It is not easy to create captivating videos, and you must learn how to do the right planning, shooting and lighting your videos for a superior end-product that generate more views and engagement. Instagram views or video views provide a count of the number of viewers who have seen the video for at least 3 seconds and the number displayed at the bottom of the post is a sign of its popularity. By tapping on the video count, you can see who have liked your videos and the number of likes it received. Start your journey in creating high quality and professional videos for posting on Instagram by setting the goals first.
Set your goals
Planning is very important because it can be a daunting task to tell a story within the short span of 60 seconds or less. Think about what you want to achieve by sharing the video. Looking for new followers and inducting them within your fold can be one of the goals while building personal relationships with existing followers could be another. Similarly, driving more traffic to the website could be the third goal. Be very specific because it influences the tone and tenor of the video that helps to realize your goal.
It is all about storytelling
People love stories, and you must present your message in the videos through stories only that generate interest and create instant engagement. Although the pattern of presentation would be similar to the way you tell a story, it is not necessary that you create a storyboard. Plan the video in such a way that you can make optimal use of every second. Having a beginning, middle and end for the narrative is the best way to manage time as you would know how long each part would run.
Since Instagram videos start playing as soon as users scroll on it, the opening scene of the video must be strikingly eye-catching that creates the most favorable impression and make the audience curious to watch the entire video. As the opening scene draws the audience, they should be eager to go through the middle and see the end. Insert some call to action at the end of the video that prompt viewers to engage with the content or brand. Using on-screen captions improve communications and understanding because some viewers might like to enjoy it without sound.
Video lighting
Following some basic guidelines about lighting will make your video look good, and you can do without a professional lighting kit to make your subjects look great. The guidelines are mostly applicable for portrait style videos also known as talking head videos in which the subject speaks while sitting at one place with the camera focusing on him or her. Avoid shooting under overhead lights as it creates unimpressive visual effects and looks for some other light source by making the subject move around until you find the most appropriate one. If needed, you must create better lighting conditions by looking at more creative options. Use of paper reflectors can soften the light effect and to block out unwanted light you can use black plastic. Create optimal lighting conditions that are soothing to the eyes and make the visuals more appealing.
Video shooting
The Instagram app has a camera function, but because it has some limitations, it is advisable to avoid using it for creating videos. Instead, you can use a DSLR camera or even the camera on your mobile phone that allows complete flexibility in shooting without limits. When shooting videos for Instagram, you must adhere to some guidelines that make the shoot most compatible for use on the platform especially if you are shooting with a mobile phone camera.
Subject-centric shot – Every smartphone camera has the feature of focusing by tapping on the specific part of the screen where you want to focus. If you’re going to focus on the face of the subject, you must tap of the face on the screen and to keep the face out of focus you can tap on any other area beyond the face on which you want to focus.
Avoid camera shake – Every shot must be steady, and there is no room for any shaky shot during video shoots. Allowing your elbows to rest on some flat surface or resting it on your knees when you are crouching should help to keep your hands steady. Using a tripod with a DSLR camera ensures steady shoot.
Flexible video orientation – You can shoot the video in a landscape or portrait mode as per your needs because Instagram no more tries to fit videos in a square box by cropping it. Regardless of the orientation of the video, it will nicely accommodate on the Instagram platform.
Shot selection – Since you have a maximum of 60 seconds to tell the story you must be careful in selecting the shots that nicely relate to one another in sequence and takes the story forward. To shoot fun and authentic videos, plan your shots around company events and outings that highlight the company culture. Showcasing products is often the subject of videos, and you must plan the shots in such a way that it captures the features in every detail and establishes its usefulness and superiority over other similar products.
From sneak previews for a new product launch to behind the scenes content and tutorials, video shoots can capture anything that you want to include in your marketing plan.
Author Bio: Karen is a Business Tech Analyst. She is very responsible towards her job. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with her friends and colleagues
