With the rise of social video platforms like Instagram, Facebook Stories and Snapchat, influencer video marketing is booming — YouTubers with 1–3 million subscribers make on average $125,000 per video, while those with 3–7 million subscribers earn an average of $190,000. Creating consistent video content is an effective way to drive engagement and accelerate your influencer status. Shooting outdoors, although it comes with certain challenges, results in some of the most interesting and entertaining videos. With the right planning, preparation and good gear, you’ll be able to film high-quality, well-balanced outdoor videos brands will love.
Influencer video: Pay attention to audio
The quality of your audio can end up making or breaking your footage. Avoid using your iPhone mic — it picks up background noise and results in subpar audio. Instead, consider using a lavalier microphone for improvements to your sound quality. It’s a hands-free mic, which simply clips to your shirt or collar. Lavalier microphones allow you to move around freely and can help you look and feel more natural on camera. You’ll also need to make sure the wind doesn’t ruin your audio. Place the mic so the wind blows from directly behind it. As the wind isn’t blowing directly onto the mic, it’ll be harder for it to pick up unwanted wind noise. Additionally, using a foam mic covering can further help minimize ambient wind noise.
Work with the sun
The time of day has a massive impact on the lighting of your video. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon are the best times to shoot. Both of these times of day result in fewer harsh shadows, and it’ll be easier to get a nicely-lit shot. On the other hand, shooting in the middle of the day usually results in unwanted highlights and harsh shadows. Filming during “golden hour” — aka an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset — will give your footage a beautiful rosy glow. If you ever find the sun is casting shadows on your face, a collapsible reflector can help balance out the light and eliminate unwanted shadow — it’s a useful piece of equipment to have.
Lenses and filters
The right lenses are essential for shooting high-quality outdoor videos. When filming yourself close up, use lenses with shorter focal length (like 50mm or 85mm). Wide-angle lenses (like 21mm or 28mm lenses) are ideal for landscape or background shots. Try adjusting the depth of field to give your footage a cinematic quality. You’ll also find neutral density (ND) filters for your lenses are needed to prevent the sun overpowering your shot. ND filters work to limit the amount of light that reaches your camera lens. You can therefore adjust the f/stop, ISO, and shutter speed without having to worry about overexposure. You’ll also be able to better capture a shallow depth of field with the lenses and create more professional and cinematic video.
These tips will help you master filming influencer videos outdoors. Good-quality audio, lighting, and lenses and filters will help you create impressive content that stands out to both followers and brands.
Freelance contribution especially written for Find Your Influence by Karoline Cooke