Videos are captivating. They can make you laugh, cry, or even buy something. They’ve become an integral part of our world in ways we couldn’t have imagined before. The amount of time people spend watching videos has surpassed the amount of time they spend with all other media combined.
So what does this mean for us? Well, we all need to start posting video content more frequently and understand how to create the best videos possible. That’s why we’ve created this ultimate guide: a complete overview of everything you need to know about creating videos with your smartphone. From camera and lighting settings to video length, we’ll show you how to create great videos that will catch the attention of brands around the world.
We have only one goal, and it’s this: To dispel the myth that videos are difficult or expensive. This post is for everyone. It’s for you, the account manager, the marketer with a small team, the video manager without equipment, or the executive with a big budget but little time. Mastering the basics of good video production also doesn’t mean you have to separate yourself from your agency.
It’s about being versatile and producing videos on the fly to support all communications efforts. Smaller videos make up the vast majority of all videos produced, and if you produce them yourself, your agency can focus on big brand videos and commercials.
Video equipment
To get started, you don’t need much in the way of video equipment. Many effective videos are taken with a smartphone or even a webcam. You can also use a DSLR with a 50mm lens.
Or you can go all out and invest in huge, Hollywood-ready camera gear. It all depends on three factors: Budget, skills, and size of the team.
Usually, these factors go hand in hand. If your company is small or in the startup phase, you don’t have a large team and often can’t afford a top expert. In that case, a smartphone will do just fine.
As your team and budget grow, the demands on your videos will increase along with it. In this case, better equipment will put the finishing touches on your professional videos. Whatever your team can easily pick up and is familiar with is the best option at any given time.
Lighting for video production
Nothing is worse than a dark image with a lot of noise. That’s why the rule of thumb for smaller productions is that natural light is best. Find a window in the office and position yourself as close as possible to the window to take full advantage of this natural light source with soft edges. If it’s late in the day or there is no suitable window nearby, a softbox can help.
With a tripod, you can position this softbox slightly from above and from the side to cast enough light on you. If you have two softboxes at your disposal, you can place one on each side to prevent large shadows from being cast.
What to do if there is no window nearby and you don’t have a softbox at hand? You can still shoot. Take any lamp and set it up so that the light shines indirectly against a wall to build your own softbox. Then simply stand in front of the illuminated wall and you’re ready to go. Just make sure that you have less light in the background so that the camera automatically sets the right brightness and the colors don’t become too yellow.
Good sound makes the quality
The sound quality is incredibly important in order to be understood later in the video. That’s why it’s important to test the audio settings before shooting and, if in doubt, choose a different location where there is no noise to distract from your voice. It is best to find a room that is not too large so that the reverberation is reduced.
To get the best quality you should get an additional microphone that can be connected to your smartphone. There are “omnidirectional microphones” that pick up audio equally from all directions like a sphere. These are handy for quiet interview situations, for example, where there is no ambient noise.
On the other hand, there are also “directional” microphones. These microphones try to pick up only the sound source they are pointed directly at and “block out” all other noise. Of course, depending on the quality, this works better or worse. Lavalier microphones are the smallest version.
These are usually clipped to clothing and can be connected to the camera with a long cable or even wirelessly. These are also especially good if you move around while recording.
Video software
From the clips you have taken with your chosen equipment, you now want to create professional videos that you can share. With SIMPLYMOTION you can save your recordings in one place and reuse them at any time. Simply record clips with the mobile app or your camera and upload the file. With a selection of pre-made templates, you can not only edit your videos together, but also add text and information. This makes creating explainer videos super easy. Just try the free version.
You don’t have to worry about whether the result corresponds to your corporate design and creates recognition value. The platform takes care of that! No matter if transitions, intro, outro or background music. SIMPLYMOTION works with ready-made, individual templates and is very easy to use.
SIMPLYMOTION guides you step by step through all important settings and takes care of the editing of your videos! If you want to change a video or personalize it for a targeted approach, you can duplicate or edit videos at any time without having to start from scratch. Once your video is ready, you can easily post it to social media with our online tool.
