With the evolution of technology, it is incredible how much video has changed over the past few years. Feature films and television shows are now using iphones and tablets to shoot action sequences and entire shows. It is no longer necessary to hire a production crew to shoot, edit and distribute your video content. In fact, nowadays you don't even need a video camera to shoot videos that speak to your audience in a way that gets noticed. Video, now more than ever, is the best way to connect with your prospects and engage your audience to know, like and trust you.
Have you been sitting on the sidelines of the video revolution, telling yourself that you really should start getting some videos out there? If so, this post will be the trigger that gets you into the game.
In 2006, when I shot wedding videos and corporate documentaries, I carried a big fancy Canon GLX, a professional camera that I would lug around in a heavy, hard case that held a shotgun microphone, lights with varying intensities, cassette tapes to record footage, chargers and all kinds of other bells and whistles. In addition, I always had a huge, metal tripod dangling from my shoulder, despite the fact that the majority of my footage was captured on the go. It was all about the equipment back then. It was expensive and you needed a lot of it to get quality footage.
Fast forward to today... I am still shooting videos for clients. However, now I carry an iPhone, a splitter, 2 lavalier microphones, a mini-tripod and a charger that all fits inconspicuously into my purse. In fact, things have changed so much that sometimes I don't even need to upload the footage to my computer to edit before sending the file to YouTube, Vimeo or other social video sites. I can do it all from my iPhone.
Social videos are an essential part of marketing in today's age of social media and digital marketing.
Now, here is the fun part. Are you ready to shoot amazing videos with your smart phone? Here is your step by step guide to creating professional videos that speak to your audience using your smart phone.
What you will need: a smart phone, a tripod (or something to prop your phone up while you shoot), good lighting, a quiet space to shoot.
Step-by-step process to shooting your next great video:
1. Decide on the message you want to deliver that will help your audience to achieve a desired result quickly, with ease, having more fun or in some way better than before they watched the video.
2. Find a place in your home or office that is quiet, well lit and where you feel comfortable. If you have a clean wall that is white or a solid color that you can stand in front of, this can be the perfect place to deliver your message while looking like you are in a professional studio. In my house, believe it or not... this perfect room is the bathroom!
3. Quiet the space even more. Close all windows and doors. Turn off any fans, heaters or other noises in the room. If you have children, try to shoot when they are napping or at school, so you aren't distracted.
4. Place your phone in a tripod or propped against books or other objects where it is stable and upright. Make sure to have the camera on the phone set to face you, so that you can shoot and watch yourself on the screen at the same time.
5. Shoot a 5-second test before you begin shooting the video. Check for lighting (bright enough that you can see yourself but not so bright that you look washed out), sound (loud enough that you can be heard without any background noise of trucks driving by, kids crying or TVs in the background), visuals (check your hair etc and make sure to design the shot so that whatever you see in the frame is exactly meant to be there). Remove anything extra or distracting so your viewer can focus on you and your message.
6. Write down the 3 key points of the video on a Post-it note and place the note above the tiny camera lens on your iPhone. This will help you to remember what you are going to say while also helping you to look in the right place while filming.
7. Shoot a 1-2 minute video that quickly and concisely conveys a smart, easy and fun message. Don't forget to encourage social sharing by asking your viewers to like your video and comment on it if they find the information useful.
8. Once you are finished shooting, review the footage for good lighting and sound. If you want to crop the footage before you upload to YouTube, slide your finger slowly along the clip bar at the top of the video screen until a cropping prompt appears.
9. When you feel the video is ready to share, click the share button (rectangle with an arrow on it) and then click the YouTube icon. A screen will appear where you can add a title and description. Use the Google Keyword Tool to create an SEO friendly title and keyword rich tags, so you increase the search results for your video.
10. Don't forget to post the video to all of your social profiles. Embed it on your blog and commit to posting videos a few times a week so you can finally get your groove on with the social video revolution.