What is the Video Crash Course

Hey, first things first, thanks for watching. This is orientation day for the video crash course. Get an idea of what you’ll need to complete the course, what you’ll have by the end and the kind of stuff we’re going to cover over the next 7 days.

Things like, writing your script, filming it and getting it online, as well as analyzing how well your videos are performing and how you might want to keep refining them to keep to get better results for your business.
 
 

What you'll need to get started

The idea really is to make it as easy as possible to start, I’ll be providing video, music, graphics and even templates you can use. Essentially, you won’t need to have a camera at all, but I still felt like it was important to cover actual filming. Appearing in your own videos is a really quick, effective way to position yourself as the professional and start building that trust and recognition with your customers and clients.

So I recommend something to record audio and video on, If you’re planning on using your phone for the video, try to source a second one to pick up audio separately, so you can position it closer and get a much cleaner signal. Of course, I recommend actually using a microphone, especially if it means you can record both video and audio from the one place so you don’t need to sync it up later.

We’ll also cover editing software.. This is important for the course; most of it is available through a free 30-day trial, I’ll be using Adobe Premiere Elements so feel free to check it out but, the techniques I’ll be discussing in the course are pretty basic and should be relevant regardless of what software you choose.
 
 

Recommended Gear

So, most people’s favourite question or excuse; is video equipment.. It’s also still one of the biggest barriers and the place you’ll probably start.. Ask someone you trust what the best camera is and they’ll tell you.. Probably something like a cheap DSLR. Less than a thousand and you could have the video quality of a pro. Is that right for you though, creating corporate video?

The most important thing about production, for me, is how quickly we can film and get it online, start reaping some benefits from our work. The less time spent fiddling around, the better. I’ve got a video camera and a microphone, there’s some really great budget options out there, both in terms of camera’s and microphones.. but if you’re first starting out, wanting to keep costs down, a smartphone is a great place to start, paired with a microphone you can position closer to your mouth. Audio and lighting are probably the two most important components putting your videos above the others, so the closer you can get a microphone, the better. If you’ve got a smartphone, the camera can honestly wait.

Go for it, spend the extra money on a small LED Light or, even some bigger softboxes, depending on your space and requirements. This is honestly, my number one tip for anyone looking to get into making their own videos. Make sure you’ve thought about light. If you’re just starting out, you can probably get away with a decent desk lamp, though in terms of best-bang-for-buck, a little extra light is really going to set you apart and make your videos feel more professional.

Of course, you may choose not to appear in any of your videos. I personally think being able to appear in video is a really powerful way to help you connect with your audience, but you may also want to consider how a light might help you film extra footage for your promo video, film testimonials, or interviews, film and photograph your products.
 
 

Getting yourself started and motivated

But I also don’t want to create hurdles, the reason for using video is getting your message across, the equipment you choose should be convenient to your workflow and easy on your budget. A quick turn around is important, but as you go through the process more, or at least understand it better, it should be a lot quicker.

If you’re a perfectionist, getting this first video done can can be really difficult. I struggle with it myself, but just remember, If having a video is better than not having a video, go for it, get it done and refine it later.

The second part to this video is of course, editing. Personally, Adobe Premiere Elements came on my PC from Dell, it’s got some very powerful features and, the most important thing when you’re starting out, a good support community. You can download and check out the thirty day trial, I’ll be using it for this course but there’s free options out there as well, iMovie if you’ve got a Mac computer, or Movie Maker if you’ve got a Windows PC. If you’re after something much more professional, there’s Lightworks which is a really solid video editor, available for free with a few limitations but also, a massive learning curve. I won’t go through all the options, but I’ll have a few of my recommendations below. Have a look, pick something you’re comfortable with. The video clips, the techniques, the audio tracks will all be relevant across different software, but grabbing the Adobe Premiere Elements free trial will mean you can follow along easily and download the project files.

So that’s all you need to get started. I wanted to make this course really easy to dive into, to the point where you can get started with a phone and some free editing software… But to see the best results, and if you can justify it for your business, I do recommend at least looking at your microphone and lighting options first, as well as your editing software.

Also, the more time you spend working on this, the better the end product is going to look. Why not start now by just pulling out your phone when you can, and grab some video. Someone answering a phone, street view of your building, you hopping into a car or work van.

The first lesson for the full 7-day Video Crash Course will be all about writing a script and setting out your goals for video. I’ve got some great script templates to share in the first lesson and some stock footage you can start using in your project.