The normal rules of business are to generally stay away from teaching your followers to do what you do, so they come to you to do it for them...but we don't really play that way! We love video, and we truly think that every business who has an online presence needs to be capitalising on the power of video online at the moment - so we thought we'd give you guys some tips so you can get started with utilising video for your business! Smartphones have totally revolutionised video in the sense that anyone who has a phone can now shoot, edit and produce their own videos, and in a super timely manner! Being able to make your own DIY videos means you can share relevant events and happenings right away, and give a very real look into the behind the scenes and happenings of your business. Utilising this very real, DIY video style compliments the use of professionally made videos, so we're encouraging our clients and friends to try out making some DIY videos.
Okay so let's get started!
The first step is to JUST START SHOOTING - grab that smartphone and get filming! Before we start, we'd suggest you do your filming in landscape mode.
Angles and perspective - The main mistake we see people making is that they only film WHAT is happening, and only film it from one wide angle. If your filming a specific action or happening, look at what different perspectives you could get of it, and what details are involved. For example, if you're filming two people having a conversation, film a couple of different wide angle shots, then you could get a close up of each persons face, and perhaps even a close up of one persons hands as they use gestures while they speak. That way when you piece the video together, you can tell more of a story with the different shots you get, which gives more perspective to the conversation as a whole and makes it a lot more visually interesting for the viewer which will keep them engaged (because that's the goal right!).
Movement - A really simple way to add interest to your video's is to add movement, and it's so easy! Even if the subject of your video isn't moving, you can add movement to add interest to the shot and to provide a varying perspective. If you're filming a stationary object for example, rotate around the object slowly or pan your iphone camera from side to side to create a smooth shot.
Slow motion - Most smartphone cameras have a slow motion setting which is perfect for keeping your shots interesting and engaging! It's pretty incredible the details you can show with slow motion, and these shots dispersed in with shots at normal speed will add a cinematic theme to your video. Play with slow motion and get creative in thinking about what you could show with slow motion - even basic, everyday activities can be made much more interesting in slow motion!! Next up is the editing process - in our next blog we will be talking editing tools and apps. If you have any specific questions at all - feel free to flick us a private message on our Facebook page or email us, and we will be happy to help out!
