8 Video Production Tips You Should Know

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles March 11, 2021 - 11:18 am 0 1,194 Views

When someone is on the internet, there’s a high probability that they are watching a video. While videos are great because they are easy to consume than text, making videos is not a walk in the park. Also, videos are great as they are less competitive to distribute compared to text. In this article, we share eight tips that you should know for your video production.

Let’s dive in.

1) Tell a story

Before you start on any video production project, understand the purpose of the video you are producing. A video that garners views and attracts social shares are the ones that have a story to tell. Stories are a written script, but videos make them easier to consume by telling it in a realistic manner.

Therefore, it is important to understand what the story is, and present it in a video format without misleading or losing the intention. Study the story, and ask questions if necessary, and even understand the target audience so that you know what props will work to deliver the story/ message better.

Notably, content is king. According to the video experts at Spiel, the story should be rich and something that is useful to your target customers or viewers if it’s for entertainment purposes. It should be inspiring or entertaining. If it’s a commercial, it should give more than just the promoted story behind a product but something beyond the brand.

2) Scout the Location as a Team

Making a great video requires teamwork and working with people that value teamwork. When you are ready to shoot the video and you are scouting a potential location or site, please don’t do it alone. Involve the key people to make a good decision.

This includes the production manager, supervisor, and even the site manager in this case.

It’s important to have as many crew members there so that you are not biased on settling on a location. Other professionals involved on the team can have a different view in line with their role and help you in judging the potential site and whether it’s worth it.

3) Invest in Good Equipment

These days we have good phones with high-resolution cameras, and they make pretty good video content. However, as a professional, you should invest in your tools and take your video production to a whole new level that client respect.

The tools that you should invest in include a high-quality DSLR camera, lights, good external microphones, camcorders, or mirrorless cameras, among others.

These tools allow you to produce video and sound quality that is above what is offered in the market since most videos are being made by phones. Using an external dedicated audio recorder is the best way to capture good sound quality. While the camera may have sound, you should avoid using it.

Also make sure the camera is placed in an appropriate location where sound is captured well.

This investment is necessary if you want to differentiate yourself from the crowd of videos being produced.

4) Keep it Short

If you are not making a short film or a documentary, keep it short.

Shorter videos are more likely to be watched according to a 2014 University of Rochester study. Especially if you are doing marketing videos, you need to keep the message short so that they can garner enough social shares to reach an even larger audience from what you would traditionally reach.

Generally, if it’s a social media video it should not be more than three minutes, the shorter the video the more likely it will be widely shared online. Cut the fluff and get straight to the point with your videos. Vary your shots also with both long, medium, and detail shot.

5) Engage

Even if your videos are short, ensure the content is engaging; these are not robots but humans. Engaging content gets more likes and shares online.

So how do you ensure your content is engaging?

We’ve talked about storytelling. Additionally, you should include a call to action or simply asking your viewers what they think. A call to action can be you directing viewers to visit your page for more info.

Don’t just stop there, be sure also you reply to comments from your viewers. This will encourage more people to give their thoughts because they will see that you are engaging them.

6) Know the Music

Things that make videos stand out is the music accompanying the video content. Ensure you know your music and which ones will better resonate with the message. Do you need a piece of hyped background music or a laid-back one to go with the message?

Music helps the content engage with your audience on an emotional level by arousing those “feeling” that you want them to feel. It’s important to learn from other people’s work and accompanying background music they use to engage their audience. Don’t settle on your favorite song, it’s not about you it’s about the audience.

7) Be creative

Don’t be afraid to try something new. Video production is a creative activity and new ideas are always welcome. If your team doesn’t give you audience for your wonderful video idea, then you are probably stuck in the wrong department.

Video is a popular choice because it allows creators to convey complex info in a simplistic manner. Don’t just do what everyone is doing, be creative and add a splash of your brilliance to your video – stand out.

In video production, if you are to be competitive, you need to seek out your own identity or unique style that will make clients recognize this is your work because of how you tell your stories.

8) Carefully pick the background

The background for your videos should depend on the type of video you are making. It could be a real background such as a living room or even outdoor. Or you could choose a fake background that may include green screen, paper or even curtains.

Fake background is not ideal for beginners because they are often hard to set up. Therefore, a beginner should always opt for a real background and avoid all the hustle. Nevertheless, fake background gives you the freedom to do more with the background and make the presentation even more interesting. So, learn how to work with the fake background.