1. Avoid Zooming In and Out Too Much
Many digital camcorders come with a zoom in and zoom out feature. This is a good thing, but the problem is, many people get carried away. I've seen countless videos in which the camera operator keeps zooming in and out during the shoot - they generally succeed in giving me a bad headache. Use the zoom in and out feature sparingly. Even if you must use it, do it slowly. A slow, well-controlled zoom is much more professional looking than a quick zoom. Another tip is to restrict the usage of the zooms overall.
2. Steady Does It
The professionals always say "Keep It Steady". There is no doubt that when we're shooting videos, our hands tend to vibrate a little. If the vibration or shaking is too much, it will badly affect the quality of the video footage. There is one simple way to overcome this. USE A TRIPOD, or MONOPOD. You should ALWAYS use a tripod unless you have a GOOD reason not to.
3. Where Are You?
ESTABLISH YOUR LOCATION/ ENVIRONMENT - One tip that will help you tell the audience where you are, is to include a proper Establishing Shot... For example, in the movies, you may see the camera zooming in on the Statue of Liberty first, before cutting to a scene that happens within that statue. Or there is a shot of the White House before the director cuts into a scene within the Oval Office. This gives the audience a chance to follow the location and action of your film. If, for example, you film was to show students working in class, you should first establish the fact that you are at a school. This can be done by including a simply Establishing Shot showing the outside of the classroom, or schoolyard before you cut to the interior shot of the classroom.
