As new video-based social channels continue to gain popularity, internal marketing teams are being asked to produce more videos in house. In the world of healthcare marketing, that often means getting doctors and nursing staff—whose time is already both precious and limited—involved. Short interviews with team members, patient testimonials and live videos are all effective ways to share your message in an authentic and engaging manner. The good news is you do not need a big budget, fancy equipment or a large film crew to produce great content. Use these simple tips to help your team shoot like the pros—and make the process seamless for your staff!
Video Best Practices
Question Responses:
Do repeat the question at the start of your answer while being interviewed—it lets your segment stand on its own without the interviewer’s voice.
Don’t read off a script—if you need notes, just write the highlights so you won’t be tempted to read. Eye movements when reading can be obvious and distracting on camera.
Backdrops:
Do shoot/sit against neutral backdrops, such as solid-colored walls or a neatly organized shelf.
Don’t shoot in front of complex backdrops, like a busy office. If you are unable to find simple, neutral backdrops, use lens settings to blur the background while keeping the subject in focus.
Clothing Choices:
Do wear cool or muted colors. They will “reflect” off your face less and keep the focus on the content.
Don’t wear bright colors or flashy patterns—red and yellow can reflect off lighter skin tones in an unflattering way and patterns can appear to vibrate on camera.
Lighting:
Do use a well-lit room. Natural lighting is great, but if you can enhance your lighting with an inexpensive LED ring light, the quality of your footage will be enhanced, as well.
Don’t shoot using a window as a backdrop, which will make your subject very dark.
Reflections:
Do make sure if your subject is wearing glasses, they are seated at an angle where the reflection does not obscure their eyes.
Don’t shoot directly in the sun. Even if the lighting looks good, subjects are more likely to squint or have reflections off glasses or jewelry.
Audio:
Do test your audio ahead of time. Record some test lines and play them back to listen and determine if your microphone needs to be adjusted due to interference, if the way an interviewee talks may require a pop filter or if you have any loud background noise you could turn off or move (e.g., a computer or A/C humming).
Don’t underestimate the importance of your audio. The most gorgeous shot in the world can be ruined by poor audio quality.
Camera Options:
Do consider non-standard angles—sometimes, a head-on shot can be unflattering. If you sit your interviewer “next” to the camera so the interviewee has a 3/4 headshot, it will look much better, even if they aren’t looking at the camera. Use a tripod to keep your shot steady.
Don’t feel obligated to use your internal camera microphone. Internal camera mics are improving, but if yours isn’t as crisp and clean as you would like, there are many inexpensive shotgun mic options that are compatible with most popular cameras.
