How to film your own Insta-worthy cat videos.

The internet is full of cute and funny cat videos, but there’s always room for a few more!

If your cat can do amazing tricks, has some weird habits or is just plain adorable then capturing their antics on camera is a great way to share them with the world.

We’d love for you to share them with us too, and you might even have a chance of winning in our Alternative Cat Awards! Just share your videos on Twitter or Instagram with #AlternativeCatAwards and they’ll be entered into the competition. We’ve got a panel of fabulous celebrity judges to help us pick the winner, who will receive a pawsome goodie bag worth £100!

To help you capture the best footage of your feline, we’ve put together some top tips for making brilliant cat videos…

1. Plan ahead (if you can!)

As you’re probably aware, cats aren’t usually ones for performing on command and so planning a time and place to capture their antics isn’t always possible. However, you may be able to set aside a time of day when they’re usually at their most active, perhaps just after they’ve eaten or early in the morning when they’ve woken up, to increase your chances of getting some good footage. Remember to always do the filming on their terms though, as forcing them to perform when they don’t want to will only stress them out.

2. Get the light right

Generally the more light you have while filming the better, as low light conditions can leave you with dark and grainy footage. Natural daylight is usually best, but if this isn’t available then set up some bright lamps to light your scene. Position the light source behind you, pointing at your subject, to avoid any shadows.

3. Clear any clutter

Removing any distractions from the scene will make sure your moggy is the main focus of the video so, if you can, keep the area where you’re planning to film nice and tidy. Also think about the colours in the background in comparison with the colour of your cat. Filming a black cat against a black background is going to be tricky, so try to find a good contrast.

4. Perfect your framing

When you start to film, make sure you can fit all of your cat in the frame and try leaving some room around the edges so that you can capture the action if they move about. You’ll also need to consider which orientation you’re filming in. If your cat is running and pouncing along the floor then holding the camera or phone horizontally is best, but if they are jumping upwards then holding it vertically may make more sense. The good news is, most social media platforms can accommodate for both landscape and portrait orientations these days.

5. Keep quiet

As any wildlife photographer knows, it’s best to keep as quiet as possible while filming. Not only will this prevent your subject from being disturbed by any unexpected noise, but it will also mean there won’t be any distracting sounds in the background of your video. It’s especially important to make sure there’s no music playing in the background as this may prevent social media platforms from letting you upload your footage due to copyright restrictions.

6. Always be ready

You never know when the perfect filming opportunity will arrive, so keep your camera or phone close by so you don’t miss the moment. It’s always good to get more footage than you need by pressing record early and leaving a bit of time before you stop the recording. You can always trim your footage later using an editing app to single out the main piece of action.

Find out more about the Alternative Cat Awards.