Top tips for creating effective video content

Manifesto’s Senior Video Editor and Animator, Maria Padro, ran a hands-on video workshop with a small group of our clients. The complimentary 3-hour workshop took us on a whistle stop tour, sharing our top tips for creating and editing your own video content, before getting into a speed-creating round of video ideation, creation and editing.

At the very heart of our recommendations, we discussed the need for a clear content strategy. Taking the Hero, Hub, Hygiene model; a simple framework consisting of three types of content, we looked at how this could be applied to creating effective video content.

Capturing footage

Next up we looked at the technology available to you for capturing video footage; including smartphones. Gone are the days where professional equipment is required for capturing content. With a little knowledge, and a small investment in some supporting equipment, you can start capturing some great footage. There’s also DSLR cameras, sports cameras and professional-grade cameras, all dependant on your video requirements and the available budget.

Lighting

Similarly, it’s possible to achieve lighting on a budget, with the main advice to make the most of natural lighting; it’s softer and more flattering, as well as cost effective. If your budget allows, you can invest in LED panels, Mini LEDs, clamp lights, but there are other creative lighting solutions. When considering lighting, think about ‘Three Point Lighting’ – a main key light, a fill light to reduce the shadows, and a backlight to make the subject stand out from the background.

Composition

Another important aspect to consider is composition. Here’s some handy videos and diagrams to explain the different camera shots, angles, focus and camera movement.

Angles and point of view – eye level, low angle, high angle, ground level, birds-eye view…

Depth of field – the area where objects appear to be in focus.

Lead Room – the space in front of where the person in the shot is looking. If a character is looking frame left, then they should be placed frame right.

Camera movement – static, zoom, pan…

Example of a quick zoom in to add tension in the scene.

Editing software

For the workshop, Maria provided Openshot, a free and open source editing software. Openshot has may of the same features (although more limited) as paid for editing software, so you can learn some basic transferable skills ready for that moment you want / need to upgrade.

Professional video editing software includes Avid, Final Cut and Adobe Premiere.

Tips from a Video Editor

• Keep it simple – one call to action per video
• Sort out your paperwork – do you need consent forms?
• Use your own resources
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Creating video content is no mean feat, but it’s now more accessible than ever with the development of smartphones, drones and free editing software to create smaller budget, hygiene content. Allowing more people to gain access to great technology, develop their video skills and build their confidence.

If you’re struggling to work out exactly what types of video content really resonate with your audiences, or if you have an idea for a video that might be a bit too big to handle in-house then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our motion content experts.