#hellodigital: Making Movies with Mobile
We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the merits of using video for your social media marketing. Video consumption via social media and other online platforms has exploded over the last few years, and industry experts are predicting that as our connectivity improves we will spend more time watching movies and video online than we will any other form of content.
So, with that in mind, #hellodigital, the digital demonstrator centre here in Inverness, brought in media expert Reshma Biring from the Media Trust in London, to teach us how, businesses of all sizes, can make professional videos to promote their services, products and offers to the world wide web.
The event took place at the new An Lochran building on the Inverness University of the Highlands and Islands campus; a brand new sparkly building with all the top of the range digital kit, which made for a welcoming and inspiring visit. What better way to learn about digital technologies than in a top spec facility?
Reshma taught the 15 businesses in attendance both the theory and practical skills required to make effective video content to attract and retain audiences. From advice on framing, sound, lighting, storytelling and editing, each participant on the day had the opportunity not only to hear about making videos but to actually do it themselves with the support of the years of knowledge Reshma has acquired working in the media and for Media Trust.
For those of you who could not attend, I would highly recommend signing up for the next round of these workshops when they are on offer. But in the meantime, here are my top 20 tips on making movies on mobile.
Top 20 Tips on Making Movies on Mobile
- Always film in landscape mode.
- Turn your phone onto airplane mode.
- Turn the brightness and sound all the way up on your phone.
- Clean your camera lens before you start filming.
- Make sure you have freed up enough memory on your phone (at least 1GB).
- Ensure your phone is fully charged, bring your charger, or if possible an external battery charger.
- Test the sound quality of your recording before you start filming.
- Check the lighting levels in the area you’re filming in, add more light if needed.
- Sort out the framing of your scene before you start filming.
- When conducting an interview, listen actively to what is being said.
- Respond or interact with your interviewee without using words.
- Stay at the same eye level as the person you are interviewing.
- Consider the Rule of Thirds when filming.
- Get up close and personal to the person or object you’re filming.
- Use a combination of different shots.
- Have a pre-production meeting before you start filming to discuss what you are going to do.
- Use the 5 shot rule.
- Shoot a minimum of 7-10 seconds of footage for editing sequences.
- Do take still images to incorporate into your video.
- Don’t forget to add a call-to-action at the end of your movie.
#hellodigital is a digital demonstrator centre, the first of its kind in Scotland, to help people make the most of broadband and digital technology. Developed by HIE and the Digital Scotland Business Excellence Partnership, #hellodigital connects business and technology across the North of Scotland. It offers a diverse range of showcases, master classes, and events bringing together industry experts, academic leaders and the business community, including Digital Boost. The centre is now open at An Lochran, on the Inverness Campus.
