Being a videographer is not easy. You need to be creative, master the use of post-production softwares, be active on social media, create a website to offer your services… all while working and improving your skills. And, on top of all that, you’re also expected to be on top of the latest video trends and know how to differentiate them from passing fads.
It’s hard to believe anyone could have time to pay enough attention to all of it. To make things at least a bit easier for you, we have selected some of the biggest video trends we’ll see next year. Touching up on gear, popular topics, production, and getting the final result out there for the world to enjoy. Despite how popular certain video trends may become, remember that what makes your work valuable is the unique personality that only you can give them. As Orson Welles said: A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.
Vertical videos are now a thing
There was a time where everyone made fun of people who shot vertical videos. This practice, caused by the proliferation of smartphones, was satirically referred to as Vertical Video Syndrome. Fast-forward just a handful of years, and the whole world is now infected by this fictitious disease.
Videos are mostly consumed on vertical devices, an obstacle that most creators initially overcame by adapting their videos to a 1:1 format. This was a comfortable middle ground between creators and consumers, allowing for larger displays while minimizing the crop factor. But it all changed in mid-2018, with the launch of IGTV. Having such a valuable tool purely dedicated to vertical video has had a major effect on media creators, who are now in the midst of re-inventing their creative process.
Video content rules social media
As mindless scrolling becomes the norm, video has become an amazing tool to catch viewers’ attention, if only for a few seconds. This practice is considered one of the best hacks to beat the Instagram algorithm, as the system analyzes users’ behavior and promotes content that gets noticed the most.
The effect also extends to websites, as having users spend time watching your videos can have a beneficial effect on your site’s SEO. On top of that, showcasing a wider range of skills will significantly expand your potential audience.
Videography websites are on the rise
A few years ago, videographers lived on Youtube and Vimeo. Eventually some of them gravitated to Facebook, and lately to Instagram. But somehow there was never a big move to personal sites. One of the main reasons behind this is the difficulty of displaying video without damaging loading speed. There’s no point of creating a videographer portfolio if all visitors leave before the content loads.
But technology moves fast, and nowadays tools such as Wix Video allow creators to showcase their work without affecting their site’s performance. As a result, most videographers are creating websites to bring their online presence together and increase their business opportunities. Unlike social platforms, having their own website allows them to sell their work or get booked without third-party costs.
Travel, explore, shoot videos, repeat
Oh, the places everyone seems to go! Travel videos are not something new, but their popularity keeps growing and it doesn’t seem like it will slow down any time soon. Especially not with the way wanderlust has carved its existence into the very core of social media.
Videographers are traveling the word in search of new adventures and jaw-dropping visuals. Most of these trips are actually sponsored by brands who collaborate with popular social media creators to increase their exposure among young audiences. If you haven’t done so yet, now is the time to learn how to make travel video and expand your creative capabilities. You never know where your breakthrough could come from.
A drone is a videographer’s best friend
Or so it seems. It has actually become quite difficult to find videos that do not include drone footage. In the early days, drones were only accessible for professional videographers with large budgets. Their use was limited to a selection of projects, mostly focused on documentaries about certain locations or wildlife. As their use became more popular, this initial theme was maintained. The majority of drone videos were focused on travel or showing landscapes and wildlife from a new perspective.
Nowadays drones are accessible to nearly everyone, regardless of their budget and skill level. Because of this, flying footage can be found in pretty much any topic. While travel is still the main subject, it’s common to find drone sequences on event videos, wedding coverage, and even real estate content. And it doesn’t stop at video. Drones will also be one of the biggest photography trends in 2019.
Cinematic looks as the general aesthetic
“How do I make my video look cinematic?” Lately, that has been one of the most commonly asked questions. Video creators are trying to give their content a film appearance, as if it had been shot on film stock. Ideally, this cinematic look is being developed from the moment the camera starts recording. Color profile, lighting, camera movements, and even scene design all have a significant impact in how well you can achieve the perfect film look.
However, in reality the vast majority of videographers rely heavily on post-production in order to cut down costs and effort. They start with a video shot at 24fps, which is later adapted to wide screen cinema standards by adding the cine bars, and then color graded for the final touch.
The dolly zoom is back, back again
Also known as push-pull and vertigo effect, the dolly zoom combines the angle of view and camera movement to challenge visual perception. As the camera moves towards or away from the scene, the zoom is adjusted to keep the subject in the same size. This results in background elements seemingly changing sizes in comparison to the subject. This effect was first seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo.
Ironically enough, this in-camera effect is now widely used with drone footage, despite the fact that drone cameras cannot modify their field of view. What makes it possible is the high resolution in which these cameras film, as the footage can be zoomed in or out in post-production. This trend is becoming so popular that drone manufacturers are starting to add this effect in as part of the default settings.
Action cameras are not just for sports
It’s been 15 years since action cameras came to life, but the idea of shooting POV videos has been around since the 60s. What started with huge film cameras attached to helmets, has evolved into incredibly high-quality gear that fits in the palm of a hand.
In addition to offering a unique point of view, action cameras are built to withstand what others can’t – such as water, dust, and shock – and can even capture 4K video. How these cameras have made a spot for themselves past the action footage is pretty clear: The best camera you have is the one with you. Regardless of what you shoot, you’re likely to find yourself in a situation where you won’t be able to carry a lot of gear.
Cinemagraphs, a not so new medium
Cinemagraphs combine still photos with repetitive movement, usually as a minimal part of the scene. They have been around for quite a long time, yet new developments in the media world are paving the perfect road for further growth of this trend. GIFs are more popular than ever and the borders between photographers and videographers seem to fade a bit more every day.
Since they fall in some middle ground between photo and video, cinemagraphs are a great way to catch viewer’s attention even in oversaturated platforms such as social media. They can have the same effect on websites, adding minimal motion to otherwise static pages. On top of that, learning how to make a cinemagraph will also give your creativity a boost, as you explore a whole new way to capture your surroundings.
It’s easier than ever to slow down time
Slow motion videos used to be limited to those who could afford spending lots of money on special camera equipment. Because of this, content used to be focused in showing the astonishing visuals of certain actions seen in slow motion. You have probably seen a fair share of water drop splashes and apples being shot.
Over time, this effect has evolved to become part of larger videos, used simply to highlight specific instants or movements. Most of it is actually developed in post-processing as pretty much any camera, including smartphones, is capable of shooting at a high frame rate.