How to Make Video Content Look Professional Without Blowing the Budget

You can factor in many ways to make your video content look the best it can be for your brand. Whether you're crafting video content on your own or employing a production partner, we at JJW Studio advise having a grasp on the elements that go into video production so you can understand how to handle your investment. We've put together a handful of elements to consider when crafting your next video. 

Select the Right Camera 

It starts with a great camera and lens kit; this doesn't have to be a top-of-the-line camera, but if your investment allows for a high-end camera system with a cinematic lens kit, great! But it is not essential. It does boil down to what you'd like to achieve with your video content; however, at JJW Studio, we've used cameras from Black Magic Design, Canon, Sony and Panasonic. These brands of cameras have great colour profiles, and they're relatively lightweight. We prefer to steer away from DSLR cameras because they lack the grunt and capability of cinema-grade cameras.  

Lastly, if your video content features a singular or a range of speakers talking to the audience, it's best practice to utilise two cameras instead of one. This allows you ample coverage to create compelling edits in the post-production phase to stimulate viewers and avoid jump-cutting when someone fumbles a word, or you need to jump ahead or backwards in time of the interview to craft a compelling story. Two cameras also speed up the process on shoot day and allow you with ample coverage for the editor in post-production for interview scenes and anything else you require to feature in your video. It's always best to overshoot than undershoot because once you call "it's a wrap" on shoot day, you'll want to be safer than sorry.  

Find Your Light  

Never underestimate the power of fantastic lighting. Lighting can shift your video content's mood, tone, and overall appearance more than a camera and lens kit can. Spend the time to look at excellent lighting references from videos that align with your brand and ultimately what you're looking to craft here. When inside a studio space or interior location, you can control the light; we advise never to use the light that already exists in an office or home. For instance, the temperate of the light isn't great and not to mention, harsh. The softer you can make your light, the better. There are instances where the lighting you need for your videos needs to be defined and stark, but wherever else, get that light nice and soft; it works wonders for the skin and the image's general appearance.  

If you're filming outside, the best time to film outside is early in the morning or later in the afternoon when the sun is not directly above you when it's at its strongest during the day. Again, soft lighting works wonders. If you have no choice but to shoot when the sun is at its strongest, diffuse it with a reflector or a scrim. If you don't have access to a scrim or reflector, film your content under a tree or a shaded area. 

A small reflector can be handheld and easy to manoeuvre wherever you need to block out the harsh midday sun. 

A scrim does require some setup time and a little more gear than a reflector, but it covers a broader range of area. 

Location, Location, Location 

Most people don’t realise but finding the right location or studio space has a significant effect on producing a fantastic image through the camera. A great camera, lens kit and lighting can work wonders for your video content; however, a location with great styling has a significant impact too. There will be parameters in your production budget on how far you can style or source a suitable place for your video content but remember it doesn’t have to be over the top. A range of props that evoke a variety of appropriate colours is all you need for the bare minimum. Not long ago, we only had access to a studio space for a corporate shoot and our approach here was to throw up a canvas backdrop, and it lifted what would’ve been a very drab frame into something extraordinary. See below. 

Don’t Look Worse for Wear

Your wardrobe styling for the on-screen talent or speakers in your video content is pivotal. It does come down to how you’d like to position your brand; however, we find block colours and simple materials look best on camera. Crazy patterns or reflective materials can cause issues with the professional lights and camera used. Could you keep it clean, sharp and straightforward?   

If your video content is more narrative-driven, then wardrobe plays an even more prominent role in shaping your characters. Who are they? Where are they from? How do they present themselves to the world in your story? While camera, lenses, lighting, and location are critical factors for creating professional-looking video content, your wardrobe plays a role to enhance the character or person on screen. Subtly, it tells your audience who they are without screaming it from the rooftop.    

Editing 

As we mentioned previously, it’s always best practice to have more footage than not from your shoot day. You can plan how much coverage you need to tell your story in the pre-production phase by creating a storyboard or even a shot-list where you write down what you need. In laymen terms- it doesn’t have to be over the top if the video content you are creating is straightforward. The videographer or cinematographer (or even the production partner) you engage with can flesh this out for you by taking your simplified shot list and add more detail like shots sizes or camera moves. If your video content is quite complex with animation or specific camera moves and action, then a storyboard is essential. We recommend collaborating with a professional storyboard artist in cases like this. Take these vital steps in your pre-production phase of mapping out the content or shots you need to tell your story, and your editor will thank you later, trust us! 

Sound Mixing 

Sound mixing happens when the editing is complete; you're happy with your story's flow, the effects have been added, and any final touches required to tell your story are completed. When you get to the sound mixing stage, your project is in the final steps, and sound mixing gives your video content that extra polish from an audio perspective. A sound mixer will balance out your dialogue, add any specific sound effects and ensure the music is at a level where it is audible but not overpowering. Sound mixing is an art form that can drastically enhance your video content's look and feel, so don't skip this part. 

Colour Grading 

Colour grading is the sound mixing equivalent of giving your project that final polish but for the vision instead of the sound. Colour grading can take years to master because it's all about colour science and using a mix of technology, your eyes and your instincts to create the perfect colour balance without going overboard. Colour grading can enhance specific colours on the screen; it can airbrush skin (yes, just like Photoshop) and improve your project's look and feel- there are no limits when it comes to colour grading. It all depends on what your video content requires and the capacity for time and production budget you have. 

Subtitles 

Last but not least, subtitles are an essential part of crafting professional video content. Most social media platforms can attach what is called an SRT file when uploading your video content. An SRT file stands for SubRip Subtitle File. It's a plain-text file containing information only regarding subtitles, such as the start and end timecodes for your text and ensuring it matches the on-screen action and audio.  When writing this article, only Instagram and TikTok do not allow the attachment of an SRT file to an upload- YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo possess SRT capabilities. For the platforms that don’t take SRT files, that’s okay, you can always have your subtitles burned in to your video content. 

Now that we've outlined how to make video content look professional, it's over to you. Remember, follow these steps when crafting your video content or if you're engaging with a third-party production partner, you're going to know a fair amount about what goes into making professional-looking video content. While it may seem overwhelming, we can assure you it's not. Follow the above, and you've already got a great head start to crafting the best content for your brand.  

Got a question or curious? Start a conversation with us here. 🤔📲

Together, let’s make every frame count!