With the UK Government announcing a 3-week extension to the lockdown, we’ve created a series of “level up” articles on ways you can keep busy and prepare for a strong comeback once the motor trade gets back to business.
Episode 2 – Shoot Great Video on a Budget
With the lockdown still holding and hints that restrictions will be in place for the foreseeable future, now is the time to hone in on your skills and start engaging new customers in what will be a digital transformation for the industry.
Today we are talking about video. In particular, using gimbals and adding sound to improve your walkaround videos.
Ok, let’s get started!
“What Camera and Equipment Do I Need?”
Like photography, you can spend thousands on great equipment. However, it won’t guarantee you a great video! Why? Because great video is as much about the person behind the camera than the camera itself.
You don’t need to spend thousands to get started. All you’ll need is a good smartphone and a gimbal. If you’re recording a voiceover, you should consider purchasing a microphone too.
1. Use Your Smartphone
Don’t feel the need to spend hundreds on an expensive rig. Use what you have and upgrade later.
Great video can be shot on your smartphone. If it’s relatively new and has a great camera then this is more than enough to get started. If it has a 4k camera, even better!
Who doesn’t have a smartphone these days anyway?!
2. Get a Gimbal
“What the heck is a Gimbal?!”
Simply put, a gimbal is a device that your phone or camera mounts to that helps subdue harsh movements generated when you’re moving, such as walking around your car. It will help stabilise your video and give a professional smooth glide.
With hundreds of different gimbals out there, make sure you purchase one that is compatible with your phone.
My advice, buy a quality gimbal but don’t overspend either. For example, the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 as shown above.
You can set these up in a matter of minutes and you’ll be shooting smoother videos in no time. Be sure to check your smartphones compatibility first!
Top Tip: To smooth your video even further, try stiffening your upper body and glide around the car with smooth sweeping leg movements. You may look daft from behind the camera, but it will greatly improve your video!
3. Don’t Forget About Sound
Too often sound is overlooked. Don’t ruin your great video with echoing sound, background noise or a howling wind around the microphone. Overall production quality will drop and your audience will be less engaged.
Here are two easy ways to fix this: –
Option 1 – Add Some Music
If you’re not recording a voiceover then you should add some music over the video and disable the original audio. Combined with your smooth gimbal footage, it will produce a super slick video. There are lots of free mobile apps to help you do this, such as Adobe Premiere Rush.
Option 2 – Get a Microphone
If you’re recording a voiceover as you walk around the car, consider purchasing an external microphone. This will help reduce noise interference and give a crisp, un-interuppted recording of your vehicle description.
Check out the handy little Rode microphone as shown above. Make sure to check your phones compatibility first though.
So that’s the basics covered with the minimal amount of equipment required. All you need to do now is get out and start practicing for yourself!
If you’ve found this useful, stay tuned for a follow up video on where we go into much more detail on how to use your new gimbal. You’ll soon be leaving walkaround videos behind and taking your videos to the next level, with some easy to learn ‘Gimbal Moves’ and how to edit scenes together.
See you in the next episode!
