Your Guide to DIY Business Video Production
Crafting a high-quality business video is a great way to boost your brand’s online presence. Producing a video that will capture the attention of your target audience or client base raises brand and product awareness while communicating to your customers and clients what your company has to offer in a creative and informative way. Video should be at the heart of your marketing endeavors.
If you’re ready to DIY your next business video production, here are some tips for choosing the right equipment, effective filming, editing, and more:
Choosing Equipment
The equipment you choose is critical to creating high-quality content for your online audience. Choosing a camera for filming your content takes some research, but plenty of great options exist for companies on a budget. Whichever camera you choose, prioritize HD quality and consider cameras with 4K (4,000 pixels) capabilities, as many of today’s smartphones, televisions, and laptops can display high-quality 4K videos.
If your content features speech or other sounds recorded on set, investing in a microphone is necessary for high-quality sound. Sound design plays a vital role in building your video project, so choose a microphone that fits the scope and needs of your business video production. Shotgun and boom microphones are popular amongst videographers because they’re directional, versatile, and a solid choice for filming and sound design. Always consider the sound design of your next video project when purchasing a microphone.
Adequately lighting your set, actors, or product can make or break the quality of your content. Natural light is your friend, and learning to work with it before investing in professional lighting equipment will save you some time and money in the short term. If you opt to use natural light, remember that the weather and time of day will affect the quality of light. Investing in reflectors and diffusers will enhance natural lighting if that’s the route you want to take.
If you want to utilize lighting equipment for your content, familiarize yourself with the different lighting styles and techniques that make the most sense for your video. Some options are Tungsten, LED panels, chip-on-board (COB) lights, or affordable china ball lighting. Also, invest in lighting stands unless you have a designated person to hold the lighting for you. When planning your shots, remember to keep the lighting equipment you’ll need in mind.
Learning Filming Techniques
If you want your content or commercial to effectively communicate what your brand or business offers, take the time to craft something high-quality and impactful. Start with a strong script, followed by a storyboard. Your script tells the story of your content, while your storyboard visualizes your shots and informs you of the equipment you’ll need.
After you’ve chosen your equipment, consider your composition. Composition is the art of knowing how to arrange items in a frame. If the subject of your content is a specific item, you’ll build the shot around that item, showing it in the best light and at the best angles. If it’s a service you’re promoting, be sure to emphasize the action that represents that service. For example, if you provide grooming services, shots of your grooming tools at rest or in use will help tell the story of your business. Great composition welcomes the audience into the world of your product or service by making it visually pleasing.
Incorporating different shots will add depth and dimension to your story. Basic cinematographer shot sizes include extreme wide shots, very wide shots, wide shots, mid-shots, two shots, medium close-ups, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. Experiment with different shots to find the ones that work the best for your subject and overall story.
Consider the response you hope to invoke in your viewers, and pay attention to the colors used in your business video project. Use colors associated with your brand or company to set the tone and establish your brand identity.
Editing Your Video Project
Editing is an important final step in bringing your DIY business video project to life. Investing in video editing software is essential because how you edit your video dictates how your viewers will receive it. If your footage features a lot of action and movement, you may be inclined to use exciting transitions or effects to make the action jump out of the screen. However, be mindful not to overdo it. You don’t want to distract or overwhelm the viewer by taking attention away from the subject of your commercial or content. If your story has a calmer, more relaxed, and informative feel, longer shots with fewer effects and transitions will help maintain that sense of calm.
DIY’ing vs Contracting Out Your Business Video Project
Mastering the art of storytelling through marketing will serve your business well. If you’re interested in DIY’ing your next business video project, amazing resources are available to help you get started. However, some marketing agencies specialize in bringing your vision to life or helping you craft a vision for your next project. You may want an agency to take over the entire project for you, or you may need assistance with a few aspects of your project, like scriptwriting or editing footage. Production companies like Pretzel Logic Productions offer commercial advertising and sales video production, regardless of where you’re at in your creative process.
