How To Create Engaging Product Videos

Elements of an engaging product video

The internet is flooded with product videos, the majority with next to no views. The best way to ensure that your videos can reach customers is to improve their engagement. There are 5 main elements that, when mastered, can create videos that pop off the audience’s screen and grab their attention.

Editing

For content to stand out today it has to battle with the ever decreasing attention spans of audiences. Compared to flashy camera moves or high-budget studio shoots, this is also one of the most accessible ways to improve your video’s engagement. When laying out clips onto a video timeline, you generally don’t want to have clips that are too long (over 4 seconds) unless they are incredibly interesting on their own. The average duration of a shot should be under 3 seconds with some videos being even faster. However, this doesn't mean that you should just throw a bunch of 2 second clips together and call it a day. There should be different rhythms and shot lengths throughout the video since breaking and establishing patterns are one of the best ways to highlight certain sections of your video.

Audio

Audio is normally a tricky element when it comes to video. One thing we would recommend is to select a song or trending audio early in the process, sometimes even before you pick up a camera, and visualize what shots you want to put over it. Additionally, voice overs can be a great tool to explain a concept to the audience while maintaining a high level of visual stimulus.

Camera work

This is an element that is often difficult for people who are new to shooting videos and lack any sort of video stabilization method (such as phone gimbals). The best advice we can give is that not all videos need movement. A simple tripod shot can be interesting if you can create movement in other ways such as spinning smaller products on a lazy susan. If you have to include camera movement, the best way to get stabilized footage without any external aids is to hold your camera/phone firmly and move your entire body instead of just the camera/phone. Remember that small movements can go a long way, oftentimes a simple side lunge with a wide stance can deliver smooth camera moves that don’t distract audiences.

Lighting

A lot of people are intimidated by the large and complex lighting setups that professional video production companies use. While those setups do have their place there are some much easier ways to get 90% of the result. Firstly, if you have absolutely no budget, windows are your best friend. However, you want to make sure the sun isn't shining directly onto the subject of your shot. Shooting on overcast days or timing your shoots so there is no direct sunlight pouring through your window is ideal. Secondly, if you are willing to invest some money in a lighting setup, a light stand paired with a panel light and cheap diffusion umbrella can give stunning results. The specific light stand doesn’t matter all that much (you can find decent ones for around $40) however for the umbrella you are going to want one that is shoot through (ie. translucent). Additionally, you will want to get a light that comes with an umbrella holder (usually looks like small holes with a screw on one side to clamp down on the umbrella).

Color

Color is an important part of any content and can be adjusted both in camera and in your editing software of choice. While shooting it is important to use color to draw attention to the subject. This can be done by using complementary colors, using backdrops with bold colors or, in certain cases, colored lighting. As for post-production make sure to stay away from intense filters and, if you have the time, try to color correct every shot individually (simple exposure, contrast and saturation controls can go a long way). The one thing you want to avoid, however, is color grading too much. Try to toggle your edits off and on to see if you are pushing the footage too far and before posting anything make sure to take a 30 minute break to reset your eyes and view your video afterwards to make sure all your edits improve the quality of your product video.

Bonus tips

• Try to lock your camera’s exposure (brightness) when recording to avoid distracting changes in the video

• Record in 4k if possible to leave resolution for cropping or effects such as stabilization

• Record at either 24 or 30 fps (make sure to keep this number consistent throughout all your shots)

• If you want slow motion shots try to shoot at 60fps and slow it down in editing, it will often be much on most phones