Have I got your attention yet? Good! When you are venturing out into the world of video making there are some things
to keep in mind.
1. Lighting is very important and can vary from location in your home to outdoors. Determine the best lighting by shooting different shots in different locations and choose the one that will benefit you and your audience the most.
2. Length of videos is not as important but of course if you want to keep your audience alert and focused on your message, use the KISS method. Keep it short and sweet. Some will argue on the length but some of the best videos are simply 3 to 4 minutes and sometimes shorter
3. Be aware of your surroundings, yes, the one you have been waiting for. Please, please look around before you decide to shoot a video. For instance if you are trying to relate an important message via video, don’t do it in your messy bedroom or messy garage. Pick a place that will not distract from your message. Can you imagine trying to send out a message while someone is dancing in the background. Can you say, distracting?
4. Be creative. If you want your videos to stand out and be memorable, plan them out. Some of the best videos I have seen have been done off the cuff, but others have been planned and executed and have been very impressive. You may consider a backdrop or music to enhance your video although it is not necessary. Whatever you choose, have fun and try not to take it to seriously.
The never ending question seems to be: ‘Is my video too long?’ Do we have a chart that we must follow that details the appropriate length of a video? The answer is obviously ‘No’. However, the latest statistics show that the average length of an online video is 3 to 3.5 minutes. However, we have come across videos that vary in length. This is evident from the videos we are attracted to on YouTube and even some clips found on Hulu.com.
We’ve always heard that in order to keep the attention of your audience that less is more. The entire concept of making videos is to entertain or to attract your market to your service or product. But lengths of videos will vary depending on the message you are trying to send out. In order to know the answer to the length question is to test out your videos. View the statistics of your longer videos vs the shorter videos. Another solution is to re-cut your video and reduce the length by 30%. Most importantly you want to keep track of the views of your videos.
If you find that your video is longer that anticipated, perhaps you can shorten it by adding sequels. If your information cannot be condensed to 3 minutes; make several videos with a Part 1, 2 and 3 if needed. You need to keep in mind that you want your audience to be enticed, intrigued and simply interested in watching your video. The last thing you want is for them to fall asleep, continuously yawn and completely forget you and your message.
Be creative by adding background music, text within the video or breaks with messages. Keep your audience alert and they will enjoy your videos and come back often. Most importantly they will remember your message and share that message with others, which of course is your ultimate goal.
With the new wave of video equipment those just starting out may have issues with conversion. You may have had a program on your old computer and now can’t seem to locate. Or perhaps you are at a loss on converting your videos. Well, there’s no need to worry. I want to share a great site that will convert any of your videos into a format you can use for your iPod, or for a DVD or any format you desire.
I want to share a great site that offers the service of converting your videos to the format you require. The site I am referring to is called Hey!Watch . This service allows you to import files to their site in several ways. It allows you to upload from your hard drive or as easy as adding the URL from a video on YouTube or other online video services. If you use Firefox, this company has developed an easy plugin to import a video from a previously viewed website to the service very easily.
Once the videos are uploaded to this system you have the ability to convert the video to whatever format you need at the time. Never again will you worry about how to convert your videos or lose your mind trying to figure it out. The Hey!Watch service, takes all the headaches out of conversion and makes it easy for you, the way it should be. If you desire an RSS feed, this service can do that as well. With the RSS feed, the videos can be added to your iTunes feed and the videos can be viewed on your iPod. The possibilities seem endless and pain-free.
Next time you are having issues with the formatting of your videos, try Hey!Watch .
When shooting your video it is wise to pick an optimum spot that will give you the best amount of lighting. If you are unsure about the lighting in your room, you may want to do several test videos to find the best spot. 
Below I share some tips that will definitely help:
- Be aware of your backgrounds – try to avoid doorways and messy rooms, simply be aware of what’s behind you.
- Avoid white backgrounds – not only will white backgrounds tend to wash your skin out but they are quite boring.
- Notice the overhead lighting – some overhead lighting will give your skin different shades and shadows, be aware of the type of overhead light as well, too bright is not good either.
- Avoid lights in the background – lights in the background will create shadows and will be distracting
- Natural lighting is ideal – standing in front of a window with natural light shining in and a dark background make the best settings, giving you the best natural look
- Most importantly think about your setting – do you want a more professional look, perhaps your office is the ideal spot with bookcases behind you, if you want a more natural look go outside, but be sure the sun is not shining behind you or directly overhead.
- Best tip is to practice, practice, practice – the more often you take videos, you will soon know which lighting will work best for your complexion and which setting will be ideal for your video project and most importantly – HAVE FUN!