Is the HERO SHOT over-used?

You know the shot.

Slow dolly in. Subject dead-centre. Bit of moody lighting. Maybe a confident arm fold if you’re feeling bold. It’s the Hero Shot, and if you work in video, you’ve probably filmed a hundred of them.

We kicked off a recent team podcast talking about exactly that: overused video tropes. The techniques that once made a piece feel fresh, but now feel like default settings. The ones we still love (sometimes), the ones we’re totally over, and the weird in-between where something is both cringe and kind of essential.

What is a trope, anyway?

A trope in video production is basically an overused device, a storytelling or visual shorthand that was once new and exciting but now shows up everywhere. Think: gimbal shots, profile interviews with loads of headroom, overly earnest pre-rolls that try a little too hard to feel “real.”

As we dug into it, we realised: a lot of tropes still work. But it’s the intent – and context – that matters.

The Hero Shot: Overdone or Underrated?

Let’s start with the big one. The Hero Shot.

It’s that slick, composed moment you often see at the start or end of a branded film or doc. Subject in focus, slow motion, maybe, looking important. Sometimes with a dolly, sometimes just a confident stare into the lens.

We’ve used them loads. Everyone has. And honestly, they still do a job, especially if you want to visually show who the story is about without spelling it out. But when every project ends up with the same arms-folded, moody-lit, slo-mo glance… you’ve got to ask if it’s still serving the story, or just muscle memory.

As one of us put it, “I looked at our recent Insta grid and realised half of it is hero shots.” Time for a detox, maybe?

Forced Authenticity: A Pre-Roll Problem

Another trope that’s started to grate? The “authentic” pre-roll.

You know the one – someone walks into frame, sits down, sighs, looks off-camera and says, “Where do I look?” Supposed to feel real and spontaneous. But if it’s in the brief? It’s probably not.

Sometimes this works if it’s genuinely caught off the cuff, or it suits the tone. But if you’re faking casual, people can tell. Audiences are smart. And when you read a brief that literally scripts someone saying “So… where do I begin?”, it kills the whole point.

A better example? The football podcast The Overlap, where the mics roll before anyone’s really aware. Conversations about muffins and weekend plans. That kind of candid energy can’t be storyboarded.

Netflix Doc-Inspired Setups: Time to Evolve?

Another one we’ve seen a lot of lately: clients asking for that “Netflix look.” Extreme wides. BTS elements like C-stands in frame. Massive headroom. Very “we know we’re filming a documentary.”

It can work. But again, not every project needs to look like Beckham. Especially if it’s a low-stakes branded video about an office refurb.

Instead, maybe we think more about why we’re framing someone a certain way, not just replicating whatever was in the last big doc we watched. Robbie Williams being interviewed lying on a bed? That worked because it was him. Not because it was quirky. It felt personal, strange, specific – which made it memorable.

Gimbals, Drones, Sliders – The Tech That Took Over

Sometimes it’s not a shot – it’s a tool that becomes a trope.

Gimbals? Useful. But not everything needs to be buttery smooth. We’ve seen entire videos shot on dual gimbals, same focal length, same floaty vibe – and it just feels… lifeless.

FPV drones? Spectacular the first time. That bowling alley one? Yeah, that was cool. But after that, it quickly became novelty for novelty’s sake. (“Cool – now I never need to see that again,” was a direct quote.)

Every tool has its place. But not every shoot needs every tool.

Match Cuts, Whip Pans, and Editing on the Beat

In the edit suite, we’ve seen similar patterns.

There was a time when every travel film was full of whip pans and match cuts. You’d see a coffee cup morph into a cathedral into a scooter and so on. Flashy, energetic, visually clever, but over time, a bit hollow.

The best transitions aren’t just cool, they’re motivated. The move makes sense. It connects two ideas or contrasts them in a meaningful way. That’s what makes it land.

Also, remember when every client asked for cuts to hit the beat? Thankfully, that’s fading. There’s a growing appreciation for pacing that’s driven by content and feeling, not just BPM.

In Defence of Tropes (Sometimes)

Here’s the thing: we don’t hate any of these tropes outright.

We’ve used them. We still use them – if the story calls for it. Hero shots, pre-rolls, slow zooms, match cuts – they can all work. They’ve become tropes because they work. It’s just about keeping them intentional, not habitual.

When a trope fits the tone, when it’s rooted in something authentic, when it actually enhances what you’re trying to say; that’s when it lands.

But if it’s just there because you saw it in a Netflix doc or the last project did it… Maybe time to rethink.

A trope isn’t bad. It’s just a lazy trope that’s bad.

Think about context. Think about character. Think about tone. And maybe – just maybe – don’t shoot everything on a gimbal.

🎧 Want to hear the full conversation? List on Spotify