As we all practice safe social distancing, video is a great way to close the gap between your business and your potential customers. While it’s better to be in a studio with professional sound and lighting, it is possible to create good videos from home using nothing more than a smartphone. Here are five tips to help you do just that.
You’ll be surprised the difference this will make.
A clean lens will help avoid issues with your camera focusing. To focus your camera, touch and hold your screen on the person or object you are filming.
By holding your cell phone horizontally, we have a better composition than if you were holding it vertically.
It will also look best when watching on other devices, like your computer or TV. When filmed vertically black bars are added to the sides to accommodate the different dimensions – and we don’t want that!
If you are filming more one person, it’s easier to fit them in the shot when filming horizontally.
Using a grid helps us find the best placement for our subject.
If you don’t already, turn on the grid feature for your camera. This will help you make sure your subject is centered. For a more interesting shot, try placing your subject in the right or left quadrants.
Make sure there are no windows or bright lights behind the person you are filming. This will wash them out and make it harder to see.
For best results, your light source should be in front of your subject. If you’re outside, make sure your entire shot is in the shade or in the light.
Depending on the environment you are filming in, it might be hard to hear the audio when recording. Try finding an area that is free from background noise or additional sound.
Test the audio by doing a quick sound check to see how close you need to stand to your subject. While we don’t want to stand too close, we still want to be able to clearly hear your message.
And finally, for a more professional look and feel, consider adding an opening and a closing slide to your video. If you do this well, you’ll be able to reuse the slides again and again to create a consistent video series.
If we can help, don’t hesitate to ask. Connecting with your customers should always be intentional, but it’s even more important now. So give it a try - use video to close the gap - even as you work from home.