Social Media
Placing elements in this on-screen area ensures that they won’t be cropped by screens or covered by user interfaces.
safe zone
This rule keeps spatial relationships clear by filming on one side of an imaginary line between subjects.
180-degree rule
This type of edit starts the audio of the next shot before the visual changes.
J-cut
This shot size captures a subject from the waist or chest up, balancing both facial expression and body language.
medium shot (or talking head)
This model helps structure your content strategy—from discovery, to building connection, to driving action.
content funnel (or marketing funnel)
This camera setting, often adjusted in relation to your frame rate, determines whether motion in your footage appears cinematic, blurry, or jittery.
(Bonus: For each look, specify how this setting is typically set in relation to the frame rate.)
shutter speed
cinematic: double FPS
staccato: faster than double FPS
motion blur: slower than double FPS
This fast-paced editing style is designed to keep viewers watching.
retention editing
Immersive audio like ringing ears or heavy breathing often accompany this technique, simulating what a character sees and hears.
POV
This Instagram feature lets you test your Reels with non-followers first.
Trial Reels
For interviews or moving subjects, this type of external mic clips onto clothing and captures consistent audio—even when the speaker is far from the camera.
lavalier (or lav)
This technique keeps the subject in the same part of the frame across cuts, guiding the viewer’s gaze smoothly from shot to shot.
eye-trace (or match cut)
This shot size highlights the environment around a subject, emphasizing both the space they occupy and their movement within it.
wide shot (or long shot)
This strategy draws people in naturally instead of telling them what to do.
pull marketing
This rule helps avoid jarring cuts by shifting the camera angle a significant amount between shots.
30-degree rule
This type of layer is placed above clips in the timeline to apply effects and color grades to multiple timeline elements at once.
adjustment layer (or adjustment clip)
This type of "dirty single" shows one character with part of another in frame, helping convey perspective and spatial dynamics—especially useful during dialog scenes.
over-the-shoulder
These are the three main types of hooks used at the start of a short-form video—combine them for a multi-pronged approach.
title hook (text on screen)
verbal hook (what you say out loud)
visual hook (what the viewer sees)
You can do this in the iPhone Camera app to prevent unwanted shifts in brightness or focus hunting.
tap and hold (or AE/AF lock)
This is applied to Log footage to convert it to Rec.709, transforming its flat color profile into standard color and contrast.
Color Space Transform (or technical LUT)
This close-up shot focuses on a detail, like a hand or object to show, not tell.
insert