Need suggestions and tips from those more experienced.

I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to video, but I am attending some community college classes in order to understand video procedures and techniques, so I know the basics, just not the more artistic and creative parts.
I'm currently working on an almost no budget film, I do have a nice Canon HV40 to use, so camera isnt a huge deal. Its just that whenever I look over my footage, I feel it could be better in many ways.
I know there isn't a lot of tips you can give with such little detail, but one of my basic things is that I'm usually a still camera type person, and I'm not always sure what would be the most correct way of composing shots.
The film is a thriller that I wrote myself, and I was wondering if there are any techniques for such films that should be remembered.
I do watch horror, and I try to analyze all that I can, but sometimes the obvious stares us right in the face and we need someone to point it out to us.
Any help and/or criticism appreciated.
 
Its just that whenever I look over my footage, I feel it could be better in many ways.
I know there isn't a lot of tips you can give with such little detail, but one of my basic things is that I'm usually a still camera type person, and I'm not always sure what would be the most correct way of composing shots.
The film is a thriller that I wrote myself, and I was wondering if there are any techniques for such films that should be remembered.

For some this takes years to learn. Others it takes a lifetime. While individual lessons are rather short, there are lots and lots, and lots of them and they intertwine. It's the reason why Cinematographers and Directors get paid so much.

I'd suggest to grab and read some books on cinematography, which should at least give you a starting point where you can ask specific questions that we can answer on the forum.

There's a few courses by a company called Hollywood Camera Work which is kind of good to teach this stuff: Hollywood Camera Work: Master Course and Hollywood Camera Work: Hot Moves. They're a little dry, but they have good information. If memory serves me right they cost just under $400 for both. If you can stand their teaching style, it'll really help you make your shots more engaging and interesting.

http://www.hollywoodcamerawork.us/hm_index.html
http://www.hollywoodcamerawork.us/mc_index.html
 
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PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE is what will make those shots look better.

Something I recommend to people that REALLY helped me many years ago was recreating a scene from a film, exactly the same angles, trying to get similar locations and costuming. I'm extremely proud of the look (not always the story yet...) of every film I have made since I did that exercise
 
Pick several recent films, thrillers especially, that you've enjoyed watching.
http://www.movieweb.com/movies/2012/thriller

Pick a few sequences you like, analyze their composition & execution.
- What was the space like the characters moved through?
- How did the camera move through it?
- Lighting?
- Editing?

Figure out how someone else did something, reverse engineer it, and consider how you'd recreate it yourself.

Also, watch all the DVD/BR director/actor/producer/writer commentaries you can get your hands on.

GL!
 
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