Video Techniques

Video Techniques

Recently I hosted my Pizza and Pop event all about video. We covered why you should use video, many different types, and some hot tips and tricks to shooting your own videos. Oh and of course, we all had pizza! Now that the event is behind us, I want to follow up with some additional video techniques. But before that, let’s review some highlights from my presentation.

  1. Businesses should be using video to promote their services, products, and people. You can put these videos on your websites, social media pages, and even email newsletters.
  2. There are various ways to call attention to your videos – subject lines in emails, knowing how to use lights all around you and the angles that best flatter you, and even adding things in your video that address the receiver (like a whiteboard with their name on it for example).
  3. Just shoot! Everyone is apprehensive about using videos when they first start. Even the best actresses and actors are nervous when they step on set. The only way to get more comfortable is by doing it over and over. Practice makes perfect!
  4. Although practice makes perfect, imperfection is human. It’s ok to send a video with your lunch in the background, or when you aren’t having your best hair day. Most videos aren’t supposed to take hours to make. If you find yourself rerecording that 15 second video for the hundredth time, just pick the best one so far and send it.

Now that we have covered some of my biggest points from the event, I wanted to share some more advanced tips as well. These take more time to master but are applicable to almost any video you make (and they apply to still photography, as well). Feel free to click the pictures to see a higher resolution of that example.

  1. The Rule of Thirds: Now this is a concept pulled from photography that applies to most videography as well. The rule is that your subject shouldn’t be placed in the center of the picture but should sit on an imaginary line that divides your camera’s view into thirds from left to right. Then, taking the height of your screen and dividing that into thirds as well, you place your subject along the upper of these two lines. It follows a science based on “good composition”, “the Golden Ratio” and a whole bunch of other things that you would learn in a college photography class. Boiling it down to what it means to you, just don’t have your subject centered on your screen. Once you have mastered this compositional technique, then you can start to break it (an even more advanced skill).

 

  1. Leading Lines: Leading lines do what they sound like they do. They “lead” your eyes to something in your view. Often, you can find this with architecture’s sharp angles and structure, however, the more you look for these, the more you will see them elsewhere naturally as well. Check out these two examples for both man-made and natural leading lines.

  1. Have fun and just relax! This is especially important when filming people talking - whether it’s an interview or a selfie-style shot. People don’t like to see unhappy employees, customers, managers, or anyone else. People viewing this video want to know that you enjoy the work you do. So, no matter if you are filming someone for an interview or for a company culture video, keep things conversational and try to have fun.

After all these tips, if you still want your videos done by a professional, reach out to TopLine Results. Ask about our video services and other digital marketing assistance. We can do everything from filming and editing, to production and launch. Adding video to your digital marketing strategy will help take your business to the next level. Email us at info@toplineresults.com or call us at (800) 880-1960 to find out more information.


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