Videos are a major way to drive views to your site. The reality is that many people just don’t have the time to read through page after page of an article, so condensing that important information into a video makes everyone happy. The versatility offered by this format is also a plus.
Unfortunately, it takes a little more skill to produce a video that looks good than it is to write an article, and those skills don’t exactly overlap. We’ve got your back, though. Let’s take a look at 14 video production tips that will knock your socks off so that you can proceed to knock the socks off your site’s visitors.
With these 14 tips, you should now be able to make great videos that attract traffic to your website. For more tips on video production, digital marketing, and more, contact us at VIP Marketing today. We’re an acclaimed digital marketing solutions company in Charleston known for our expertise in all forms of marketing, including video production.
1. Get the Right Tools for the Job
For the most part, you aren’t going to need the same level of equipment as a professional production studio. In fact, an iPhone will work just fine as your camera in most cases. From there, just make sure you have things like tripods and holders to steady your shots. A cheap ring light and the trusty Blue Yeti external mic are also good to have, as bad lighting and bad audio are two major video killers. As for editing, you could slum it with the standard Windows Movie Maker, but we would recommend that even beginners upgrade to something like Filmora (it even has a free version, too).
2. Experiment With Lighting
Lighting can drastically change the feeling of a particular shot. If you’ve never worked with anything but natural light before, try to experiment with how different light settings and positions change how a shot looks through the camera. Not only will this give you a better grasp on how to light a set, you can use it to add visual intrigue to your videos.
3. Shoot for the Platform
It’s often said that you should never film vertically, but this isn’t entirely true. Many social media platforms are sized for vertical videos, so if that’s where you’re planning to post, you might want to film in that style. If not, though, or if you intend to use the video on multiple platforms, horizontal is the way to go.
4. Compose Shots
There’s a lot that goes into proper shot composition. It would be difficult to cover every last detail here, but a quick tip you can take with you is to focus in on your subject. In general, this means placing the object or person that you focus on in the exact center of the frame. This eliminates distractions and helps people know where to put their attention. Keep the camera at a middle distance, as well, as this keeps the shot from feeling claustrophobic (from extreme closeups) or distant (from being too far away).
5. Rehearsals
Even if you intend to bang out a video in one go, reality rarely lets this happen. No matter how short your project, take the time to rehearse your lines or what you need to do so that you aren’t wasting time during the actual shooting day.
6. Make a Plan
Shooting on the fly is a bad idea, no exceptions. Like with rehearsals, even short videos require some pre-planning. Create a brief that outlines what your intent with the video is and what you need to accomplish that. Once that’s complete, create a shot list so that you know what to film throughout the project, including storyboards for how you want the shots to look. Drafting a script is also necessary if you’re planning to speak in the video.
7. Budgeting
Remember that your videos are an investment. Like any investment, this means you’ll have to spend money to make them. This means creating a budget before you start production. With a budget, you’ll know what’s feasible for your videos and can tailor the production around how much you can afford to spend. If you’re just starting out, part of your budget will also be for securing your equipment, but buying that equipment means you won’t have to worry about this cost again unless something breaks.
8. Competent Direction
In terms of how a video turns out, directors take a lot of that responsibility onto their shoulders. Directors tell actors how to act in a scene and make decisions on set for how things should be shot. If you’re a one-person operation, you’ll likely be directing yourself as well as operating the camera and acting, so this isn’t too hard. If you’re not, though, and multiple people are involved, your job as director is to make sure everything works together properly. Alternatively, you could always hire a more experienced director to handle things for you.
9. Multiple Takes
Not every take has to be one-and-done. While this should be common knowledge, many amateur video producers are resistant because of a feeling of wasting time. In filmmaking, directors will often want to do a scene two or three times for “safety” so that editors have a few different takes on the material to work with. This also provides a chance to experiment with staging, lighting, improvisation, and more.
10. Balance Audio
Audio work is a bit more of an advanced skill, but it’s worth it to start practicing. Ideally, you’re using an external microphone (like the Blue Yeti mentioned before) while recording, meaning that the audio tracks will be entirely separate from your video. This makes them easier to work with as you remove distortion and background noise, add effects, and more. People like good audio, so making sure what you’re saying sounds great is crucial.
11. Color Correction
Color correction is another advanced topic, but you can definitely try to adjust the colors of your shots as you edit to make things a little more vibrant. Even just fixing little differences in lighting from different times of day can make your video feel more cohesive and look better. Most quality video software should have these options, so play around in yours to see what it can do.
12. Captions
Adding captions may not be part of shooting or editing a video, but it’s a crucial part of production in terms of attracting your audience. Having closed captions available on your videos is hardly more difficult than transplanting the words from your script and setting them in time with the visuals, a function many video hosting sites and programs can do automatically. Once this is done, your videos can be enjoyed by hearing impaired people without issue.
13. Clear Communication
Having outlined your video during the planning stages, you should know exactly what you want to accomplish when it’s done. You should also have a script, meaning the only thing left to do is say the words and shoot the shots. When you do this, focus on conveying your message as clearly as possible. Make sure you speak in a clear voice that isn’t too fast. Make sure your shots are focused on the subject before you start rolling.
14. Know Your Limits
A big part of success is knowing your limits and not trying to go too far too fast. With how complicated video production can be, diving in with excessively flashy shots and camera tricks will likely come out more distracting than dazzling. Understand where your strengths lie at this point and work to them. A more simple video that conveys your message well is preferable to an exciting one that ends up confusing and muddled.
If you still need some help with your videos or other areas of your business, hire us for some video production in Charleston, SC to make life easier.
