Add video to your website
Web Host Provider Offers Tips on Video Production for the Web
In the age of Web 2.0 and the substantial market penetration of broadband services, videos are standard marketing tools even in small, one-man operations operating from the company’s world headquarters in the guest room. . Why the growing popularity?
Videos sell. They sell you, they sell your company, your products or services. The videos also go viral quickly. Post a video clip on a blog, and if it’s good, it will be picked up by other sites.
You can post videos on YouTube, social networking sites, expert sites, and of course your own website. But when the operating budget for that online business comes from the cookie jar, video can seem out of reach. Not so.
Consider the expense. You’ll need a fast computer, a decent digital video camera, and video editing software. Assume that your current system is fast enough. You can pick up high-quality, easy-to-use video editing software on sale for less than $500. And a decent-quality video camera will cost you around $800 – $1000.
So if you only plan to make a single video, hire a professional photographer (a camera operator and editor) and save the investment in video production hardware and software. But, if you recognize the marketing value of quality video and plan to add webcasts and other video features to your marketing toolkit, consider the capital outlay as an investment in your future.
Website Video Production Values
Production values determine the final look, sound, and feel of your finished video clip, whether it’s a brief introduction to your company or a five-hour course for CEU credit. A poorly produced video is worse than no video at all, so you have to get it right. Here are some suggestions on how to make quality videos for your website or for DV downloads.
source material
This is the raw footage you shoot. It should be of as high a quality as the pocket will allow.
Many people use webcams, the low-resolution cameras that sit on top of a computer monitor. Do not use a webcam. Poor resolution (image quality) makes a poor first impression of you or your business.
Again, the family’s digital video (DV) camera will have a higher resolution, providing a sharper, less grainy, and larger image. Remember, the finished product can never be better than the source material, so always start with the best raw footage you can afford.
Fascinated
You’ll say? What is the goal of the video clip? Sell? To create credibility? To demonstrate a product? Before and after clips? Before shooting a single frame, prepare the content to suit the purpose of the clip.
Now this does NOT mean you write a 15 minute speech and read it. Even if your subject matter is compelling, there’s nothing more boring than listening to a talking head buzz. It is a life-threatening boredom.
Instead, develop a list of talking points – the five or 10 key points you want to present in the video. Rehearse the talking points until you’ve finished them. Prepare reference cards that detail talking points, list statistics, or provide other factual “can’t-miss” content. Use these reference cards to talk to the viewer, also known as the digital video camera. that way, you make “eye contact” with the viewer.
Organize the content using the old teaching adage: tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them; then tell them what you told them. Stage one prepares the viewer and sets the viewer’s mindset. Stage two builds on stage one with examples and supporting data, and stage three is the summary of the talking points and the call to action – the part of the video that tells the viewer what to expect next.
Turning on
Unless you have a cash reserve, lighting could be an issue.
You can rent lighting equipment from any photo store though, unless you understand the placement of the lighting it could make that dark shadow behind you even worse. Use natural light if possible. In fact, shooting outdoors on a cloudy day provides smooth, sharp images. And the shots of you walking on the beach while talking about your investment advice are a nice subliminal statement (I can give you all of these) and add visual interest.
Voice-over (VO) narration
One way to eliminate fire sirens, screaming children, and other street noise is to use voice-over narration. Record your DV. Then record your narration using your DV camera’s microphone, or buy a good quality microphone. You can get everything you need to listen to your VO for less than $50.
Edit, edit, edit
Less is definitely more when it comes to DV on websites, blogs, and other places online. You may think you have a lot to say and maybe you do, but you don’t have to say it all at once. You don’t need to describe every benefit, every option, every nuance of your message. Instead, use a site-based video to introduce yourself and make a positive impression.
Be brief if it is a sales promotion. Keep it complete and accurate if it is informative or instructive.
add text
Text is added during post-production, the stage where sound is mixed with video footage. Audio and video appear on a ‘timeline’ that allows you to sync words and images.
Use text to reinforce key points. For example, the CEO’s name and title would appear below images of her sitting behind a desk. The CEO says her name, which is then reinforced with text below the CEO’s picture.
Talking head (or head/torso combo) clipping to text graphics: bullets that appear on cue as the VO narrator reads the script. This adds visual interest. Text and other graphics are a great way to convey a lot of information quickly. It may take you five minutes to explain what is visually clear in a bar chart or other X/Y graph, table, map, or image at a glance.
Dress well
No, you don’t have to rent a tuxedo, but you do have to look the part, whatever that part is. Financial advisor: three-piece business suit. Fitness Trainer: Sexy gym clothes and no three-piece suit. It doesn’t fit in with the look of the gym.
This is your first and maybe last chance to impress a site or blog visitor or YouTuber. Don’t blow it with a torn AC/DC T-shirt while presenting your latest investment model by buying land in the Brazilian rainforest. Ummm, what’s wrong with this image? But, if you’re the Boise skateboard king, that AC/DC t-shirt is perfect for you. Who’s going to buy a skateboard for a geek in a three-piece suit, for crying out loud?
Add a music bed
There’s a lot of royalty-free music online, so you can take advantage of that too. Avoid copyright issues by going royalty free.
The music should fade out below the opening shot or intro credits. Use music to signal to the listener that the subject is about to change or some critical point is about to be established. However, and this is important, the music should never interfere with or distract the viewer from the words. Even simple DV editing devices offer two channels of audio: one for music and one for narration. Think of music as aural wallpaper. You want the viewer to be aware of it but to focus on the narrator.
Again, sync your music with the narration.
finally crush it
Video runs at 32 frames per second. That’s a lot of digital information to be delivered directly, so video for uploading to the web is typically compressed using compression ratios contained as part of the editing package.
The higher the compression ratio, the lower the quality of the image delivered to the viewer. On the other hand, less compression means longer download times as more video is delivered to the viewer’s browser.
It’s a balancing act. If you compress the finished piece too much, it will download quickly and hopefully grab the attention of the visitor. But the image quality will not be the best. Compress as needed and remember, only 10% of web users will sit through a 30 second download.
God, we’re an impatient bunch.