Business video projects can take a lot of time, money, and work, but it will be worth it if you’re committed to giving your product or service the attention it deserves. Don’t be afraid to learn something new or ask for help if the need arises. A good video marketing agency will tackle your creative challenges for you if you decide you’d like some professional help.
If you’re ready to DIY your next business video production, here are some tips for choosing the right equipment, effective filming, editing, and more:
Choosing Equipment
The equipment you choose is critical to creating high-quality content for your online audience. Choosing a camera for filming your content takes some research, but plenty of great options exist for companies on a budget. Whichever camera you choose, prioritize HD quality and consider cameras with 4K (4,000 pixels) capabilities, as many of today’s smartphones, televisions, and laptops can display high-quality 4K videos.
If your content features speech or other sounds recorded on set, investing in a microphone is necessary for high-quality sound. Sound design plays a vital role in building your video project, so choose a microphone that fits the scope and needs of your business video production. Shotgun and boom microphones are popular amongst videographers because they’re directional, versatile, and a solid choice for filming and sound design. Always consider the sound design of your next video project when purchasing a microphone.
Adequately lighting your set, actors, or product can make or break the quality of your content. Natural light is your friend, and learning to work with it before investing in professional lighting equipment will save you some time and money in the short term. If you opt to use natural light, remember that the weather and time of day will affect the quality of light. Investing in reflectors and diffusers will enhance natural lighting if that’s the route you want to take.
If you want to utilize lighting equipment for your content, familiarize yourself with the different lighting styles and techniques that make the most sense for your video. Some options are Tungsten, LED panels, chip-on-board (COB) lights, or affordable china ball lighting. Also, invest in lighting stands unless you have a designated person to hold the lighting for you. When planning your shots, remember to keep the lighting equipment you’ll need in mind.
Learning Filming Techniques
If you want your content or commercial to effectively communicate what your brand or business offers, take the time to craft something high-quality and impactful. Start with a strong script, followed by a storyboard. Your script tells the story of your content, while your storyboard visualizes your shots and informs you of the equipment you’ll need.
After you’ve chosen your equipment, consider your composition. Composition is the art of knowing how to arrange items in a frame. If the subject of your content is a specific item, you’ll build the shot around that item, showing it in the best light and at the best angles. If it’s a service you’re promoting, be sure to emphasize the action that represents that service. For example, if you provide grooming services, shots of your grooming tools at rest or in use will help tell the story of your business. Great composition welcomes the audience into the world of your product or service by making it visually pleasing.
Incorporating different shots will add depth and dimension to your story. Basic cinematographer shot sizes include extreme wide shots, very wide shots, wide shots, mid-shots, two shots, medium close-ups, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. Experiment with different shots to find the ones that work the best for your subject and overall story.
Consider the response you hope to invoke in your viewers, and pay attention to the colors used in your business video project. Use colors associated with your brand or company to set the tone and establish your brand identity.
Editing Your Video Project
Editing is an important final step in bringing your DIY business video project to life. Investing in video editing software is essential because how you edit your video dictates how your viewers will receive it. If your footage features a lot of action and movement, you may be inclined to use exciting transitions or effects to make the action jump out of the screen. However, be mindful not to overdo it. You don’t want to distract or overwhelm the viewer by taking attention away from the subject of your commercial or content. If your story has a calmer, more relaxed, and informative feel, longer shots with fewer effects and transitions will help maintain that sense of calm.
DIY’ing vs Contracting Out Your Business Video Project
Mastering the art of storytelling through marketing will serve your business well. If you’re interested in DIY’ing your next business video project, amazing resources are available to help you get started. However, some marketing agencies specialize in bringing your vision to life or helping you craft a vision for your next project. You may want an agency to take over the entire project for you, or you may need assistance with a few aspects of your project, like scriptwriting or editing footage. Production companies like Pretzel Logic Productions offer commercial advertising and sales video production, regardless of where you’re at in your creative process.
Business video projects can take a lot of time, money, and work, but it will be worth it if you’re committed to giving your product or service the attention it deserves. Don’t be afraid to learn something new or ask for help if the need arises. A good video marketing agency will tackle your creative challenges for you if you decide you’d like some professional help.
