Tips for shooting video

If you have the expertise on staff, consider producing a video with members of your school community to tell Gov. Cuomo what your school and your students need.

The video produced by the staff of IS 228 in Bensonhurst.

The ideal video speaks right to Gov. Cuomo and is under two minutes in length. While it's advisable not to film students — if you do, you must have signed UFT parent consent forms — you may want to include parents.

Other tips:

• If you're using a phone camera, be sure to hold it horizontally.
• Keep your phone/camera as steady as possible. Tripods are best, if you have one.
• Be cognizant of lighting. Make sure people aren't in the shadows.
• If you're using a phone camera, tap the screen to focus on your interviewee.
• Get as close to the action as you can. The bigger your subject is in the shot, the better the shot. And the closer you are, the better sound you will get.
• Try to frame your shot correctly. Think about shots you've seen on the news and try to copy them.

When you're done, you can share your video in the following ways:

• Upload it to YouTube or Vimeo (ideal for full-length videos)
• Post it directly to Twitter from an iPhone (30-second time limit)
• Post it directly to Instagram (15-second time limit)

Of course, you can link to lengthier videos from Facebook and Twitter; be sure to share the link with us at uftphotos@gmail.com as well.