One of my recent projects on my ‘Venture To The Top’ involves a video series which I will sell as an information product. The learning curve for making these videos can often be a little steep, however I was helped by some experience I have had in the TV industry.
Here are some top tips to improve your website Video Production:
1) Aim for 10 takes for each video.
That’s right, aim for 10 takes to get each website video right. Too many people think they have to get it right first time, but here is something for you, professional presenters practice numerous times off air before going in front of the camera, and even then they have many takes to get it right.
So aim for 10 takes, expect the first 2 or 3 to be very rough, so do not think to much and just get them done. Look back at them and improve on one thing for each take.
I do not even wear the right clothes for the first 2 takes, I just ensure my lines and presentation are good enough for take 3 in-front of a real camera.
2) Use a teleprompter
Yep, all professional presenters use them. By having your wording pre prepared and scrolling in front of you, there is one less thing to worry about. I use software for my MAC which converts it to a teleprompter and place my camera right next to it, so it is hard to tell I am using the teleprompter.
The easier you make the process of making videos, the faster you will progress. You can get free versions for both Mac and PC by searching here (The lite version is Free and good enough for my needs). This is a very useful tool to help with your website video production.
3) Have a friend help you film
Initially I used a friend as I have a Flip Ultra HD that I film with and it is not possible to see the filming area when you are filming yourself. (I advise therefore filming with a reversible screen if trying this solo). There was however a great benefit from having someone there whilst producing your website videos.
They can notice very quickly some simple things such as mannerisms and problems with wording, therefore allowing you to sort them out in your next take and not having to re-shoot the website video at a later date.
I also found that it helped me to feel like I was talking to my friend, and therefore made the website videos seem very natural and watchable.
4) Have an Intro animation
A simple Intro animation gives you a very credible and professional image to your website videos. It only needs to be 5 to 10 seconds long but can double or even triple your response rate as people perceive you as being more professional.
I had my Intro made for $5 at the website Fiverr, so there is really no reason not to add such a useful tool to your videos also.
5) Mix it up
People will get bored of seeing your face all the time, so mix it up to make it fun. Sometimes I will do a video where I present for 5 minutes standing in front of the camera and in others I use PowerPoint slides and a voice-over. Sometimes I also add guest videos to spice it up.
The viewers know they will get great information but the way it is presented changes often between my three presentation methods so they do not get bored (but not so many different ways of filming that they get confused or the brand gets diluted).
Website video production does not have to be done in one particular way, you can use a variety of methods and perhaps you should to ensure your viewers have multiple ways of digesting content.
If you have expert tips, feel free to add them.
Great tips Dee, really useful stuff.
I love the idea of mixing it up. Sometimes I just do not feel like being in front of the camera and mixing it up stratgy allows me to do that without feeling guilty. The days i feel I look good I go in front of the camera and other days I just to audio!
One thing I would add is take a break, especially when filming yourself. The frustration of making mistakes can get to you but if you walk away from it, you come back with a fresh mind. Works a treat for me.