Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 05:04 pm
Brand videos can be used for a wide range of different purposes. They can be for marketing new products, providing training for staff, or onboarding new employees. Whatever your brand video is for, it needs to be both informative and entertaining.
If your video looks amateurish or poorly made, it’s never going to truly engage viewers and deliver its message. How can you make your brand videos feel more polished and professional? We’ve put together three key tips. Check them out below.
Light Your Scene Properly
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of video production but unfortunately, it’s also one of the most commonly overlooked. If the scene you’re filming isn’t properly it, your subjects aren’t going to pop out from the screen and grab the attention of viewers.
Let’s say you’re making an instructional video featuring one of your employees teaching customers how to use one of your products. Both the employee and the product itself will need to be well-lit. This will ensure they stand out against the background and that viewers can clearly see and follow what’s happening on screen.
A three-point light set-up is one of the most used and effective lighting systems. It involves using a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. These lights are arranged in a rough triangle shape, with the subject in the centre. The key light is the primary light designed to illuminate the subject, the fill light helps reduce shadows, and the backlight helps the subject stand out from the background.
Try out different light settings, record test shots, and review the footage to assess how well the lighting works. This way, you’ll be able to find the perfect balance that makes your video look polished and professional.
Use Music and Sound
Making an engaging brand video isn’t just about the visuals. The music and sound you include can be just as crucial. Music and sound can transform a bland, boring video into something exciting and entertaining.
Think about the tone, style and content of your video when choosing music and sound. You want music that compliments your video perfectly, otherwise, it could prove distracting or disruptive.
Keep things simple. Light, playful music and basic, pleasant sound effects work best. These will accentuate the visual elements of your video, making things seem more dynamic and interesting for viewers.
It’s not simply a case of slapping a soundtrack onto your video and that being the end of it. You’re going to need to take the time to balance the audio carefully. If your video has dialogue, which many brand videos will, it’s vital you ensure that the music and sound do not overpower it. Dipping the music when someone is talking can be an effective way of ensuring the dialogue always cuts through.
Many brand videos feature on-screen graphics and annotations. These can be used to deliver extra information that is not being conveyed by the dialogue. This is where sound effects come in. Use them to signal the appearance of an on-screen graphic. Doing so will make them stand out more and will ensure they do not go unnoticed by viewers.
Editing
If you want to make your brand video look polished and professional, you’re going to need to edit it. Once you have recorded your footage, import it into an editing platform. Here, you can review all of your clips and begin arranging them into a timeline.
Editing is where you can remove mistakes, such as fluffed lines or out-of-focus shots. As you stitch your video together, you’ll start to build its narrative structure. Transitions are key. You don’t want one long continuous shot, even if the location of your video never changes. This can bore viewers and result in them losing interest. Small cuts and transitions will keep viewers engaged and prevent them from becoming distracted.
However, avoid using fancy transitions like fades or screen wipes. These are dated and can make your video look silly, not what you want from professional, polished brand content. Stick to basic cuts and short fades. If your viewers don’t notice a transition, it’s served its purpose perfectly.
It can be intimidating when you first open editing software. There are so many different features and functions that sometimes it can be hard to know where to begin. Keep things simple; you’re not making the latest blockbuster movie, so there’s no need to go overboard when it comes to editing.
Conclusion
Brand videos can be incredibly useful. They can help engage employees and reach new customers. However, making effective brand videos can be tricky, it requires a solid knowledge and understanding of the video production process. You need to light your scene properly, make full use of music and sound effects, and edit your video properly if you want it to feel polished and professional.
