The worst video list: Decidedly more embarrassing than the worst dressed list

Video is everywhere. Some of it is outstanding, and some of it is really awful. YouTube alone gets 4 billion views a day, and the quality of these videos spans the spectrum from HD music videos to a Mom filming her kid’s soccer goal on a first-generation Samsung Galaxy. With the opportunity to get your content in front of a new set of eyes every second, putting out a good product should be a top priority for brands and marketers, and that means avoiding the following production fouls.

5 signs your video missed the mark

  • Bad Footage. No need to go out and find the next Spielberg, but whoever ends up behind the camera needs to have at least an inkling about scene composition and how to operate the machinery. Framing, lines, angles, focus – these things matter, and you can tell when they aren’t taken into consideration. For those looking for a low budget production: We hate to break it to you, but filming a company video on a whim with an iPhone is probably not going to cut it.
  • Lights, Camera, Action! (with an emphasis on the lights). Lighting is one of the two most important elements of video production. Whoever is behind the camera should know a little about angles and what kind of light will look best in the environment where you’re filming. Those fluorescent lights in the conference room down the hall? Bad idea. Bad lighting will come back to bite you in the editing room and cast a shadow on the whole production.
  • Check 1, 2, 3. If a professional-quality video is your end goal, say goodbye to the in-camera microphone. Of all the things these mics pick up, it’s rarely ever just the voice of the person talking into it. If there is any place to splurge in video production, it’s in the sound department. Trust us, nothing is more grueling than sitting through a video with humming background noises or wind gusts that overpower the script.
  • Your video is a snoozefest. Sometimes, when content is too technical or uses a lot of industry jargon, you have to put on your creative thinking cap to find a way to spice up the delivery. Information overload causes the audience to lose interest. The “why” should remain clear to the audience throughout the video and when the final product is ready to go, always ask yourself, “Would I watch this?”
  • Missing the audience mark. One of the pillars of marketing is knowing your audience. This is also true when it comes to making a video. Getting your brand’s targeted content in front of a clearly defined audience is the key to engagement and creating brand awareness with your followers. When you miss the audience mark, the message won’t resonate, and the whole operation falls flat.

We’re all about creativity in the storytelling space, and while making your own video is totally doable, there’s always the chance that something out of your control will spring up and throw a wrench in production. One way to avoid these hangups is to work with a professional production company that will help draft, produce, edit, and manages the entire process for you. We’ve got a team ready to do just that (and then some). Contact Bottle Rocket Media to get started.