Nigel Camp is a video expert and will be holding a session at BritMums Live on video, how it can enhance a blog post and how to shoot it on your smartphone. We had a hangout with Nigel to find out more on shooting video with your smartphone. Below Nigel shares some tips to get you started.
Nigel’s tips for shooting video:
High quality video content has been around for some time in the form of commercials on television. Thanks to advances with modern day smart phone technology and software, we all have the means to produce effective video content without necessarily spending a huge sum of money. However, it’s important to follow a few steps to get it right. A lot of poorly made videos are uploaded onto YouTube each day and a little extra effort on your part will help set you apart.
Below are three elements which can hamper your smart phone video making efforts, if not considered before filming:
Tip 1 – Light
Shooting in well-lit conditions may seem obvious, but there are many examples of videos where the subject is not clearly visible due to inadequate lighting. If you are shooting indoors, make sure the lighting used is appropriate. If lighting is a concern, take some sample footage so you can see how well the subject appears on film. I would recommend that you invest in a camera lighting package, especially if you plan on shooting indoors frequently. Don’t always rely on ceiling and floor lighting, which may not always be sufficient. For lighting purposes, portability is key so I’d look into companies which offer LED lighting. Many of the LED lighting products can be carried in a bag and are light weight. Companies such as Rotolight have an excellent range of products. Get your lighting wrong and you’ll wish that you had the right equipment.
Tip 2 – Sound
Recording with the right sound levels is absolutely critical. If the right volume level and clarity of voice are not in place, the entire video production can be jeopardised.
You can always check the sound quality by playing back content while using a headset. Keep in mind that location can impair the quality of sound captured. Filming outdoors, for example, may have advantages, but background noise such as wind can destroy a video if the right microphones are not used. The good news is external microphones can be added to a smart phone with the right adapters. If you are going to interview someone, you can use a lapel microphone. Here’s a great article that I came across showing how microphones can be attached to a smart phone
Tip 3 – Background clutter
Clutter or activity behind the camera will distract the viewer unless it is connected to the scene. Clutter could be anything from an untidy room, to a dog running around in the background, which has no link to the content of the video. Before the video camera starts rolling make sure you inspect the surroundings. If you are shooting outdoors, keep a watch out for objects or people who may not compliment your video.
People often ask me how long a video should be. I really think this has a lot to do with the type of video you wish to produce. For example, people may be more prepared to sit through an interview on an interesting topic. Likewise, people may be more prepared to invest their time into a tutorial explaining how to use a product or service. On the downside, all too often I have seen videos created to pitch a business as the first point of contact which are too long. If you decide to create one of these videos, pitching your story in 90 seconds will be much more effective than 5 minutes. As you produce more and more video content, you may want to spend more time looking into some of the analytical tools which measure the duration of your videos watched and total views.
Producing video is something everyone can try, especially when most of us have the capability to record video with our smart phones. I encourage everyone to use video as a marketing tool and I challenge everyone who creates marketing videos to aim for the highest quality possible. And don’t let the large video cameras at a conference intimidate you. With the right equipment in place, a smart phone, and good plan of action on what to film, you will not doubt end up with a high quality video.
You can follow my video making tips at my new blog www.thevideoeffect.tv and tweet with me @nigelcamp.
About Marianne Weekes
BLOGS AT: Mari's World; TWITTER: @maris_world. Mother of four and nana to three, Marianne Weekes has spent half her life in the UK and the other half in Italy. Blogging since Jan 2010, she finds it hard to drag herself away from her laptop and writes about food, travel and lifestyle. Always on the lookout for the next thing which takes her down many surprising lanes.
Ruth (geekmummy)
Wednesday 8th of May 2013
Great tips there, although I think there's one that's even more important. Film holding your smartphone on its SIDE!