Although every video is unique, there are really just a handful of basic formats, or styles of video to make. These different kinds of video production require totally different equipment, methods, skills and effort levels.
If you want to make a video the first thing you need to think about is the purpose of the video and what kind of video best serves that purpose. Every video needs a distinct purpose. Even if the purpose is “just for fun!”
So first, decide what your video goals are.
- Who is your video meant to communicate with?
- What do you want to tell them?
- How do you want them to react to your video?
Know who you are speaking with and what you want to accomplish before you do anything else. Then, select the kind of video that best serves your purpose given your circumstances and budget.
By “kind” of video I mean whether it’s a talk show, a screen capture video, a slide show video, a documentary style video, a fictional story video, a music video, I’m referring to the basic format of the video.
A talk show is a real basic format that can be used for so many different things. In the world of “real” TV, talk shows are everything from Oprah Winfrey to the Home Shopping Network. Talk shows are real simple and inexpensive to produce and you can learn how. With online video, there are tons of ways you could utilize a talk show.
A screen capture video is one where the video shows what is happening on a computer screen. Screen capture videos are good for demonstrating computer software or websites. A lot of online videos are screen capture videos. A screen capture video is a great tool for online video.
A slide show video would be either a power point presentation on video or a video using still pictures as the main visuals instead of moving video. Slide shows are also very easy to produce and are great for instructional demonstrations of all kinds. If you want to make slide show videos, animoto.com is a great, low cost automated in-the-cloud editing service.
A documentary style video is very common and the style goes way beyond what you see in documentaries. A documentary style video features people talking, usually one at a time, which is called a talking head, Documentary style also includes video of everyday, realistic activities and objects that pertain to the story. Usually this video is not staged, or at least not completely staged. No actors, it’s just everyday people being videotaped in a relatively casual way.
Let’s say you are doing a show about losing weight. You would take video of real people preparing meals, eating, exercising, that sort of thing. The professional lingo term for this kind of video is b-roll. I would call any “reality” show documentary style. Shows like Trading Spaces and the Deadliest Catch are all documentary style. It is very common and you can do a lot with it.
A fictionalized video is one where everything is staged from scratch with actors. Nothing is real but your video makes it all SEEM real. A music video is absolutely ANYTHING goes.
Before you make your video, ask yourself what the purpose of your video is and which style would best serve that purpose. And your budget, you must always consider budget. These different types of videos all require different skills levels and effort levels.
A fictionalized movie is going to take the most skill and effort, documentary style comes next, a talk show is much easier and cheaper, slide shows and screen capture are both easier than anything else.
Now one of the simplest things AND probably the single most effective thing, is to do a really simple show has just one person, and then it is called a talking head video. (Get full instructions at that post.)
Talking head is a slang term for any video of a person talking and you see them everywhere. Commercials use talking heads every style of video uses talking head shots. A talking head shot is absolutely the single MOST common and MOST versatile form of video production. If you learn ONE THING about how to make live action video, learn how to make a talking head. You can do a lot with a simple talking head. And they are really easy. And effective. Online, a talking head video can be one of the most effective things because it lets you relate one-on-one with people and that’s what the internet lacks, the human element. A talking head video gives your website that missing human element.
Talking head shots are the base for other forms of video. A talk show is just 2-3- or 4 talking heads together at one time. A Discovery channel documentary is dozens of talking heads and the appropriate b-roll. Even fictionalized movies have lot of shots in them that could be called talking heads.
If you want to do fast and effective online video, you probably ought to start with a talking head video, a slide show or a screen capture. In future posts, I’ll give you detailed instructions on how to make each one of these kinds of videos.
Thanks for reading Video Production Tips.
Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal
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