Creating Video Content – The Basics
Online videos are an essential way to build your personality brand. Videos enable you to connect one-to-one with your audience or clients. We now offer video coaching workshops and video reviews for broadcasters, podcasters and business executives.
RLC on-camera coach Laura Nickerson will be sharing video tips over the next several weeks starting with the fundamentals this week. – Randy Lane
Anyone with a smartphone can make shareable video content for social media and online, but how do you make yours stand out from all the rest? Here are some basic tips that will result in video content that people will watch and share.
WHAT’S YOUR POINT? Plan it, script it, execute it. Know what your payoff is before you begin. What is your setup and your exit? Just because it’s on video doesn’t excuse it from the other basic rules for interesting content.
WHO ARE YOU? We coach you to play yourself on-air and you should be true to that on-camera. If you are the snarky sidekick, show us that in in what you say, how you dress and how you move through the video. Plan to bring your Point of View.
MATCH YOUR SHOOTING STYLE TO THE CONTENT: Shaky camera work is fine for pranking the receptionist but not for an upscale sponsor plug. Think short and quick for social media silliness and better production value for longer website content.
USE EDITING SOFTWARE: Yes, you can edit on your iPhone, but that doesn’t mean you should. You can choose from simple (iMovie) to complex (Avid) and it’s worth learning how to trim, adjust lighting, add music and text.
LIGHTING: Outdoor lighting is best at twilight or on cloudy days, but for indoor shots at least try to get one light that comes from the front, not just overhead office lights (which are not flattering and too dark.)
AUDIO: Invest in a boom, lavalier or hand-held microphone when you can so your video audio matched the quality of your radio show audio. There are options available for smartphones and tablets for as little as $100.
HOLD YOUR SMARTPHONE HORIZONTALLY: You have seen videos with the black bars on the sides, right? Stop doing that! Tilt that camera sideways to fill the frame when you are shooting on your phone or tablet.
Good camera and video skills will help you engage with a bigger audience and will convert more fans to regular consumers of your great content.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasclaveirole/
