Video is increasingly becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives. Streaming services like Netflix, who recently reached over 139 million subscribers, make video constantly accessible. We all have our favorite films, shows, and YouTube channels that we share in group chats, or at the office water cooler. Right now, I can’t stop talking about Jordan Peele’s Us, and am getting super excited for the final season of Game of Thrones (and who isn’t? Unfriend them).

As a social content creator myself, I’ve realized that we can learn a lot from the brilliant creators of our favorite stories – not just the compelling storylines and sheer entertainment, but also the techniques that have become signatures of their work. So I decided to put together a weekly Instagram Stories series that delves into the stylistic practices of today’s most popular film directors.

Here are four of those videos & tips from the series – take a look, then see how you can incorporate the styles from your favorite directors into your own short-form video creations.

Experiment with color like Tim Burton:

Tim Burton adjusts the vibrancy and saturation of colors to bring his fantasies to life. Choosing the right color palette can help grab your audience’s attention and enhance your video branding message.

Play with perspective like Quentin Tarantino:

In Tarantino’s hit classics Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Volume 1, he uses point of view, or POV shots, to allow the audience to see the world through the subject’s eyes. Re-create this technique in product videos, tutorials, and social media takeovers.

Frame images like Wes Anderson

By centering his subjects, Wes Anderson uses symmetry to create clean, and pleasingly beautiful images in his films. Try replicating this technique or explore asymmetric frames to make your audience feel uneasy.

Plan your pacing like Jordan Peele:

Pacing is important for keeping audience attention and evoking emotion in all kinds of videos. Over the course of your next video, try offering your viewers tips before dropping in a call-to-action. The more value viewers get from your videos, the more likely they will return for more of your social media brand.

The similarity between comedy and horror is the importance of pacing. You have to build tension and release it very strategically.”
– Jordan Peele