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Creating video content is one of the best ways to engage an audience and develop your brand. Done right, video can capture attention, sell products, and push your audience toward a clear course of action. But creating effective video content isn’t all that easy. There’s a lot that goes into professional videography.
Today we’re going to take a look at some of these elements. Here are a few easy tips to make your videos look more professional.
Video, much like photography, relies on good lighting to ensure your final product is quality. When setting up your shoot, ensure you have enough light to make out all the important details of the shot. Use natural light where possible and ensure the light is shining on your face and not on your back.
If using artificial light, opt for sources that are closer to eye level and that evenly disperse the light so it’s not too harsh. Avoid overhead or ceiling lights as these will cast harsh shadows on your subject. Ring lights are a great option for videographers looking to capture a crisp shot without sacrificing on detail.
Video audio is just as important as the visual elements of the shot. Without clear audio, you risk annoying or alienating your audience as they struggle to understand you.
When filming your audio, always use a microphone. This can be free standing or in the form of a clip-on lapel microphone. Which option you choose will depend on the scene you want to shoot. If you’re shooting a close-up, vlog-style video, a freestanding mic will do the trick. If you intend to shoot full-body or three-quarter-body then a boom or lapel microphone will be more suited.
When recording your shot, you have to ensure your audio quality is clear and without echoes. Echoes happen when sound rebounds off hard or harsh surfaces. If you’re filming in an empty room, for instance, you’ll find your audio picks up more echo.
To keep audio echoing to a minimum, try to film in locations that soften the sound. This might mean heading outdoors or into a carpeted room. Scattering pillows or sheets also helps to soften sound.
Before you step in front of a camera, you have to know your content. Whether you’re running off a script or ad-libbing on a specific subject, you have to know what you’re going to talk about before you start rolling.
Knowing your content also applies to those behind the camera. You ought to be working off a clear plan or a storyboard to ensure each shot you take is relevant and clean. If you don’t have a plan for shooting, that will impact your editing stage and, in turn, make your video less professional.
A call to action is a clear instruction to your audience. It tells them what next step you want them to perform and how. A call to action is essential in all marketing campaigns as it gives your audience a clear path to follow that will ensure they do what you want them to do.
A video call to action might take the form of an invitation to share your video content or buy a product you’re showcasing. Whatever you choose for your call to action, it must be simple, clear, and easy to do.
Social media has changed the game when it comes to video orientation and output. Traditionally, horizontal framed films were the norm – and they still are in a lot of contexts. If you’re filming a video for a website or a presentation you’d still use the horizontal orientation.
However, if you’re filming for a social media feed, you should opt for a square orientation. This ensures no part of the thumbnail is cropped when uploading it. For things like live videos or mobile-specific content, portrait or vertical videos are the go-to.
What orientation you choose to output will depend on the context of your video, so you ought to know that context before filming.
It can be tempting to film something all in one take and upload it, and for some contexts this might work well as a format, however, most videos benefit from professional editing.
Editing is the practice of cutting and rearranging different shots to produce a final video. Editing allows you to clean up your video’s narrative and ensure there are no superfluous shots taking away from your overall message.
Professional editing tightens up your end product, making sure each second of your video is pulling its weight.
Humans are storytelling creatures. We love a good narrative so the best way to engage an audience is to give them just that. Even if your video content isn’t fictional, you ought to be telling a story with it. Your content should have a clear beginning, middle, and end and it should guide your audience through each stage.
A clear, concise narrative will serve to engage your audience and give them the right lead up to your call to action. Without a story, you risk boring or alienating your viewers – both things you want to avoid at all costs.
Videography is a skill like any other – it takes dedication and practice to get right. Understanding the importance of lighting, audio, storytelling, and more will help you be able to produce killer video content that will wow your audience.
Now you have a few video tips under your sleeve.
Looking for help on your next videography project? Get in touch today and see how we can help you turn out professional looking video content.
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