10 tips to film and edit your own marketing videos

Watch the video instead: https://youtu.be/LjvAHUwSa9U

Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with your audience. It’s versatile and an epic tool to promote your business.

At Salt Air Cinema I love helping our clients share their stories and products via engaging visual content. But, I understand not everyone is ready to work with a professional videographer.

If you’re keen to produce your own marketing video, it may seem daunting at first. There are lots of things to consider when filming content, from talent to sound, lighting to the editing process.

As a videographer, I understand the importance of great video content and know what it takes to produce quality visuals that resonate with your audience. To help you get started, here are my top 10 tips to film and edit your own marketing videos.

PLANNING

Discover the why

Why do you want to film a marketing video? What is the end purpose? Identifying your goals before you start filming will ensure you stay on track and are clear on the video’s objectives. It’s also essential for defining your message and speaking to consistent topics that flow.

The main reasons why businesses want to film marketing videos, include:

● Building brand awareness

● Increasing customer engagement

● Educating customers

● Driving sales

● Growing an audience or following

● Inviting warm leads

Create a storyboard

Have you ever tried to build a house without a plan? Before you jump into producing your marketing video, you’ll need to create a storyboard.

Start by sketching out the individual shots of your video. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be an artist, stick figures will do the job! A storyboard is a simple way to organise your ideas and plan for each shot.

If sketching isn’t your thing, another easy way to visually plan your ideas is to use stock images and lay them out in sequence. Adding notes to each image will articulate your vision, which is extremely helpful if you need to explain the concept to a business partner!

I’ll leave a link to our free storyboard template.

Prepare your talent

Whether you’re using employees, clients or paid talent in your marketing video, they need to be prepared. Ensure everyone knows what is expected of them during the shoot and they know exactly what to say and do. If it’s just you speaking directly to camera, make sure you prepare what you’re going to say - write a script or at very least - write dot-points!

Sound check

There’s nothing worse than shooting a video only to realise later that there was an obnoxious sound in the background or a giant echo in the room. Before you start to film, check the acoustics of the location. It is possible to edit out some sound in post-production, however it’s much easier to get it right from the beginning and choose a quieter location.

FILMING

The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is the oldest trick in the book and a basic principle of film production I swear by.

When you’re filming you might be swayed to place your talent in the middle of the shot. Instead, for a more balanced approach, divide the frame into a 3x3 grid and ensure the main character or object is always in the left or right third of the grid (also referred to as crosshairs.) But, remember, there are always exceptions to this rule. In particular, videos on social media are often close to a square ratio (ratio always refers to the videos frame size) so in this case we’ve no option other than the centre of frame so here we simply ensure the eye-line of your subject is just above the top horizontal line whilst also ensuring there isn’t too much space between the top of the frame and the subjects head.

Keep it clean

Every item you use in shot must be intentional. Clutter is distracting, so never use a busy or messy background. If you need a large plain backdrop, try using a clean wall or a sheet of backdrop paper. It’s also important that you’re not too close to your backdrop, we always want to create depth for greater visual pleasure - no matter the scene.

Get the light right

If this is your first time filming a video, getting the lighting right can be challenging as the camera sees light differently than our eyes.

Remember, lighting has the power to completely transform the quality of your marketing video.

While filming you need plenty of light to create crisp, clean footage and to pay attention to where the light is coming from. Depending on your set, you may need to invest in a lighting kit to create a more professional looking video.

If you’d like to know how we do it I’ll attach a basic diagram for you to try.

Create a killer intro

You only have a few seconds to capture your audience’s attention, so it’s important to create a killer introduction for your marketing video. Your intro needs to be inspiring and entertaining in order to hook the viewer, so they continue to watch the remainder of the film. The best practice here is express the problem and elude to how the rest of your video will solve it. Prompting a curious question generally works well.

EDITING

Choose the right music - and check the licensing

Just as scripting is important for your marketing video, so is the music. Make sure your tunes match the content and it’s the right fit for your business. It needs to have a ‘feel’ that suits the visuals and the cadence of the edit.

Always check the licensing on the music you choose, otherwise the video could turn out to be more expensive than you imagined! Many people have had their media outlets shutdown due to music copyright breaches so if you’ve a large following – don’t risk it!

Insert a call to action

When editing your marketing video, inserting a subtle call to action can be very effective. It doesn't need to be complicated, it could be as simple as your web address or phone number at the end of the video. You don’t need to do this every time and sometimes less, is more…

Filming your own video may save you a little in the short term, but don’t let it consume you otherwise you’ll start burning precious time and money. Remember, 80% of your best effort is all that’s needed to keep showing up for your audience.

If you’re ready to step-up your video production or simply need someone else to do it, I’d love to show you how Salt Air Cinema can get you results. Contact us and let’s start the conversation!