Tips for Your Next Video Shoot

A video only unfolds its full impact when it uses a gripping story as its foundation, builds an immediate connection with the viewer, and wraps this message in a visually appealing framework that guides the eye and holds the attention. To help you succeed, we are giving you some tips. Just give them a try. To help you succeed, we provide you with a few tips. Just give them a try.

General Notes

Only shoot a video if you really feel like it. Otherwise, it will be visible in your facial expressions and gestures.

Be authentic and play with your emotions and your body, if possible.

Location and Mood

Think about where your story should take place and what mood should prevail. You can decide individually what you want to start with: Do you have a certain mood in mind that you want to convey? Then think about which location would be appropriate for it. Sometimes, however, you have a specific location in mind. Start with that and think about which mood fits it.

Do you want to convey an "anything can happen" mood? How about an outdoor setting? You could start the video on a street to convey the feeling that one could be "caught".

Or do you want to convey the feeling of being watched while working? Use a desk and place your camera under the table or above you. This makes the viewers feel as if they could watch you secretly.

Ask yourself the following question to define the mood for your video:

What feeling do you want to convey in your video? (e.g., a romantic evening? An exciting outdoor experience?)

The location of your video is, alongside the desired mood, the most important foundation. Ask yourself the following questions:

What do I need for this location?

Do I need to plan anything? Are there, for example, time restrictions?

Are all necessary objects available?

Does the environment fit or do I need to change something (e.g., tidy up)?

What mood comes to mind regarding the topic "dining table" and what location fits a "romantic evening" for you?

Think About the Story for the Video

No matter what video you want to shoot, link it to an appealing story whenever possible. This helps you with the creation and also helps the customer get excited about the video. It doesn't have to be an extensive storyboard. However, we recommend playing the video through in your head beforehand. Define the locations for yourself and what should happen there. This way, you get a feel for whether there are any inconsistencies. It is important that you manage to pick up the customer with your story so that they can immerse themselves in your fantasy. Make sure to give your video a short intro to pique the customer's curiosity.

In Summary

Think about the content you want to shoot beforehand.

What do you want to show your customers in your video?

What emotions do you want to convey?

Pay attention to authenticity!

Stay true to yourself, because that's exactly what makes your story special!

Play the video or scenes through in your head to find inconsistencies.

Start with a short intro in your video.

Sound

Choose a quiet environment for recording your video, or at least one where you are sure that other noises are not louder than your voice. Because if the customer cannot hear you in the video even though you are giving instructions or information, they will most likely be disappointed.

Light

As with photos, the location, mood, and situation determine whether you need more or less light. However, it doesn't work without light. Usually, you want to have a well-lit set to give the customer the opportunity to see you well in your video. If you use existing light sources (e.g., daylight, ceiling lamp), consider how shadows fall.

Filming with a Tripod or Handheld

With this decision, you determine whether the viewer feels as if someone else is in the room or not. If you want your viewers to feel as if they are seeing you through their eyes (POV - Point of View), then do not use a tripod. If you want a stable image for your video, place your camera on a tripod. If you want to film handheld to bring more dynamics and movement into your video, make sure someone holds or guides the camera for you. A so-called gimbal is ideal. This ensures a largely shake-free image when filming handheld.

Close-up or Everything in the Frame?

Think about what works better in your video. Both have their charm. Use a close-up when you want to draw the customer's focus to a specific detail. If you are outdoors, for example, don't just show your body in close-up, but also bring the customer into your surroundings. Since you also capture the environment in the video, you can consciously convey a mood.

However, keep in mind that too many hectic effects like constant zooming in and out can be perceived as annoying by the customer.

Video Length

Think in advance about how long your video should approximately be and how much time the individual scenes will probably require. Be realistic, as nobody wants to see a 10-minute monologue; on the other hand, 10 minutes of action can quickly become too long. If you artificially drag out scenes, it quickly becomes boring for the viewer.

Maintain Eye Contact

Remember that the viewer only sees you through the eye of the camera. So, if your setting allows it, maintain eye contact with the camera. This addresses the viewer directly and conveys a sense of proximity.

OneShot vs. MultiShot

A OneShot is a video shoot from beginning to end in one piece. The advantage: It saves time in post-processing, as no individual scenes have to be cut together into a complete video. The disadvantage: If something goes wrong, you have to start from the beginning if you cannot adapt flexibly to the situation. OneShots require practice and, depending on the scope, good pre-planning and timing.

In contrast, MultiShots consist of individual scenes that are subsequently put together into a finished video. The advantage: If something goes wrong, only one part needs to be repeated and you can connect different locations, etc. The disadvantage: The video must be cut and edited, which requires additional time and knowledge in video editing.

We hope these tips help you and wish you much success in filming your videos!