The 5 No’s To Creating Great Video

video-marketing So, your company has seen a few great GoDaddy commercials and your thinking, “We should do something like that.” Before you do, make sure to take a few things into consideration. Let’s start with the beginner’s video editor (guide in-reverse) on what not to do. It’s easy to get caught up with the hype of (viral-) video marketing, whether it’s on traditional broadcast TV or on YouTube, but it takes more than just an iPhone and your laptops free video software to produce it. So before you get started, let’s review a few things to consider.

In this article: hide

1 What you SHOULD NOT DO:

2 So, let’s recap:

2.1 Featured image:

What you SHOULD NOT DO:

Do not let your teenage prodigy produce the video.
Do not use your phone to produce it.
Do not download music, pictures or media offline to use in your video.
Do not use your equipment’s built-in mic to record your final audio.
Do not use free software to edit the video.

1. It’s obvious, your teenager is the next Steve Jobs. However creative his recent project was, there is a big difference in good quality personal projects and professionally done work. When it comes, to the competitive business market, leave the high-end video work to the pros and higher someone suitable and qualified for the job. There are always small nuances, bells & whistles and details of video largely overlooked by the novice editor that can make or break your companies video.

2. Cell phone technology has largely advanced. Producing YouTube style videos can be accomplished right from your phone. There still is much to consider though. Your latest iPhone or Android, however sophisticated, can only still take in so much light. Light is the most important thing to your video. The colors and radiance of every scene most be captured by lenses that are able to maintain the integrity of the moment with every hue and shade in mind. A little shadow and blurred lines can really make your companies video look amateurish, when blown up in size to fit most TV’s and even tablet screens. Remember, your phone screen is only but so small. What it looks like on your phone is not conducive to how it will play and appear on larger screens.

4. There is no considering good video without good audio. That is the part almost always overlooked and the one most detrimental. You can look at bad video if it has good audio, but there is no way you will look at good video with bad audio. Any and every individual viewing video with bad audio will always tune it out or turn it off. The message of your company is important, one that is spoken loudly and supported by the images and graphics you display. Really, in this case, audio is first and should be scripted and recorded with such emphasis and video (recorded images and graphics) can be considered secondary or supportive. Unless, your creating video with no sound, like a digital billboard, make sure to use professionally mic’d equipment in producing your quality video project

5. Nothing worthwhile is free. While its free and proclaimed to assist you in producing exactly what the professionals achieve, the truth is, you get what you pay for. Most “free” editors come with vary limited features. The edits and transitions your allowed to use are very generic. Nothing like what you see on a TV ad produced by your favorite brand or company. One of the most popular editors, Apple’s iMovie for instance, only gives you one channel to drop your video on. That means, while editing, you may not overlap video upon each other to accomplish higher end, cuts, tricks and transitions (video editor talk). A great video editor with an established work portfolio is vital to your companies video endeavors.

So, let’s recap:

When attempting to create high-quality content video for your next marketing campaign, consider these factors in “what not to do.” Don’t use your technologically advanced teenage son or daughter to do it. There church video or youtube project was awesome, but the quality doesn’t cut it for business. Don’t use your phone to produce it. iPhones and androids are awesome, but they have their limits. Do not download what you assume to be “free” pictures, audio or any media of any kind off google. Just because you googled it and found it, doesn’t mean its free. Do not use your equipments built-in mic to record your final audio. Professional video recording equipment and professional audio recording equipment are two entirely different things, with whole industries dedicated to their excellence. Lastly, choose your video editing software wisely. You get what you pay for with video editors. The more “free” it is, the more limited is options.

So what should you do?

Here’s a thought and some great direction. When producing great video like your competitors on a low-budget, consider doing some research on sites like odesk.com and elance.com. You can find highly trained professionals showcasing their work and bidding against one another for your project. They already have the latest software and equipment to accomplish your projects needs at the level you require.