In today’s digital age, videos have become essential for connecting businesses and entrepreneurs with their audience to promote their brand. However, creating professional-looking videos can be a daunting task, especially for those new to it.
But the truth is you can create professional-looking videos that will generate awareness and wow your customers if you have the right process.
In this episode of Shop Talk, I’ll share some simple tips to help you make your videos look more professional and polished.
Snapshot of this episode:
- 7:33 – 3 Key Things To Create Professional-Looking Videos
- 12:25 – 2 pro tips to make video production easy
- 17:12 – 5 tools that will enhance video production
- 21:03 – How can I overcome the fear of being on camera?
There's no denying that we live in a digital world. To keep up with shifting trends in content consumption, business owners need to embrace video content creation as a part of their consumer outreach.
Videos produce better results because people now want to consume their content through visual media.
Anyone can create eye-catching videos with the right set-up and the right tools. I'd like to share some simple tips to make your videos look more professional.
3 Key Things To Create Professional-Looking Videos
When it comes to creating professional-looking videos, three things that matter most are:
Lighting: Adequate and consistent lighting is essential for creating a professional-looking video. It helps set the mood and tone and ensures you are well-lit and visible.
When it comes to lighting, I recommend using sunlight whenever possible. Make sure you face the sun (not the sun to your back). If the room you are recording in doesn't have good lighting, you can always use an inexpensive ring light.
Audio quality: Poor audio quality can ruin a video, even if it looks great. High-quality audio is essential to making a video sound professional. It is important to use a good microphone and minimal background noise.
Typically, the mic on your phone will work fine if you are close enough while recording, but if you are far away, you may need an inexpensive mic.
Composition: The composition of shots plays a crucial role in making a video look professional. This refers to how elements in the frame are arranged. Techniques such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and symmetry can create visually pleasing compositions.
And then there's the background. Make sure you record your videos in a space that is clear of clutter.
2 pro tips to make video production easy
For many entrepreneurs, video content creation feels like it takes a ton of time and energy. They feel overwhelmed by the task, which makes it not feel worth doing. These two tips will streamline your video creation system and make it no longer feel like a burden.
Plan ahead: Planning ahead can help make video production much more manageable. Before filming, create a detailed shot list and a storyboard to help keep track of what needs to be filmed and when. This will help to ensure that everything is captured and that the final video flows smoothly.
You also need to pick a location in your home or office where you can set up a mini video set that you use every time you record.
Batch your videos: Everything becomes easier if you have a content creation process, such as batching. When you create your videos, batch them - meaning, make several videos in one day. In the Content Creation Lab, I teach you how to outline your videos so you can create multiple pieces of content easily.
To batch them, you'll prepare your scripts one day and record all videos the next day. Instead of this process taking all month, you knock it out in two days!
The best thing is you only have to make yourself presentable once. (Women, you only have to do your hair and makeup for one video!) If you want to wear the same thing, that is perfectly fine, but if you prefer, you can swap jackets for each one, too.
5 tools that will enhance video production
If you want to create killer videos, here are the top tools I recommend that will set your content above the rest:
Decent Smartphone or Camera: A high-quality camera is essential for creating professional-looking videos. Look for cameras with good low-light performance and manual focus. It will help you to get the most out of your video production.
Lighting equipment: Adequate and consistent lighting is essential for creating a professional-looking video. Invest in a good set of lights to help control the lighting and make the desired mood or tone. A ring light, as mentioned before, is a great tool when looking for lighting equipment.
Audio equipment: High-quality audio is essential to making a video sound professional. Invest in a good microphone, such as a lapel mic, and an audio recorder, to capture clear, high-quality sound.
BigVu: This is a teleprompter app I love to use! You copy the scripts that you plan to use and upload them to the desktop app. Then you can pull it up on the mobile app and let it scroll as you read the script while looking into the phone as you record. For me, I love using it to stay on track.
Video editing software: Good video editing software is essential for creating polished and professional-looking videos. Look for software with a wide range of features and tools, such as color correction, transitions, and special effects. We use a video editing software called Veed.io. With this tool, we can upload the video, clean up the audio and remove background noise very quickly. I can also extract the audio, so I can use it for a podcast.
How can I overcome the fear of being on camera?
There are several ways to overcome the fear of being on camera. Here are a few:
Practice in front of a mirror: This will help you become more comfortable with your appearance and mannerisms as you are being filmed.
Start small: Begin by filming yourself doing something simple, such as talking about a topic you're familiar with. As you become more comfortable, increase the level of difficulty.
Watch yourself on camera: Review the footage of yourself to identify areas for improvement, and then work on those areas.
Use positive self-talk: Remind yourself that everyone gets nervous in front of the camera and that it's normal to make mistakes. Tell yourself that you can do it and will improve with practice.
Seek feedback: Ask friends, family members, or a professional to watch your footage and give constructive feedback.
Relax your body: Take deep breaths and try to relax your body before filming.
Finally, remember that being on camera is a skill that can be developed over time. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become.
Video content creation is essential if you want to connect with your audience. By knowing just a few simple pro tricks (that anyone can implement), you can make your videos look polished and professional!
