The Small Business Doer

Web videos are all the rage nowadays. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

There’s a lot of hype around videos and how you can make your own video so easily, upload it to Youtube, and go viral.

The reality is that most do it yourself videos fall flat and are never watched by anyone.

Yes, picking up a camera and making a video has never been easier and more affordable than ever before. However, remember a paper and pencil give you the right tools to be a writer, but a good writer does it make you not.

I’ve professionally produced videos myself for over 10 years and while I run a professional video production company in Vancouver, my purpose is to teach you how to do it yourself, and for free.

I realize that not every small business can afford to have a professionally produced video and that if part of your marketing strategy involves having videos regularly videos posted online, a DIY video approach may be the most effective approach for your business.

For all you DIY video makers out there, I’ve put together a how to make a video… well… video.

DIY Video – A How To Guide

I was originally going to produce a single video, talking about how to make a video yourself, the potential pitfalls of doing so, and how to choose a professional videographer or video production company. I realized I couldn’t fit it all in a short video, so I’m planning on doing four videos:

1. Tips on how to script, setup, shoot, and edit your video
2. Video equipment and tools on a budget
3. Uploading and distributing your videos online
4. How to choose a professional videographer or video production company

Without further ado, please find the first video, “Tips on how to script, setup, shoot, and edit your video“, below.

DIY Video Outline

For all those that like the written form, even when learning about making a video, I’ve written the key points to remember when making your video.

I’ve also included a resources section at the very end where you can go for more information, as a 10 minute video is not going to turn you into a DIY video superstar.

Pre-Production – Script and Setup

• Script: Have a script of what you want your video to be about before you start filming. This will help guide you in knowing what kind of shots you need and will you will need to practice saying.
• Practice: If you’re going to be talking in the video, practice, practice, practice, before you actually go ahead and film the video. Two tips that I take advantage of is talking in front of a mirror and filming myself in advance and watch my takes.
• Bullet Points: When delivering the script, think bullet points. Trying to memorize exact words can sound forced and take away the authenticity of a video. Instead, try to talk with your own voice in a natural way.
• Speech club: If you’re uncomfortable being in front of the camera, there’s a speech club called Toastmasters that you can join to bone up on your skills.
• Location scouting: Is the location quiet, well lit, what is your background like? Can you actually film there, is it busy, will the lighting conditions change (outdoor locations).

I didn’t go into too many details on the pre-production part in terms of finding talent, finding equipment, and finding crew members. I kind of assumed you’re doing this with very few people and I will be talking about equipment in another post and video.

Production – Filming

• Lighting: The more light the better. Also, make sure to use the same color lights. Regular light bulbs are usually orange in color, “daylight” light bulbs are blue in color (and since it is called daylight, this is also the same color as the sun), and fluorescent lights are green in color. Try not to mix your light colors.
• Audio: A lot of people don’t realize how noisy it is both inside and outside. There are cars, animals, appliances, fans, phones, etc…. that will cause noises that you naturally tune out. When you get to a location, take a few second and really listen to the background noises and try to eliminate them as much as possible.
• Steady shot: Unless you absolutely have to go hand held, don’t move your camera. If you don’t own a tripod, put it on a stable surface. Shaky cameras are very distracting and look amateur.
• Framing: This one’s easier to show than to talk about, so please look at the picture below. A basic rule of thumb is called the rule of thirds. Divide the screen up into thirds. Eyes should be level with the top line. If you’re looking right or left, than your eyes should be on the left line or right line. Look at the resources section below to read up all about it. Also, it’s better to cut of hair or the top of a head than it is to cut of a chin.
• B-Roll: These are filler shots that help convey your point, provide visual interest or a visual break from a talking head. For DIY videos, b-roll footage can help with your edits as you can have something to cut to (transition to) between talking about different points.
• Multiple takes: With digital video, you are luckily afforded the chance to try the shot over and over again. Don’t be afraid to do multiple takes. Do remember though, that doing too many takes can get you fatigued or starting to sound robot like. Most people don’t like listening to fatigued robots.

Post-Production – Editing

• Transitions: Transitions are the spaces between one shot to another. The majority of transitions in professional productions use straight cuts between shots, a straight cut being no special effect, no fade, just going from one shot to the next. There is nothing that will make a production look more lame faster than star wipes, page peels, and ripple effects.
• Titling: Titles can be used to emphasize points, divide sections, and also be used as a sort of transition or b-roll between shots. Again, you don’t have to use crazy text for your titles. A simple black screen with white writing always looks pro.
• Music: Many people will illegally use copyrighted music in their videos. Most times you can actually get away with it and Youtube even has deals with music publishers to run ads against your video if you upload a video with copyrighted music. However, having an ad up over top of your video is not exactly what you are looking for, you can have your video pulled, and you can even be sued. The best approach is to use royalty-free music. Some royalty-free music you pay for but you can also get free music, such as music through a creative commons license.

Extra resources on how to make your own video

There are a lot of other great diy video resources online and I’d thought I’d point them out to you. The trouble I find with the internet is knowing who to trust for advice. So, I’ve tried to compile a list of videos that I would recommend to friends if they were asking me about how to make their own videos.

• Video School: Vimeo has a Vimeo Video School with videos that are well produced and free. They are a little more geared to movie makers, but nonetheless talk about all the basic skills you need to make a video.
• Framing: There is a Wikipedia article on the rule of thirds as well as one about headroom (framing people’s heads). More visual explanations can be found here and here.
• Speech: Toastmasters is a non-profit organization that runs in many cities around the world that teaches speaking and leadership skills, great skills for video makers and presenters.
• Music: You can buy royalty-free music at istockphoto and audio jungle to name a few sites. Looking for some free creative common tracks, try searching here.

Questions or comments on do it yourself video tips?

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. I’d be more than happy to answer and I always love feedback. If you live in the Vancouver area and wanted some help on learning how to make your own videos, please feel free to contact me.