Over the past couple of months you've most probably appeared on more videos than you've ever planned to. You've most probably also had to do it without the benefit of the knowledge of the equipment and skills that makes the video recording process a lot easier.

We have good news ... the worst part is over!

No amount of equipment or training can ever replace the value of the experience you've already gained. However, now that you have the experience, there are a few bits and pieces that could make your journey with video easier and more polished.

To record great video you need 6 things:

A RECORDING DEVICE
These days using a higher end smartphone is more than enough to record videos for communication campaigns. Even some recent full-length films were recorded entirely on smartphones!

One of the reasons for recording video with your phone rather than with your laptop is that it is easier to place the phone at eye level and exactly where you want it. Experiment with making your own smartphone tripod or just buy one.

The other important reason for using your smartphone rather than the webcam integrated into your laptop is resolution - the quality of the image. The resolution of an integrated webcam and the front (selfie) camera is much lower than that of the back camera of most smartphones. The image recorded by the back camera of a smartphone will therefore almost always be crisper with more balanced lighting.

Using the back camera also helps to not be distracted by your own image displaying on the phone screen. If you deliver your message while looking straight into the camera lens you'll establish a great connection with your audience.

If you do use either the front (selfie) camera on your phone, or the integrated webcam of you laptop, be sure to look directly into the camera lens. The same goes for online meetings ... resist the urge to look at someone's face when they're talking. Train your eye to still look into the camera and to pick on on facial cues from your peripheral vision.

If your smartphone doesn't have enough memory to record you can still use you computer to record ... while using your smartphone as a virtual webcam. You can do this by downloading an app on your website and running the corresponding software on your computer. Read more about this nifty workaround.

HIGH QUALITY SOUND
The onboard camera of a smartphone or entry level digital camera often picks up ambient noises and sound reverberations. One way to reduce this is to use an external microphone. Whether you're using the built-in microphone of your recording device or and external camera, try to record your video in a room with lots of soft furnishings. Hard and flat surfaces bounce soundwaves around resulting in an “empty room” sound.

This article is an easy read of the best type of sound dampening materials.

INTENTIONAL LIGHTING
Since photography and videography can be loosely defined as “painting with light”, the lighting source for your video is of utmost importance.

If you're using natural light make sure it's from a window that it relatively in front of you, not at the back. This might mean that you have to play around a bit to find a spot that has both a suitable background AND suitable lighting from the front. Here's why you should do everything you can to avoid backlighting.

The easiest way to get around lighting problems is to invest in a ring light. If you buy one with a smartphone holder and tripod then you've checked two boxes in one! You can also check out this nifty kit that checks even more boxes.

A CAPTIVATING SCRIPT (NO REHEARSAL REQUIRED)
The best videos are quick to the point and show the personality of the person on camera. From personal experience we know how hard it is to strike a balance between being personable and professional, and delivering the message in a natural manner or stiff and rehearsed.

Now you can have the best of both worlds. Simply use your phone as a teleprompter! We use Speechway. Using your phone as a teleprompter might force you to use the front (selfie) camera, but by borrowing a second smartphone, and with a bit of rubberband rigging you can use one phone to record and one phone to display your script.

To look like a pro when you use a teleprompter app be sure to use these tips.

A teleprompter makes it MUCH easier to record your video in one smooth take, which in the end makes it a lot easier to polish the video with editing.

EDITING SOFTWARE
You don’t need expensive software to edit videos for communication campaign. Sometimes the video editing app already installed on your smartphone is more than enough for basic trimming and adding titles and supporting text.
 
Alternatively there are quite a few beginner friendly online editing suites available at a reasonable fee. If you want to get a bit more serious (without spending any money) try using Hitfilm Express.

SEND LARGE FILES WITH EASE
Once you've recorded your video and polished it with a bit of editing it is time to get it to its intended destination. This often means that you have to send large file sizes. WeTransfer is one of the easiest ways to do this. It even has a smartphone app, but it's sometimes hard to use. Whenever we have to send large files from our phones we upload the file to Google Drive via its mobile app and the share link with the intended recipient.


Let us know how this helped!

Authored by: Stephné du Toit, Content Manager, at At That Point

I am a person that thrives on planning. It gives me certainty and structure, and most importantly, it keeps my crazy, creative, busy mind in order. Needless to say, it hits hard when you suddenly have to adjust all your plans, both in your work-life, as well as on a personal level.

Undoubtedly, the past few weeks have brought on a tornado of adjustments, not only for our company and clients, but for most of the world!

This has resulted in the challenge of figuring out how to manage adjusting plans with regards to communicating with clients, as well as clients’ communication with their customers in this current overly noisy environment.
Here are a few pointers:

Social
According to online marketplace IZEA’s latest study, 66% of social media users believe their social media usage habits will increase significantly while confined to their homes. More people are getting accustomed to getting their information online, from news to “how to’s”, as well as catching up with friends and family. Take a moment to note the progression of online engagement trends like these and consider how they can be used to tailor your offerings according to your clients’ requirements. 

Your main focus should not be to profit from the COVID-19 crisis, but rather how you can add value in terms of the services you offer to your clients. Post older free resources from your website, ask them business related questions or do a poll to gather information for your company’s research projects.

Webinars
Should all your training and communication lock down? Absolutely not! This is the best time to pause and investigate the best ways to still meet “face-to-face” with customers. Zoom meetings are currently our go-to. Not only do we attend trainings online, we also have daily meetings with clients and our own team. Here are ten tips on how to use the Zoom app better to work, learn and communicate with others virtually https://zapier.com/blog/zoom-tips/

Email
Chances are that most of your customers are currently being swamped by crisis emails. As we all respond differently to a crisis, it is extremely important to take note of the following:

• Should you comment on the crisis and will this affect how your customers make use of your services?
• What tone do you use in communication with customers? Do you take the “tone deaf” approach, are you jumping on the bandwagon, or are you striking a balance between the two?
• Is the message and information just repetition of all the other messages going around on the Internet, or does it truly give value to your customers?
• We all have various priorities in a time of crisis. So although you must continue communicating with your customers, keep in mind that some of your messages might not fall within their “crisis-priority” mindset.

Website
Make buttons and quick links to communication visible on the front page, to allow for easy access for clients. Also update your FAQ section regularly with questions customers might have regarding your services or products.  Add value, by giving customers something back. Provide them with something to read or learn and refer to older free publications, papers and training material. Keep them updated, informed and busy for time being.

Thought leadership
You might be a company that does not have something profound to communicate during this current news cycle, but this is nothing to worry about. Use this time to meet with your communication team to anticipate and plan for the post-crisis news cycle. Identify where you can showcase your organisation’s thought leadership.
 
Form a “think tank”, get creative and brainstorm the potential long-term impact that this crisis might have on how your business is going to evolve, how corporate culture will evolve and how future business will be conducted.
Lastly, as we all are facing new frontiers with a myriad of uncertainties, let’s stay opportunistic and see this as a time to start thinking outside the “business as usual” box that we are so accustomed to.