Before you say a single word the background in your video is already speaking for you. A dark background that looked like a stage curtain didn’t set the business tone I wanted. Choosing a lighter, structured, background now sends the right message from the very first frame. It also turned out they are easier to work with.

Image: Andrew Biss compares the difference in tone between a business-like light background created using panel blinds, and the more theatrical effect given by heavy dark blue curtains. [If your RSS reader doesn’t show the YouTube video embedded above then please visit the original post in your browser.]

You see a lot better than your camera

Changing from a dark to light background projects a more business-oriented impression, but there is also a technical reason due to the limited dynamic range of video cameras.

Camcorders are sensitive, but their sensitivity pales compared to your eyes. What looks good to you will look different to your camera.

Cameras have a limited dynamic range and don’t cope well with scenes that mix very bright and very dark areas. This is the origin of a best practice: use a light background for light-skinned people, and a dark background for darker-skinned people.

I am light-skinned so a very dark background is difficult to light and expose properly. A lighter background gives a better image and does not need so much extra lighting.

Up-close lighting for tight spaces

For this video I used 2 lights (I will show you my lighting setup in an upcoming video). For the moment I will share that both lights are just out of frame and very close to me.

With the lights so close I only needed 155W of extra lighting. If the lights had been twice as far away I would have needed 620W to get the same light level.

Keeping the lights very close saves on power (good for the environment), but the most important benefit is it is easier to find somewhere to record in a tight office environment.

Next time

In the next video I will take a short detour and briefly talk about getting great audio. Spend a little on an external microphone and you will dramatically increase the perceived quality of your business web videos.

Image: Andrew Biss stands in front of some book shelves. With such a busy background you risk your audience focusing on trying to recognize your books, instead of paying attention to what you’re saying.

TV and the web are very different mediums. While TV viewers lean-back and passively entertained or informed, the web is interactive; we lean-forward, actively looking for new information, searching for the next button to click.

One way TV productions set the tone for a scene or interview is by consciously adding objects into the background. While the work of set dressers is important on TV, you face different challenges.

Your video is not about bookcases

Web video eye tracking studies show viewers look at background objects. So, while TV experts are often interviewed in front of bookcases, you cannot afford to waste scare attention on your books (or the pictures on your walls).

Image: Andrew Biss stands in front of a neutral background to put the focus on the subject and not on what might happen to be visible in the background.

Check around you to find a suitable wall or cupboard doors for your neutral background.

Dark backgrounds look more professional if you have good lighting. Choose a lighter background if your lighting is not so good.

Make sure you stay far enough away from your background to avoid casting distracting shadows.

Moving yourself and/or your camera by just a little is often enough to cut out distracting background objects. Always check your background before pressing record; it is a lot less effort than fixing it later.

When the background is the story

Behind-the-scenes videos are an exception to the neutral background rule. In these videos the background becomes the story. Office tours are popular. You can also take a tour of your library (or show off your curvy bookcase).

If the background isn’t the story then avoid interesting backgrounds when you have to get your message across and motivate your visitors to take action.