Video for Web: The Basics

Making a successful web video to promote your business, brand, event or service isn’t an easy task. The ‘surfing’ culture of the Internet means that if your video doesn’t appeal to the viewer within the first few seconds then they will quickly move on. Here are a few basic tips to engage your viewers and improve the quality of your video.  This article is aimed at new web video producers with a fairly low budget.

Basic Tips

When shooting on consumer equipment there are a few basic rules to keep in mind. Use a tripod whenever possible to keep the shot still, use headphones to listen to the audio you are filming, set your scene in a well lit area, watch back important scenes on location just in case you need to shoot them again, and finally edit your clips and keep them tight.

The Message

Ensure that you have a clear message for the video, and take the time to plan the video around the message. Using storyboards, scripts, shot and location lists will always improve the overall quality of the content and make it clear what you are trying to achieve.

Length

When producing digital media for web you have to think bite-size. People simply won’t sit and watch a 10 minute video unless it is REALLY interesting to them. On average my web videos are around two minutes in length, and I make sure that the message is clear from the beginning. The shorter the better!

Equipment

These days we are spoilt for choice when it comes to cameras and tech. You can film good quality shots on your digital camera, DSLR or handheld consumer camcorder. Use a tripod where possible, consumer cameras can often produce shaky shots. If you are interviewing someone, use an external microphone with your camera, it will produce a much better sound. Use headphones to listen as you are filming.

Sound

We are all used to watching Internet video and we don’t usually expect perfect picture quality. But, if the sound is inaudible, then the viewer will instantly move on. It is vital to get good clear audio when shooting interviews, speeches, presentations etc. As mentioned above, using headphones to monitor the audio as you are recording is essential. It will help you judge the background noise and if a better location is needed.

Whilst interviewing someone, make sure the interviewee is close to the camera when using an onboard microphone, or close to the mic if it’s external. It sounds obvious but many videos are inaudible because the subject is too far away from the microphone.

Editing

Editing your footage is very important to get a more professional finish to your video. Tightly edit your clips – cut out any pauses at the beginning and end of the clip. There is lots of consumer editing software out there like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie to get you started, or to really get stuck in have a look at the professional packages such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro (Mac) and Adobe Premiere Pro. Export in a high quality format like H.264 MP4 and upload to YouTube or Vimeo.