How to Shoot a Brand Video to Promote Your Business

There was a time, not too long ago, when shooting branded video content was something only big corporations could afford, but that time has come and gone! Today’s business owners not only realize the importance of branded video content regardless of their business size or stature, and the fact that video has become affordable for virtually any business means not only that the competition is fierce, but that the expectations among consumers are far and wide! Figuring out how to shoot a brand video that you can use to promote your business is now easier than ever. 

But with increased access to production equipment and the tools of the trade that were once only accessible to professional film crews, there is also an ever increasing bulk of content being produced by amateur film creators. And while some of the content is certainly well above “average,” there is certainly a lot of content being created haphazardly and without any real reason or rhyme. So how does a business owner stand out? And at what point should a business owner pass the filmmaking baton to a professional?

These are common questions that we frequently answer for our clients at Beverly Boy Productions. There’s certainly a fine line between learning how to shoot a brand video to promote your business yourself, and hiring a professional to do it for you. Ultimately, it’s all in the details and the choices you make now can greatly impact the success of your campaigns later.

How to Shoot a DIY Brand Video

Let’s talk about shooting your very own DIY brand video. It’s certainly not for everyone as many business owners can find a plethora of reasons NOT to attempt a DIY version of professionally filmed content for their brands. There are equally plenty of entrepreneurs that find the creativity and excitement behind video production to be a breath of fresh air, a fun and equally satisfying opportunity to learn something new while producing beneficial content for their brands.  If this sounds like you, then you’ll want to follow these tips on how to shoot a brand video to promote your business:

• Start with a Script. – Branded video content is definitely not something you just “wing.” You must have a script that outlines each of the key segments or scenes of your video, what your talent or narrator will say, and what actions will take place on screen. Much of these details are carried over into your Storyboard.
• Create a Storyboard & Begin Blocking the Film. – This is where a shot-by-shot illustration of each scene involved in your branded video will be outlined to include details regarding camera angles, desired shots, and how the overall visual composition of your video will come together. Take your time, and visualize the various options available to you on paper now, rather than when you’re actually filming where time is money!
• Shoot your Scenes. –  This is your opportunity to film each of the shots and scenes that you outlined in your storyboard. You don’t have to follow your script in any particular order. In fact, you might choose to film certain parts together based on the desired footage so that you can minimize shoot time while maximizing your footage. Just make sure you capture all of your shots during shoot day because reshoots are both costly and timely.
• Don’t Forget Your B-Roll! – Even if you don’t think you really need any b-roll footage, you should still capture some. B-Roll will be used during post-production editing as filler footage to support your video script. For instance, if you’re producing a branded video that is focused on health and wellness, you might include b-roll footage that includes people exercising, eating well, or participating in various lifestyle activities. You might be able to get b-roll from stock footage providers, but if not you’ll need to shoot it yourself.

If you’re entirely new to filmmaking, figuring out how to shoot a brand video that you can use to promote your business is probably going to feel a bit overwhelming. Quite frankly, if you don’t have a lot of spare time to put into a project like this, it may be best to hire a professional. 

Professionals Know How to Shoot a Brand Video for Your Business

There are a lot of nuances that the average person without a background in video production wouldn’t necessarily know about creating a branded video, while a professional is going to have a deep understanding in these areas. For instance, a business owner might approach the process of shooting a brand video in a step 1, step 2, step 3 sort of pattern in which they “write a script, create storyboard, shoot footage, etc” whereas a professional is going to have more of a step 1, step 1a, step 1b, step 1c, step 2, step 2a, etc. Where they’re going to approach so many finer details that are not going to be approached by someone that doesn’t have a background in film.

For instance, a professional film crew is going to think of:

• Film Composition – utilizing the “Rule of Thirds,” and other important compositional rules, a professional is going to create visual relevance, incorporate points of interest, and create composition that draws the audience into the video.
• Set Lighting – utilizing a mix of artificial and natural lighting to create consistency throughout each take and each scene while avoiding situations in which the wrong lighting or poor lighting could damage the final outcome of the shots.
• Sound – if you know you know! Professionals walk into a room and instantly begin thinking about the “room tone.” If you’ve never heard the term, it basically represents the tone or underlying sound that every room has, which is unique to that room. It includes noises that are made just outside the room from traffic or people walking down the hall, as well as things like the air conditioner kicking on and off, an appliance buzzing, the fluorescent lighting humming and other sounds that a professional microphone is going to pick up on. These sounds could ruin the quality of footage if the filmmaker isn’t prepared.

Professional film crews also realize that figuring out how to shoot a brand video is not something that is a one and done process. Multiple takes will be involved in order to get the best shots for post-production editing. There may even be multiple versions of a shot or different styles of a shot captured in order to establish the best outcome. Things like this are often overlooked by an “amateur” filmmaker.

So, how can you tell if you need to hire a professional to shoot a brand video for you? Think about everything discussed in this post and how you feel about learning an entirely new trade that many professionals spend decades perfecting. Now think about the quality that you would like to represent your business or brand. If you absolutely cannot afford to invest in professional marketing content for your brand right now, you have two options: start saving to produce a professional video for your brand in the future, or start learning to produce a DIY version. Most importantly, you want the quality of your videos to represent your brand, so you must not jump the gun and produce poor quality content! It’s better to wait, really.

If you’re ready to get started, and you don’t feel like you have the time or desire to learn how to shoot a brand video on your own, give Beverly Boy Productions a call today to get started with a professional brand video that will speak volumes to your audience! We can’t wait to work with you!