CREATE AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING VIDEO FOR UNDER $2,000

By Todd Kolich

Please, Please! Can someone find me a deal? Can I really create an effective marketing video for under $2000?

The answer to the question is YES!

Well here you go! There is something in this world that can have real value and not cost you an arm and a leg – Your marketing video! Make no mistake though, it’s not going to look like an Oscar-Award winner, but it may be the marketing video you need to present your idea or market your product.

Sometimes iPhone is good enough to get the video job done.

Smartphones have changed the way things are seen and heard in so many ways. The video features in IPhones, especially the slo-motion, are simply incredible. IPads also shoot video although they can be a little clumsy to operate. I’ve seen absolute amateurs shoot some incredible video of their dog getting a bath or their three-year-old reciting Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

If you remember to keep the marketing video simple and follow these basic rules you can be the next Spielberg (or maybe something close).

10 Tips for Shooting Video

  1. Turn your phone sideways to shoot. Very few apps allow you to edit vertical video. Shooting horizontally means you won’t have trouble showing off your videos on a TV or big screen projection.
  2. Hold each shot for a minimum of 5 seconds. Some slight movements are OK, but keep it steady and don’t get too snappy!
  3. Don’t use the built in camera zoom. Don’t use your two fingers to get closer or double the image size.
  4. When recording audio, try not to be more than 2-3 feet away from the subject. Really, you need to hold the phone an arm’s length away.
  5. If you are shooting outdoors, reflect light at your subject. A small reflector helps light people for interviews. You can buy a 4×8 ft piece of foam core with silver siding at Home Depot for very little money. Cut it in two and you’re set to go.
  6. Look around your shoot location to see where the concentration of light is coming from.  Window? Sun? Overhead? (Avoid overhead lights – they never look good) Pay attention to the light source and avoid shooting into it or having it behind the subject. Natural lighting through a window is the ideal. Most smartphone cameras handle low light really well, so extra lighting may not be necessary.
  7. Remember, the more you shoot, the more you need to screen and log. Plan your shots ahead of your shoot, so you’re not leaving yourself a ton of material to sift through. Make yourself a shot list.
  8. Write your script after you finish shooting. Let the interviews and footage tell the story – Then, add minimum narration as voiceover to fill in the storyline.
  9. Find someone in your office with a good voice to record the narration.
  10. Use a tripod or a gimbal for a steady, stable shot.  A gimbal allows you to move around while recording. A tripod is great for static shots.

The shooting is actually the easy part. The magic comes in. Post production means editing, audio mixing and adding graphics. Yes, there are dozens of editing softwares and apps available for editing. A fine option if you have plenty of time and patience. Here’s where you might need to take that $800-900 part of your budget and find a professional or a production company to edit your masterpiece. If you decide to go this route, research local production companies. Your audio and video files can be electronically sent with script notes, graphic needs and music suggestions. A simple sixty-second video can be edited in 4-5 hours. That translates out to under $1000.00. A professional company will be able to sweeten and polish your footage into a really good-looking video.

Nowadays anyone can be a video producer. It’s simple storytelling. Give it a try.

Posted By : Todd Kolich