One important advantage that people have when marketing is the use of video content. And what’s crazy is that by the end of the year, video content will make up almost 3 quarters of everything on the internet.
The challenge is getting people to stay and watch those videos. It becomes increasingly harder the longer your video is. Videos nowadays don’t just excel with the information being provided. People are judging other aspects as well, including style, colour, sound, etc. In a nutshell, your content needs to be memorable.
Below we’ve come up with 15 tips to boost your production quality, and keep people watching for longer!
1. Pre-production Advice
Being prepared for your shoots is crucial. Oftentimes, people show up to a shoot unorganized and this may result in your final product looking unprofessional. However, if you’re prepared and focused, your attention can be focused on more important things rather than minor things that could have been sorted out beforehand.
Don’t waste time figuring out angles. Come to your shoot with the final product in mind, it will make things flow much easier.
2. Originality
Your video idea should be different than anything out there already. Don’t be a copycat. Something easy that you can do is type in keyword searches and find out what’s popular. Then, before moving ahead with your idea, make sure there isn’t another video that already did what you have in mind. Ideas can be similar, but ultimately the videos should be completely different.
3. Planning
Before you start filming, start storyboarding! A storyboard is an awesome tool that allows you to plan out each shot so that you go to your shoot with a solid plan in mind. Always make sure you have extra footage so that when you start the editing process, if some shots look shaky or blurry, you have others to fall back on.
4. Selection is Key
Having high standards is a good thing. Don’t just let anyone off the street be in your video. Hold auditions or do something where you can see if your actors have what it takes to make your video shine. You don’t want to choose anyone who looks uncomfortable in front of the camera, or someone who can’t memorize their lines. Having good actors will make the process 10x easier in the long run.
5. Considering the Set
Despite what you may think, your audience is paying close attention to your set. Don’t try to make one place look like another. For example, don’t try to make your kitchen look like an office. Plan ahead so that you can have an actual office to shoot in. The more realistic, the better your footage will come out.
6. Quality of Sound
Bad sound quality can make or break your production. Make sure to use proper microphones depending on your situation. If you’re outside and it’s windy, consider a boom mic with the sock cover on top to cut out the wind noise. If your actors are talking, consider using lavalier mics. Bad sound quality is unprofessional, and an easy thing to fix.
7. Lighting Setup
Under or overexposed footage looks trashy. Depending on your situation, you may need a different lighting setup so consider this when you’re planning it out. If you have someone on screen talking, you might want to use a 3-point lighting setup to remove any unwanted shadows. Proper lighting can greatly enhance your final product.
8. Tripod Use
Shaky footage is extremely unprofessional. Consider a tripod or gimbal to stabilize your camera when shooting. ‘Nuff said.
9. Focus
Having a really sharp focus on your camera is important. You don’t want to finish your shoot, and then while editing you notice everything is out of focus. Consider locking your exposure as well, and making sure to keep a nice white balance so all of your footage looks even and you don’t have to spend lots of time in post-production editing the colour.
10. Rule of Thirds
If you don’t know what the Rule of Thirds is, basically your shot is split up by 3 horizontal and 3 vertical lines. When you frame your actors or subjects, consider putting them off to the side to create the illusion of movement. It makes your shots much more interesting to look at.
11. Emotional Response
The overall structure and pacing of your video dictates the emotional response you will get from your viewers. If the purpose of your video is to create a feeling of guilt in your viewers for example, then you don’t want something too fast paced. You want something a little more slow, with proper music to back it up.
12. B-roll
Having b-roll that compliments your overall video theme is important. In case you ran out of time and didn’t film it yourself, you can easily find stock footage on websites like Shutterstock. Instead of having lots of cuts in your video, you can replace it with b-roll and it will look a lot better.
13. Music
Having light background music can elevate any project. It provides emotion, and can cover up any sounds you might have accidentally picked up. You can find royalty free music on sites like Artlist, but consider paying for your music because royalty free music sometimes doesn’t have the quality you’re looking for.
14. Video Text
When choosing a font, try to pick something simple, classy, and sharp. Also try using animations to keep your viewers engaged. Your text should be easy to read and should enhance the overall quality of your work.
15. Platform Optimization
Depending on what platform you’re using to publish your video, you will want to be mindful when editing. For example, if your video is for TikTok, you’re only allotted 60 seconds so you want the most eye-catching and thought-provoking content at the beginning to keep your viewers engaged. Know what platform requires what, and you’re already on your way to smart editing!
- By Jessika Molnar
If you need further help creating your own marketing videos, we offer video production services that will help you elevate your brand!
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