3 Tips for Using Video

We live in a broadcast rich era, video screens are all around us we are exposed to more video now than ever before and because of this over saturation of media when it comes time to add video to your site, people often skip it cause it looks “so different” than what you are accustom to.  Because of this saturation of media around us, when someone sees video that has little / no production value – it really stands out!  The good thing is that when video with production value is used it will exponentially add to the perceived value of your brand and the product that you’re presenting!

Here are three things you must know when starting to use video:

1.) A Hammer is a Hammer…
(Don’t put off doing something until you get the right tools – use what you have!)

As an editor / director I’m often pulled in to the Mac / PC debate – and among PC guys (which I’m one of) I get pulled in to the Adobe, Avid, or Sony Vegas debate too.  Once we hash out this debate and we have all unloaded all of the points of the platform the debate rolls over to what format to shoot etc.  Guys, when you’re getting started – a hammer is a hammer!  My father had an old beat up hammer that I think that he’s had as long as I’ve been around (29 years) and it’s still serving it’s purpose – if he wanted to he could take that “tool” and build anything he wanted to.  He could even take it and frame a house.  The argument with the last statement is that – there are more effective tools that he could use to frame a house and in the end, he’d more tools to finish it – but the tools is not relevant to the project (cause it can be done).

When you are getting started, don’t talk yourself out of doing something with the excuse of not having the ideal tool to use!  One other thing that my Dad taught me as a kid, that’s stuck with me as an adult was the phrase, “I’ve done so much with so little, I can do anything – with nothing!” Let this phrase frame you mind that you have to start somewhere! So use what you’ve got until you can do better.

2.)  Content is king!

When doing video, the impact needs to be quick and to the point! One of the greatest examples of this are the use of shorter videos that are released more often.  But there’s another side to this – videos that are too short, and especially ones that AUTO PLAY will annoy your viewer 7 out of 10 times! Every audience is going to be a bit different – so keep pushing the time limit with them to figure out how long they will stay.

—  Bonus Tip —

Video players that tell your viewer how much longer this will last – can make or break you!  With the above in mind, if you’re five minutes in to your video and you’re not telling them what they were waiting to hear – you’ve just lost a viewer!

3.) Composition & Framing makes a HUGE difference

As soon as I launch a video and see a tiny head in the center of the frame – 9 time out of 10 I just leave the page!  I don’t just turn off the video – I freaking run for the hills and rarely do I come back…  You might think that’s a bit of a stretch, but it’s not. People just won’t take it seriously, because they are programmed by the networks what video is supposed to look like, and that ain’t it!

So what do you do?  Read as much as you can about photography!  (It’s all the same!!!)  Learn composition rules like, “The Rule of Thirds” from Eastman Kodak (and many others).  You have to understand the rules before you’re ready to know when to break them!  More importantly than anything else – get started soon! One of the things that students of Film Schools are told is that they will hate their first, second, and third film (some say that you’ll bomb at the first 10!) but everyone you do will be a little less bad as the one before!  You have to get started, and be willing to fail – heck, fail fast – and learn from it so don’t do it again!

Next time we’ll talk about how “You can get started for $30 “

Photos used in post:

Time Square by Daniele Pesaresi // Hammer by Jolien Vallins // King Richard by aliwest44 //
10photo27 (composition) by PhotopediaPhotos