Having shot and edited thousands of videos, I’ve come to realize there are many things people don't necessarily know when it comes to the process. Here are 10 things most people don’t know, or have never thought about, when it comes to creating a successful video shoot.
1. You can’t use any music you'd like
As fun as it would be to use today's most trendy song in your video, it’s probably not going to happen. The process of using music in your videos is called “licensing.” Licensing can cost anywhere from a few dollars for “stock” music or hundreds or thousands of dollars for well-known music produced by performing artists. YouTube has a very strict robot that looks at every single uploaded video. If your video is using music that it doesn’t think is licensed, you will get strikes on your channel, (after three strikes, your channel gets suspended) have your videos taken down, and it could also lead to a lawsuit. At NOW Marketing Group, we license great music and do everything the right way so you’ll never run into any of these issues.
2. Green screens don’t always work
Green screens are wonderful things, but often are not the right tool for the job. I’ve found, whenever possible, it’s best to shoot a video at an actual location rather than trying to drop it in the background later. You probably don’t want the person in your video to look like the weather man on the news.
3. No I can’t Photoshop your video
However, I can make you look a little thinner with my choice of lenses, lighting and camera angles.
4. You need to be comfortable
If you are going to be on camera, wear something you like and something that is comfortable. When you are speaking on camera, the last thing we want is for you to be distracted by how uncomfortable your feet are.
5. Background noise matters
There is a lot I can do to get rid of background noise, but it’s better to just avoid it in the first place, if possible. Don’t set up your video shoot next to an air conditioner or train track.
6. Lighting matters
It’s actually one of the most important things, because it can make you look good or bad, heavy or thin, or even make the mood happy or sad. The lighting can tell it’s own story, so it’s important to understand it.
7. It takes a lot of equipment
When we show up for a video shoot, you might think we are moving in! Usually we are using two lights, a light reflector, two cameras, and a microphone.
8. It takes time
Even though you may just be shooting a short video, it takes about an hour to get all of the equipment mentioned above, set up. Once the shooting starts, we always do two or three “takes” to make sure we get the best delivery we can. Depending on the person and how much they are saying, this could take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour!
9. The video will be better if people have time to prepare
We’ve done a lot of video shoots where the on-screen talent didn’t know they were speaking until a few minutes before their video! We can do a lot to calm nerves, but folks at least need a fighting chance. Their delivery will come across better.
10. You don’t need to memorize your script
We have a magical device called a teleprompter! If you don’t feel comfortable trying to remember everything that you wanted to say, you can give us a script and we can put it on the teleprompter. The trick is to just relax and try to keep a conversational tone. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a great option to have at your disposal.
Do you have any other questions? Shoot us an email or a comment!
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