioritize Good Audio

Viewers are surprisingly forgiving of mediocre video quality, but they have zero patience for bad audio. If your audience can’t hear what’s being said, or if the sound is filled with distracting background noise, they will quickly click away.

Invest in an External Microphone

The built-in microphone on your camera or smartphone is not designed for high-quality recording. It picks up sound from all directions, including unwanted ambient noise. An external microphone is the single most important piece of gear you can buy to improve your production value.

• Lavalier (Lapel) Mics: These small mics clip onto your subject’s clothing and are excellent for interviews and dialogue, as they capture clear sound directly from the source.
• Shotgun Mics: These mics mount onto your camera and are highly directional, meaning they primarily pick up sound from whatever they’re pointed at. They are great for capturing focused audio from a short distance.
• Condenser Mics: These are typically used for voiceovers and podcasts in a controlled studio environment, offering rich, high-fidelity sound.

4. Get Your White Balance Right

White balance tells your camera what “true white” looks like in a given lighting situation. Once it knows this, it can accurately reproduce all other colors. Different light sources have different color temperatures—sunlight is cool (blue), while tungsten light bulbs are warm (orange).

If your white balance is incorrect, your video will have an unnatural color cast. For example, a video shot indoors without correct white balance might look overly yellow.

Most cameras have presets for different lighting conditions (e.g., “Daylight,” “Cloudy,” “Tungsten”). While these are helpful, the most accurate method is to set a custom white balance using a white or gray card. Simply place the card in front of the camera under the light you’ll be shooting in and use your camera’s custom white balance function.

5. Shoot with a Purpose

Every shot from Huat Designs should serve a purpose in telling your story. Before you hit record, ask yourself: what is this shot trying to achieve? Random, disconnected clips will leave your audience confused. The best way to ensure your shots are meaningful is to plan them.

• Create a Shot List: A shot list is a simple checklist of every shot you plan to capture. It keeps you organized and ensures you don’t miss anything important.
• Storyboard Your Scenes: For more complex projects, a storyboard (a sequence of drawings representing the shots you plan) helps visualize the flow of your video and how different shots will connect.

6. Use a Variety of Shots

Relying on a single type of shot, like a medium shot, makes for a boring video. Mixing different shot sizes and angles keeps viewers engaged and helps convey information more effectively.

• Wide Shot (or Establishing Shot): Shows the entire scene and establishes the location.
• Medium Shot: Frames the subject from the waist up. This is great for showing body language during a conversation.
• Close-Up Shot: Focuses on a specific detail, usually the subject’s face. This is used to convey emotion and create intimacy.
• B-Roll: This is supplemental footage that is cut into your main shot to add visual interest and context. For example, if someone is talking about making coffee, B-roll could include shots of coffee beans, a portafilter, and milk being steamed.

7. Keep Your Shots Stable

Shaky footage is a hallmark of amateur videography. Unless you’re intentionally going for a chaotic, handheld look (like in an action scene), your shots should be stable.

• Use a Tripod: This is the easiest way to guarantee a steady shot.
• Go Handheld (The Right Way): If you must shoot handheld, use both hands to hold the camera, keep your elbows tucked into your body for support, and use your body (not your arms) to pan or tilt.
• Use a Gimbal or Stabilizer: These devices use motors and sensors to smooth out camera movements, allowing you to create fluid, cinematic tracking shots.

8. Pay Attention to Lighting

Lighting does more than just make your subject visible; it sets the mood, directs the viewer’s attention, and creates depth. The most common and effective lighting setup is the three-point lighting technique.

1. Key Light: This is your main light source. It’s the brightest light and is typically placed at a 45-degree angle to your subject.
2. Fill Light: This is a softer light placed on the opposite side of the key light. Its purpose is to “fill in” the dark shadows created by the key light.
3. Backlight (or Hair Light): This light is placed behind the subject. It separates them from the background, creating a subtle halo effect around their head and shoulders and adding a sense of depth.

9. Edit for Pacing and Flow

The editing process is where your story truly comes together. A good edit is invisible, guiding the viewer through the narrative without drawing attention to itself.

• Cut on Action: When editing a sequence, make your cuts during a moment of action. For example, as someone reaches for a door handle, cut from a medium shot to a close-up of their hand just as it touches the handle. This makes the transition feel seamless.
• Use J-Cuts and L-Cuts: In a J-cut, the audio from the next clip begins before the video changes. In an L-cut, the audio from the previous clip continues to play over the new clip. These techniques create a smoother, more professional flow between shots, especially in dialogue scenes.

10. Learn to Break the Rules

Once you understand these fundamental rules and why they work, you can start to experiment with breaking them for creative effect. Centering a subject in the frame can create a powerful feeling of symmetry or confrontation. A shaky, handheld shot can immerse the viewer in a chaotic moment. The key is to break the rules with intention, not by accident.

Your Next Steps in Videography

Mastering videography is a journey, not a destination. These ten rules provide a solid foundation, but the best way to improve is to practice. Pick up your camera, start shooting, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Analyze the work of filmmakers you admire. How do they use composition? What kind of lighting do they use to create a certain mood? The more you watch with a critical eye, the more you’ll absorb these techniques into your own creative vocabulary. With time and practice, these rules will become second nature, freeing you up to focus on the most important thing: telling a compelling story.