Product videos are an unbelievably effective way of showing off a product and its features online. Especially if your videography is for social media or general online promotion.
- High-resolution footage
- Cool transitions
- And engaging messages
These are just some ways product video producers create the magic.
However, when it comes to producing amazing content for your own products, you may be wondering how to shoot product videos like inspirational ones you may have seen.
Usually, professional videographers have spent a long time working on these. That doesn’t mean you can’t shoot highly effective product videos if you haven’t graduated top of the class at a film school.
There are some simple steps you can take, alongside basic pieces of equipment you can use that will have you creating effective product videos sooner than you think.
So strap in, as I’m about to give you a little peek behind the curtain and provide an overview of how to shoot product videos like a professional.
Setting Up A Product Video Shoot
How you set up your product video is a hugely important first step.
You can throw as much camera power at a product video shoot as you like, if what the camera sees is no good, then the video won’t be any good either.
Initial Decisions To Make When Deciding How To Shoot Product Videos
When thinking about how to shoot your product video, the main thing you want to consider is just how the product is going to look on camera.
Firstly:
- Do you want this to be set in a studio-style set-up?
- or in a real-world environment?
A studio-style environment doesn’t have to be an all-singing all-dancing film studio. We are just looking to give the effect of a studio here.
A paper backdrop coloured to your choice in a room, where the light can be controlled, is more than ample to create this effect. This will enable you to shoot a product video in a professional looking way.
If you’d like a real-world setting, be realistic with what you can achieve. Filming on an exotic beach with the waves lapping over your product may sound amazing, but think of the sun belting down on it and the timing of the tide.
The consideration is how you can control the environment. By having that control, the easier it is going to be and the more consistent the results of your product video shoot are going to be.
A happy medium would be to use an indoor space, like the studio-style video, but allow the background to offer a bit more visually. For example, utilise a dining room table, where the rest of the room’s features are softly out of focus in the background.
By doing this you still have control over the set. However, you have immediately gained the real-world setting you were after.
Product Video Visuals
Just a couple of considerations here when deciding how to shoot product videos can vastly lift the end quality of your product video shoot.
Firstly, make sure you know the best angles of your products.
Much like models at a photo shoot, there are always a few angles where the camera is happier filming from.
Your product is the main talent in this shoot and is what everyone will be looking at. Make sure you know its best angles and focus on these.
Secondly, think about including extra props.
When producing films and videos, professionals look to create new worlds, whether these are real or not. While planning how to shoot product videos, consider the world that you want your product to live in and surround it with props that establish this.
There is no need for a Hollywood film set, just a few other suggestive items that complement the focus of your product video shoot.
Equipment For A Product Video Shoot
Now we’ve considered what we’d like the set to look like, we can figure out just how to shoot the product video.
Technical Elements
You can go as crazy as you like when it comes to the equipment you employ for the product video shoot.
However, there are a few basic pieces that will allow you to deliver the video that you are after.
A tripod is integral
Not just when you’re considering how to shoot a product video, but when you’re shooting any video, having a tripod on hand is pretty necessary.
Ensuring the footage is not shaky.
The last thing you want to ruin your product video is shaky footage. Make sure you’ve got a sturdy tripod!
Additional to a tripod – a slider.
One main obstacle with product videos is the lack of action. When pointing a camera at someone or something, you usually are waiting for something to happen. Unless your product becomes sentient during the shoot, it is unlikely it is going to do much without your involvement.
For the times when you’re not utilising or moving your product, some subtle slider movement will allow you to focus on key areas of the product whilst maintaining enough visual intrigue for the audience.
Why Lighting Is Important
Lighting is a game changer when it comes to making your product video look more professional
Two soft box lights
can go a long way to make this happen. This is a product video shoot, after all, and the viewer will want to see the product in all it’s glory.
Utilising soft directional lighting on the key areas will give the viewer what they want as well as making sure your video doesn’t look like it was shot in an underground bunker.
Don’t be put off by all the arty lighting techniques out there. Save those for the professionals. All you are looking to do is light your product well and ensure everything can be seen by the viewer.
How To Shoot Product Videos At A More Professional Level
Even though there is so much that can be achieved through a simple product video shoot, taking it to the next level is often necessary to really make the product shine.
I’d always advise starting simple. From a simple starting point, you get to produce solid pieces of content whilst figuring out just how you want your product to be seen.
But when you are ready to step up your product video game, there is a lot more that the Glacé Media team can do to shoot your product videos in a more professional way.
You can read more about how to shoot product videos in our 3 part blog: What makes a good video.
Professional Product Video Shoot Upgrades
A green screen can really up the anty. The joy of using a green screen is that you can create any world you want to.
A green screen backdrop is ideal for a more computer-generated feel, where the product can shine in a digital environment. This can play perfectly alongside relevant animation.
Which brings us nicely onto animation. Lifting the quality of your product video shoot afterwards is the job of the animator.
- Motion graphics
- Branded transitions
- And animated text
These all open up the possibilities of the information you can share and the branded elements you can include.
Finally, as is the job of the trained filmmaker, all-consuming worlds can be created. Through more extravagant sets, elaborate lighting techniques and narrative editing styles, the world your product lives in will separate it from ‘that basic feel’ to ‘that high-end feel’.
If you want the viewer to be immersed with your product and everything it stands for, a professional filmmaker will know what it takes to captivate an audience with the video.
Summary Of How To Shoot Product Videos Like A Professional
So there we have it, a whistle-stop tour of how to shoot product videos like the professionals. Hopefully, from here you should have the basic tools to grab your product and make it centre stage of its very own product video.
But of course, if you do want to take your shoot to the next level, the Glacé Media team are always ready and raring to dive into another product video shoot.
If you’ve exhausted all of your initial product options or you just want to go straight into something more high-end and professional just get in touch.
Our team know what it takes and have the tools in place to shoot the product video you’re looking for. We’re always really keen to collaborate, so fire your ideas our way and we will be able run with them.
