Video marketing has become an integral part of every brand’s marketing strategy. If it hasn’t, there may need to be some rethinking on the branding side. Companies should work to consistently put out quality video content. These quality videos builds trust with the audience. With today’s advanced technology, creating video content is accessible to every person. Whether it be your own personal video blogging on YouTube or promotional material for your company, everyone can create no matter your budget. Here are some video strategies for filming on a budget.
1. Use Your Smartphone
While we all may not possess the monetary capacity to spend on amazing professional level cameras, gimbals, and various video equipment, we can all still produce great video content. Majority of people own a smartphone, and although it’s nothing compared to a DSLR camera, smartphone cameras are still a great option when you are either starting out with video marketing, or you don’t have the money to spend on a nicer camera just yet.
In fact, recording videos on a smartphone may even be better than buying a “budget level camera.” Most smartphone cameras these days tend to have a built in stabilizer, reducing the motion while filming just in case you have a case of shaking hands or are walking with the camera. This way, you will have a relatively smooth video. Smoother than if you were to try to walk while filming without a gimbal.
2. Find Proper Lighting
Lighting is important in any scenario whether it be photos or video. There are cameras out there that are great at shooting low-light situations. There are also smartphone cameras out there that give amazing performance for nighttime shoots. However, let’s say you have just a smartphone without all the extra lenses and nighttime capabilities. In this case, it would be beneficial to change your strategy and focus on daytime shoots. Natural overcast lighting is always best. Direct sunlight may work well in specific cases, but a good rule of thumb is to avoid harsh lighting and shadows. Bright lighting will allow your camera to shoot smoothly and without graininess. If you do not own any additional lighting resources, using the flashlight setting on another smartphone will also work. Make sure to have it set a good distance away in order to provide extra lighting but not create harsh shadows or washed out faces/subjects. You always want to avoid overexposure.
3. Good Audio When Possible
Low budget means we may not have access to microphones. Or maybe our camera bodies are on the budget or beginner’s end and don’t have the means of plugging in a microphone. While smartphones can also pick up a decent amount of audio, you can sidestep this by rethinking your video content. You can produce a video with a music overlay and “tell the story” through just the video.
4. Investing Slowly
If you have a small budget and are able to purchase any form of equipment, you want to purchase what is the best value at the moment for your investment. Outside of a camera, tripods and stabilizers will probably give you the most value, variety, and dynamic for your video content. After, you can invest in lighting and audio. Be wary of buying cheap equipment, it won’t last as long and you’ll find yourself making another purchase in the future when you would’ve just purchased a nice one from the start.
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Overall, it is certainly not impossible to create great and engaging video content if you have low to no budget. These video strategies reinforce that it’s all about being creative with what you have and making sure the content of the video is suitable for the platform it will be on.
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