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​Sound, light, text and talk. There is a lot to think about when it comes to video-making.

​FIRST AND FOREMOST

  1. Content appropriate for the platform. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter provide different sets of conditions. Read more about them here. 

  2. Keep it short. Online, people’s attention span is short. Cut ruthlessly: you are after quality not quantity.

  3. Engage: Captivate the viewer in the first three seconds. Choose a clear angle and start with what is most engaging so that people won’t just scroll past your video.

  4. Be clear: Think through the dramaturgy, content and angle. And keep to a single idea or theme (with some nuances if necessary).

  5. Be concise: Remove any unnecessary facts and sidetracks.
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  6. Move the audience. Can you make the video more ‘human’ in some way?

 ​LIGHTING

​Bad lighting can tank an otherwise excellent video. Some tips on how to avoid this:
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  • Film close to a window for natural light.

  • Filming outdoors works well, but avoid times of the day when the sun is strongest; it could make your video look washed out.

  • Film preferably in morning light or in afternoon sunlight or look for light shade.

  • ​Avoid yellowish and blueish light from light bulbs and fluorescent lights.
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  • If you film in the studio, the yellowish colour of the light bulbs can be edited out in some video editing software by changing the white balance in the video. For best results, set the white balance in the camera when you are filming.

ENVIRONMENT

Avoid filming where distracting things are happening in the background. Select an environment where the person you are filming is naturally in focus. 

The viewer should preferably only need to look at one thing at a time. Otherwise there is a risk that the viewer’s gaze will be drawn to that bright yellow cupboard or that strange-looking statue instead of the person.

​SOUND

​Ensure that the sound is good.
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  • Use an external microphone in preference to the built-in microphone in your smartphone. 
  • Avoid distracting background noise.
  • If a murmur or sounds that are difficult to identify can be heard in the background, the best option is to add speech later over the top of it and remove the audio from the video entirely.

DRAMATURGY AND CUTTING

  • Try to make your videos as short and punchy as possible. Cut everything that does not need to be there and then some. Every second counts when you’re fighting for the audience’s attention.

  • Have your audience and publication in focus. Is your video in line with what the audience will get on FM, in a newspaper, or your main publication space? How you edit and cut the video also says something.
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  • Think of momentum when you cut: ​
    • Film from several angles and then switch between these angles when you cut. This works in videos and films in general and on social media in particular.
    • ​Alternate between shorter and longer clips. If the video contains scenes and an interview, cut them into sections and alternate the content. This picks up the pace and engages the audience.
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  • Try cross-cutting! Your story does not need to unfold chronologically. If your tone permits, experiment with the dramaturgy. Don’t be afraid of jump cuts (cutting from a person to that same person in a different context). Watch how Simone Giertz and other YouTube aficionados cut their videos but remember to think about your audience, not theirs. How can the choice of pace or how the video is cut influence what you want to convey?

​SPEECH IN VIDEOS

Are you going to speak in the video? Try for a congenial and relaxed tone. Do retakes until you are no longer reading from the script.  Or skip the script completely and try to explain whatever it is as if you were talking to a friend. 

​A reporter or presenter in the video should not appear nervous or camera-shy. Stilted lines, a trembling voice, stiff body language and reading from a script all give an unprofessional and irritating impression.
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If the interviewee is reading aloud from a paper, it should be obvious in the video. Indicate this through subdued paper rustling or show that he or she is looking down at the paper sometimes. Then we won’t give the impression of being robots.

​CAPTION YOUR VIDEOS

Many users view videos without the sound on, so it’s a good idea to caption the content but be aware that it must be easy to read.

Think of the contrast between the text and background. White on a black background or black on a white background will be clear. Avoid yellow, red, purple or blue text, which is generally difficult to read. Used a tint block layer under the text if your editing tools permit this.

SOME RULES OF THUMB

  • ​Think digitally from the beginning, engage reporters and clarify roles.

  • Think about which platform. What type of video works where?

  • Does your workplace have a style guide for videos on your social media? Use it. If not, why not develop one.

  • Don’t have too much text in the frame. The viewer must have time to read it. (Tip! Read each sentence aloud for yourself while you view the video. Pause when you are done. The time it took for you to read it aloud is how long the text should be visible on the screen.)

  • Think about the contrasts and colours you use. The text should be easy to read.

  • Don’t use too many different fonts in your video. One or two is normally best.

  • Don’t mix font sizes, lower-case and upper-case. It is very important that the text is easy to read.

  • Obviously, captions should be readable on a smartphone screen – Do not use too small a font size.
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  • Measure to the millimetre where you place your captions. The viewer should not have to think about reading the captions or that they are changing. They should flow naturally.