Lighting and Set

What’s also important is where you are going to be filming. If you’re filming somewhere very busy with a lot going on around you, then this can make your video difficult to hear while at the same time distracting from the subject of the videos – you.

Likewise, if you record your videos in your bedroom, then this isn’t going to look very professional and it doesn’t exactly inspire faith in your audience! Instead then, try to find somewhere to record your videos that will look professional and that will provide a good backdrop. Standing in front of a completely white background is one option and can be accomplished easily enough by using a bedsheet and a desk lamp (shine this onto the sheet to remove any shadows). Make sure the bedsheet is pulled taut. Take a look at the videos by I Am Alpha M and you’ll notice they look very professional. All he uses is a wall that’s painted entirely dark grey to create that effect.

Otherwise, an office (even a home office) can work, or you can make your own set. If you watch the videos of NerdSync, then you’ll notice that they are recorded in front of some comics hung up against a wall. This is very simple but it looks great. You can even just print out an A3 image of your logo and use that!

To make this effect even more impressive, try using ‘macro mode’ on your camera. This will let you focus on the foreground (which will be you), while the background is somewhat blurred. Not only does this look very professional but it also further avoids what’s going on in the background from distracting from your great presentation skills.

In fact, using this technique you can actually get away with filming outside at the beach or at a park, or perhaps in front of a city skyline. Just try to make sure that wherever you do film, it fits with the tone and intention of your video and helps to say something about your topic – rather than just being distracting, out of place or forced.

There are a bunch of other things you can do as well to make your videos look better. One great example is to use colored lighting, such as the lighting you can create with the Philips Hue. This can lend an ethereal quality to your footage and make it stand out among the crowd. And speaking of lighting – make sure your face is lit well throughout. What you’re going for here is brightness as dark video will look grainy and will also appear lower quality. You can invest in professional tools to accomplish the lighting look you’re going for but actually what’s just as effective is to use natural lighting. This works best if you stand/sit adjacent to the light source so that it lights just one side of your face. This is called
‘Rembrandt’ lighting and it’s particularly flattering. And speaking of that – make sure that what you’re wearing and your general presentation is also top notch. Don’t just roll out of bed and start
filming with your bed hair!