A video is a great way to deliver your message and provide a look at the culture and personality of your company. Video traffic is up year after and it’s one of the most shared forms of content online.
89 million people in the United States will watch 1.2 billion online videos today (ComScore).
Back in the day, you’d have to spend thousands of dollars either purchasing the right equipment or hiring a company to produce quality videos for you. That’s no longer the case. So how can you make a quality video for your company website?
Write your script
How many subjects will be in your video? One person? Two people? Will they be moving or sitting? What will they say?
A little preparation and practice go a long way. Take time to write out your script so you are confident your message is clear. Practice so that your video is hitting around the overall length you’re going for. Be yourself. Talk to the camera just like you were talking to a client.
Get your tools together
Don’t worry yourself about the fact that you may not have the coolest, most expensive camera or editing software. You don’t need fancy transitions, green screens or special effects to make a quality video for your site. All you really need is:
- an iPhone or smartphone with similar capabilities
- a homemade stand or smartphone tripod
- good lighting
- clear sound
Don’t believe me? Check out this video shot entirely on an iPhone.
Plan Your Shot
Now that you’ve figured out what you’re going to record and how you’re going to record it, it’s time to set the scene. What is the backdrop for your video? It could just be you sitting at your desk. You could be outside. Again, think about lighting and extra noise when setting up your shot.
Next, frame your subject matter being aware of where heads and shoulders will appear and even consider the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds divides the screen into quadrants via 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. The idea is that you would want to frame vertical subject matter, a person sitting upright for example, in the right or left a third of the shot, not directly in the center. Horizontal subject matter, say someone in the distance on the horizon you would position in the lower or upper third of the shot. This technique can make your video more interesting.
Polish and Publish
There are plenty of inexpensive and flat out free programs available for simple video editing. If you’re using a Mac, iMovie is a good place to get familiar with cutting and moving frames. If you’re not using a Mac or iMovie just isn’t doing it for you here’s a list of 9 Top Free Video Editing Programs.
Once you’re satisfied with the result. Upload your video to YouTube, Vimeo or similar service for easy embedding on your site and easy social sharing.
Have other tips, apps or programs for making an inexpensive yet quality video? Share them with us.
Photo credit: Mark Sebastian