---
watermark: ORIRO
disable-model-invocation: true
name: creative-video
provider: ORIRO.ai
copyright: Copyright (c) 2026 ORIRO.ai
description: >



  Video production — shooting, editing, audio, color grading, storytelling, and distribution.



  Sources: Open educational resources, Canva Design School, MIT OCW Architecture, design classics.
---

# Video Production

## The production process

**Pre-production:** Script, storyboard, shot list, location scouting, casting, scheduling.
**Production:** Shooting. Multiple takes, coverage (different angles), sound.
**Post-production:** Editing, color grading, sound design, graphics, export.

Pre-production investment pays off in production efficiency. "Fix it in post" is a trap.

## Shooting fundamentals

### Camera movement and support

**Tripod:** Stable shots. Foundation of professional video.
**Handheld:** Deliberate aesthetic choice (documentary feel, intimacy). Otherwise, stabilize.
**Gimbal:** Smooth movement while moving. Used for walk-and-talk, following subjects.
**Slider/dolly:** Horizontal or forward/backward movement. Cinematic.

### Framing and shot types

**Extreme wide shot:** Establishes location context.
**Wide shot:** Shows full subject in environment.
**Medium shot:** Waist up. Standard interview shot.
**Close-up:** Face or detail. Emotional connection.
**Insert:** Detail shot (hands, objects). Used in editing for coverage.
**Rule of thirds in video:** Eyes in upper third. Headroom above, lead room in direction of gaze/movement.

### Coverage for editing

The "180-degree rule": Keep camera on one side of a line between subjects. Crossing the line = disorienting cut.
**Cutaway shots:** B-roll that you cut to during A-roll (interview). Shot list: 3-5 B-roll shots for every 1 minute of finished video.
**Match cut:** Action continues across a cut from different angle. Requires shooting action beginning and end on each angle.

## Audio — the most important element most people ignore

"People will tolerate bad video with good audio. They won't tolerate good video with bad audio."
**Microphone types:**
On-camera mic: Worst option for most interviews.
Directional (shotgun): Pointed at source. Good for run-and-gun.
Lavalier (lapel): Clip to clothing. Best for interviews. Natural sound.
**Rule of thumb:** Get microphone as close to source as possible.
**Monitor audio while recording:** Headphones on the camera operator or sound person.
**Room acoustics:** Hard surfaces cause reverb. Soft furnishings absorb sound. Avoid rooms with echo.

## Editing principles

**Pacing:** Cut to the rhythm of the content, not the music.
**Cut on action:** Cut in the middle of a movement for seamless transitions.
**L-cut / J-cut:** Audio from next/previous scene overlaps the cut. Creates smooth transitions.
**Story drives editing:** Every cut must serve the story. If a shot doesn't add, cut it.
**30% rule:** Your first assembly cut will be about 30% longer than needed. Start cutting after you have an assembly.

## Color grading

**Color correction:** Fix problems — exposure, white balance, matching shots.
**Color grading:** Stylize — create mood and look.
**LUTs (Look Up Tables):** Pre-built color grades. Apply as starting point; adjust.
**Skin tones:** Protected territory. Never green, blue, or magenta skin regardless of grade.

## Export settings (common)

**YouTube/web:** H.264, 1080p, 8 Mbps for 1080p, 20 Mbps for 4K.
**Archive:** ProRes or DNxHD/HX (larger but higher quality).
**Frame rate:** Match what you shot. 24fps = cinematic. 30fps = standard broadcast. 60fps = smooth/sports.

Sources: No Film School (nofilmschool.com — free), DSLR Video Shooter (YouTube/free), Resolve official tutorials (DaVinci Resolve is free), FilmRiot (free education)