Capturing your audience’s attention on social media is paramount. High-quality footage isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for standing out and protecting your brand image. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a business owner venturing into social media content, this guide is your roadmap to shooting professional-grade footage that captivates and engages.
Understanding the Basics of Good Composition
Great videos start with great composition. The rule of thirds is a fundamental principle: imagine your screen divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines. Placing your subject along these lines or their intersections makes for a more aesthetically pleasing shot. Additionally, consider your background carefully and use angles to tell your story more effectively.
Light Your Set
Lighting can make or break your footage. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy lighting, make use of natural light (aka the sun) – it’s free. Shoot outdoors or under natural light whenever possible.
However, you’re shooting indoors or in poor lighting conditions, consider investing in simple ring lights or LED panels to brighten up your scene without overspending. These lighting options can give you more freedom to create depth and give your videos a more polished look. For longer videos or videos with compositing, this will ensure that your lighting remains consistent throughout your shoot.
When positioning your subject, ensure that they are in front of the light source, not behind it. This is especially important for natural light as it can be too bright and ruin your footage.
Stabilise Your Shots
Shaky footage can distract from even the best content. For most footage, you can use a tripod or any other item to prop your phone or camera. You can always introduce motion later in post-production with a slow zoom or pan.
Alternatively, use a gimbal when shooting moving shots to prevent hand shakiness or micro jitters. Always be sure to keep enable stabilisation on your phone or camera to get that smooth movement.
Choose The Right Recording Settings
When shooting your footage, shoot in as high resolution as possible (we suggest no higher than 4k 60fps). This gives you more room when editing for zooming in or slow motion while ensuring that you still get the crisp and buttery footage that keeps your brand looking clean and professional.
Turn off HDR for iPhones and other phones that support it. Many editing programs struggle with HDR footage and can make your edit look flat and dull.
Capture Clear Audio
Your audience can forgive you for poor video quality but poor audio will make your viewers scroll away. Invest in a simple microphone system. If you are shooting indoors, you can get a lavalier microphone to clip on your subject. For those shooting outdoors, a wireless mic system might be more suitable as it gives you more flexibility to move around.
Don’t have a mic and want to record something in a pinch? Use the voice recording feature on another phone when you are recording a dialogue. You don’t need a fancy mic to have good audio.
Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to improve your social media footage is simple: practice. Experiment with different techniques, play around with new tools and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Seek feedback from peers and viewers alike, and use it as a stepping stone for growth.
Edit It Out
Editing is where your footage truly comes to life. Even basic software can trim unnecessary parts, adjust colours, and add text or transitions. You can even go a step further to add simple vfx or effects to make your videos stand out. If you see something you like, you can easily find tutorials on how to make those edits.
Experiment with different editing tools to find what works for you. Keep in mind that the goal of editing is to enhance your story, not overshadow it.
Conclusion
Shooting engaging social media footage is accessible to anyone willing to learn and experiment. You don’t need expensive equipment to create great content. By focusing on composition, lighting, stabilisation and audio, you can produce content that not only looks professional but captivates your audience. So grab your phone or camera, and start shooting. Your next viral video could be just a click away.