How To Make A Video Look Professional: Try These Tips
Want to make your video look as professional as possible? Learn how to make your videos stand out with our tips
If you want to effectively grow your brand online, you need to start using video, plain and simple. Want to know how to make a video look professional? Here at Ricky Zollinger Media (RZM), we have your answers.
Let's start with the fundamentals. Namely, writing a script.
To make a video look professional, it has to sound professional.
If you have a garbage script, people will pick up on it immediately. Plus, if you deliver poorly written content in a monotone, you might as well stop filming your video. In short, it's one of the first major video mistakes you can make when creating content.
That's why planning your script is so crucial.
Start by outlining the content you want to include and writing a script that clearly communicates your message. Don't get mired down in a bunch of details that'll put your target audience to sleep. This will help ensure that your video has a clear structure and flow.
Here are some quick script-writing tips for videos.
Before you write the script, what do you want to achieve with the video? Is it to educate, entertain, promote a product, or simply tell a story? Have a clear goal in mind. It’ll help you stay on brand.
Who are you making this video for? Understanding your target audience is crucial for creating a compelling video. Consider age, interests, and what they hope to get out of your video.
Outline the key points you want to cover in the video. Make some bullet points of what you want to cover and get a better idea of how to structure a script.
Next, it’s time to write the script. It’s all about a clear and concise message, using simple language that's easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon unless it's essential to the topic. No need to confuse your audience. If you need to throw in some jargon, simplify it as best as possible.
Visual aids like images, graphics, and animations help make your video more engaging and visually appealing. Incorporate these elements into your script to make it more professional and captivating. Plus, people love visual flair.
Practice makes perfect. Once you have a draft of your script, it's time to rehearse and refine it. Read it out loud, make any necessary changes, and get feedback from others to ensure it's straightforward and easy to understand.
We promise that if you read your script aloud, you’ll spot any glaring errors immediately.
A video that's too long can quickly lose the viewer's attention. Aim to keep your video between 2-3 minutes unless it's an in-depth tutorial or another type of video that requires more time—no need to create a video essay when you need to communicate a quick message.
Editing is everything. Here’s why.
Good editing maintains consistency in a video's look and feel. Editing helps color grading, lighting, and audio levels remain consistent throughout the video. These aspects make it look polished and professional.
Editing can control the pace and flow of your video. Create a seamless and engaging experience for the viewer by cutting between shots and scenes at the right time.
Good editing can tell a story visually, even without dialogue. By cutting between shots and adding music, you create an emotional impact that enhances the storytelling.
Many of our promos with brands don’t have dialogue, but you can get a clear message from our video editing and visual storytelling.
You can remove any mistakes or technical issues in the original footage during editing. It could be fixing audio problems, removing shaky shots, and cutting out irrelevant or redundant material.
Editing software provides visual effects you can use to enhance your video. There’s color correction, stabilization shots, adding text, and adding special effects. Plus, it adds to the power of visual storytelling.
Proper audio editing is essential to making a video look professional. Here you have to balance audio levels, remove unwanted background noise, and add sound effects to enhance the overall experience.
Lighting matters. We know this. And it dictates how to make a video resonate with people.
You need to know the right types of lighting to include in a video that'll make it look professional.
Have you ever looked at yourself in a picture where you were under the sun, and it looked terrible? That's because you're in direct light with no filter, exposing every crack and imperfection in your face.
Okay, so avoid direct sunlight. But what should you use instead? A softbox.
A softbox is a type of lighting equipment commonly used in photography and videography to soften the light source and reduce harsh shadows.
In short, it's a fabric-covered box that surrounds a light fixture. It diffuses the light to illuminate a larger area with a more even and less intense light.
Compare that to a hard light source, like an unmodified spotlight, which produces a smaller, brighter, and harsher light with distinct shadows.
The size of the softbox affects the spread of the light. Larger softboxes produce a softer, more diffused light, and smaller ones create a more focused, concentrated light.
Softboxes come in various shapes and sizes, too, including square, rectangular, and circular. So there’s variety. They can be mounted on light stands or attached directly to the light fixture.
Videographers like us use softbox lighting to create a more natural look when filming the talent or subject. The softer, more diffused light helps reduce wrinkles and blemishes while creating a more flattering overall look.
Softboxes can create mood and atmosphere, with the color and direction of the light affecting the look and feel of the scene.
To sum up, softboxes are a versatile and essential lighting tool for creating professional-quality videos. They make a huge difference, and as a video production company in Orange County, we’ve mastered the art of filming with softboxes.
You'll often hear people talking about the 'golden hour,' whether in video shoots or photography. Golden hour is when the sun is setting, and the earth is lit by the sun, but the sun isn't hitting anything directly.
The result? Some of the best lighting to make videos look professional. It's no surprise that our clients clamor to shoot videos and cut promos in golden hour for the stellar lighting it provides.
Use this natural asset to help any video look professional.
The exact timing of golden hour depends on your location and the time of year. Golden hour occurs within the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset.
The timing and quality of golden hour light vary depending on the time of year and weather conditions, too. Check the weather forecast and adjust your filming plans accordingly.
Want more tips and tricks to make a YouTube video or promo look professional? Look no further. With a portfolio containing reality star Johnny Bananas and his merch, Panda Express, and Guayaki, we're used to shooting videos in every industry.
If you're trying to captivate customers, Ricky Zollinger Media is here to help you create sleek, professional content that you scale.
Plus, we have extensive experience shooting videos and pictures during golden hour, so don't worry about lighting.
