It used to be that producing visual content was difficult and expensive. It took the resources of a film studio and the hard work of dozens of professionals to bring a 30-second spot to life.<\/p>\n
Fast forward several decades later, and everybody has the technology to create visual content themselves. Now the world is awash with millions upon millions of videos. Some become famous, others become infamous, but the vast majority get buried by the relentless avalanche of more content getting made every day.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s in this realm that modern advertisers must compete to grab the attention of the consumer. While access to mainstream platforms, like television and YouTube, gives advertisers an effective way to reach consumers, they still must contend with a surplus of visual media that diminishes the value of their product.<\/p>\n
It comes down to this: how do you make compelling video content that stands out from the crowd? What\u2019s more, how do you do so while remaining within the confines of the standard commercial structure?<\/p>\n
The answer is simple: go back to the basics. Ultimately, commercials are like short films. If you make it like a short film, using cost-effective tools and techniques along the way, you\u2019ll increase the odds of producing quality video content that successfully helps sell a product or service.<\/p>\n
With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look at five steps to take when trying to make compelling video commercials for products and services:<\/p>\n
It might seem silly to write a script for a commercial. But that\u2019s what advertising agencies have been doing for decades. Writing a script for a commercial helps advertisers and content creators to stay on message. With less than a minute to get the point across, you\u2019ll want to maximize the impact of every second of the video. By writing a script, you\u2019ll end up with a reliable blueprint that streamlines the rest of the process.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve got a good script. It\u2019s time to shoot, right? Wrong! Now\u2019s the time to convert your script into a storyboard. A storyboard is like a comic book version of the script. Don\u2019t worry – you don\u2019t need to be an accomplished artist to create effective storyboards – you just need to be good enough that characters, props, and a general sense of framing and editing are conveyed in the images. Stick figures and labeled objects get the job done. While the storyboard is not final – you may decide to alter various things later – it establishes a \u201cproof of concept\u201d for the script in terms of its potential to be converted into an effective video advertisement.<\/p>\n
Now\u2019s the time to shoot your video! In addition to the basics of setting up shots and getting your frame just right, you\u2019ll also want to establish a consistent color scheme and lighting setup. Put your designer hat on and approach the image like you would graphic design; are the colors complimentary, the lighting balanced<\/a>, and the frame complete? You only get one chance to shoot, so it\u2019s imperative you get everything the way you want.<\/p>\n Once filming is wrapped up, it\u2019s time to take all those individual clips and edit them into place. Those with limited editing experience are encouraged to use all-in-one online video editor<\/a> software. These editing tools are user-friendly and provide all the options you\u2019ll need to edit and polish your video into the final cut.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, you\u2019re basically tasked with making a short film, only instead of telling a story, you\u2019re selling a product or service. As such, you want to utilize cinematic editing techniques<\/a> as much as possible. For instance, time your cuts so that sound and video are broken up rather than constantly fitted together. In other words, if a character is talking, cut to a different shot while they\u2019re still talking. Doing so gives the video a professional look and feel.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no limit to what you can do with video these days other than budget and ability. For those tasked with creating compelling video commercials, it\u2019s best to stick to the basics of filmmaking. If you write a script, map it out with storyboards, apply a cinematographer\u2019s eye for color and light, and utilize professional editing techniques, you\u2019ll be good to go each time.<\/p>\nUse user-friendly editing software<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Utilize cinematic editing techniques<\/strong><\/h2>\n