Today, it is essential that all businesses adjust to the shift in technology, where the emphasis of visual content is biased to short video as opposed to the norm of stills where the photograph tells the story. In order to keep up with SEO and online marketing on social platforms like Youtube and Facebook and Instagram, we are seeing video and podcasts to illustrate education, marketing and promotion of services and product, as well as any form of delivery regarding business services. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying stills is a dying form, but it certainly has competition in this regard. People generally want to see people and the interaction of contentment delivery with sound and motion. It is quick and direct, and easy to understand and absorb in terms of the message being portrayed. With results indicating a 12 times greater share rate than stills, there is good reason. Clients build more leads which results in qualified conversions across all platforms.
What to consider in learning to shoot Video?
The Myth that video production is costly is somewhat over, in fact no more expensive that shooting stills. Remember, we are not talking movies here, rather a short video clip with a maximum duration of 2 minutes and definitely not movie quality in terms of file size. Most of these clips are viewed on tablets, mobiles and computers, which means they need a fast loading speed that does not require huge bandwidth to play smoothly.
Understanding the needs of the need’s client
Like with any assignment the brief is key and must be clear in order to execute successfully without too many hiccups and overspends that are unexpected. Make sure you scrutinize the script and ensure your presenter/copywriter produces copy that is clear, engaging, and direct for the target market. Don’t go cheap on the copy writer/presenter, as this is essential in the overall end result. Trying to “wing it”, will only cost you more money and stress, resulting in time wastage from recording to the final edit. When preparing the copy, a professional copywriter will take the SEO into account by focusing on such things like keywords, call to action, grammar and structure, to meet the demographics of the audience. If attention in these areas are ignored, the client will unlikely benefit from reach, hence a wasted budget and time.
What equipment is required to shoot a Video
There are 5 essential tools to make a video that are required:
- Choosing the correct Camera
Today, most cameras can shoot video, even some mobile devices do the job, however, it is important to do the research and buy the right camera for your needs. Mirrorless cameras with a decent quality sensor would be the first consideration, along with a few large SD cards. Most of the time, your work will not require 8k size quality, so already the cost comes down on your gear.
- Choosing the Lens
As with photography, the lens is key. Decent glass, the right range and f- stops are important. There is no need to purchase a pro lens that is very costly, but generally something that has a wide enough range for everyday work. Some videographers even use a fixed 50mm lens for interviews and the likes of Q&A’s.
- Choosing a Microphone
Although the market is swamped with these devices, choice is everything. Make sure that you test the sound quality and surface noise and demo the mic before purchasing. Compare the lapel, as well as the shotgun option for the style of your work, for both in studio as well as outdoor location work. There are many affordable and decent options on the market. Regarding the headphones to test the sound quality, just a cheap pair that block the outside noise will do the job, and avoid blue tooth or the bud option.
- Choosing a Tripod and the Head
A solid basic tripod will work for most jobs. Cameras and lenses for videos of this nature are light, so the support load no longer requires the heavy-duty tripod stand. Ensure that the tripod head has a fluid and smooth motion for panning the shot. Most tripods have interchangeable options, so you can buy the tripod and thereafter source a decent tripod head, and again, you do not require a heavy weighted head, but rather a smooth flowing head that is easy to control and lock off.
- Choosing your Lighting Kit
Lighting can be costly, but so long as you take power, kelvins and the quality of the LED into consideration, you will be fine. There are many on the market today that are reasonably priced and decent. You will need 3 lights for most jobs, as well as the diffusers, or soft boxes to wash the light according to the set up required.
Studio Space and sound Requirements for Recording Video
Sound proofing and echo are 2 main considerations when recording video. You will require a sound proof environment with no echo. Even the sound of a fan or a computer is often an issue. You require dead silence. It is important to realize that the sound is equally important as the visual. Poor sound quality is unacceptable. Today, many videographers attempt to set up home studios due to budget constraints. Clients have also had to reduce their budgets due to the current economic conditions. If you are unable to fork out the money to set up a home studio, rent a studio with all the equipment and needs to meet your brief. Larger studios are struggling due to budget cuts from the days of larger productions, so there is opportunity for the smaller studios to provide professional setups to meet the needs of the client at reasonable budgets. Build relationships with these smaller studios and negotiate and ask about their package deals, this way we are all happy.
