How to Make Great Videos
Rebecca Rozakis
Here at Kaltura, we’re all about video – but we don’t just supply the plumbing for your video strategy, we also are committed to helping your video look great. But how do you make a great video in the first place?
In some cases, that answer is easy. For big events, like a major presentation, a popular lecture series or class, or a big announcement, institutions will have major resources on hand: IT and AV teams, broadcast-quality cameras and mixers, lavalier mics, professional lighting, even dedicated studios or lecture capture halls. After the shoot is over, the footage is turned over to a team of professional video editors, armed with tools like Adobe Final Cut Pro and a library of graphics and stock music. While even a small army of professionals armed with the latest tools cannot guarantee a successful video, they make it a lot easier to produce a polished finished product.
Making Professional-Looking Video, When You’re Not a Pro
But what if you don’t have access to broadcast-quality equipment? What if your job has nothing to do with video and you’ve only recorded a few quick videos of your dog or your kids on your phone before now? What if you’re trying to just produce something reasonably professional-looking by yourself, with just the equipment you have on your desk?
That’s ok. We’re long past the point where the only video that had a place in a professional environment required a full video team and two months of production time. Now that we’re all used to user generated content (UGC) in our private lives through social media, it’s becoming increasingly normal for businesses and academic institutions to communicate by video generated by employees, customers, teachers, and students.
In fact, there’s an advantage to less-glossy video; we’re in an age that has come to value authenticity. Creating your own videos means communicating in your own voice, which people find more trustworthy and relatable than anything too polished. We’re in the business of democratizing video, making it easier for everyone to contribute and be heard.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still create a video you can be proud of, with just a little time, forethought, and the tools you have around you right now. And we’re here to help.
Over the next few months, we’re going to be walking through the basics of video production, for people who know nothing about video production. This isn’t film school; this is about helping you create a video presentation that clearly communicates your ideas, without requiring special equipment or training.
Tips for Making Great Videos
Here are some of the topics we’re going to be covering:
- Planning the Content of Your Video
- Deciding What Format to Shoot In
- What Do I Wear in My Video?
- Setting Up to Record with Good Audio
- Setting Up to Record with Good Backgrounds
- Setting Up to Record with Good Composition
- Recording for Editing
- Mannerisms, or How Not to be Annoying
- Why Great Audio is Important
- How to Make Great Video: Getting Great Audio (Beginner Level)
- How to Make Great Video: Getting Great Audio (Intermediate Level)
- Basic Video Editing
- Brainstorming for New Video Ideas
And more, as questions come in!
So tune back in two weeks for our first installment, Planning the Content of Your Video. Get ready to make some great videos!
