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.

Unless you have the luxury of a separate recording space, you will have to record in your existing office environment. Present standing up and you can shoot over the top of desks and other office furniture. Putting your tripod on a desk saves space and keeps your camera stable and safe from knocks.

Image: Andrew Biss suggests putting your camera on a tripod that stands on a desk. This way you can shoot your video over the top of your office furniture, avoiding the need to clear a large open space. [If your RSS reader doesn’t show the YouTube video embedded above then please visit the original post in your browser.]

Lighting

The previous video about not using a teleprompter was setup using flat lighting. For this video I went back to a more traditional 3-point lighting setup. This gives more visual depth to the video.

It is also easier to work with this setup as you are not looking into bright lights arranged near the camera as it required with flat lighting. I think that I will be sticking with 3-point lighting in the future. In an upcoming video I will show you the lights I am using and how I have placed them.

Next time

In the next video I will show you how I use a large external monitor to keep track of what the camera sees when recording. I find this gives me a much more productive working environment than if was to rely on the small 7cm LCD screen attached to the camera.

Reading from a script is the very last thing you would consider doing when giving a presentation. Why is it then, that as soon as people start making web videos they think they are playing a newsreader on TV and want to read a script from a teleprompter? Just say no to teleprompters for your business videos!

Image: Andrew Biss explains that while using a teleprompter when speaking to camera might seem very tempting at first, in practice it is a bad idea and your videos will suffer for it. [If your RSS reader doesn’t show the YouTube video embedded above then please visit the original post in your browser.]

Lighting

This video uses a flat lighting setup with 2 equal intensity lights in front of me and to either side of the camera. This gives a flatter overview look to the video than the more traditional 3-point lighting setup.

You will see flat lighting used on news shows and a lot of video productions. It is easy to set up and allows people to move about without casting odd shadows. While the setup is easy, I am not really that happy with the overall result.

For the next video I think I will go back to the more traditional 3-point lighting setup as this gives a more defined structure and gives a better separation from the background. However, there is never a right answer on lighting, so it is very much a try it and see situation.

Lighting and audio are the two most important points to get right in creating business web videos. I will be therefore go into these subjects in detail in future videos to help you decide the best way to get started without wasting a lot of time and effort.

Next time

In the next few videos I will take a peek behind the scenes and share with you the monitor setup I have assembled around my Canon LEGRIA HF S10 camcorder, starting with how to place your tripod to keep your camera safe from knocks in a busy office environment.

I have found this a productive way to check what the camera is seeing, as well as being able to view production information and key bullets when recoding a video.

When you are watching web videos watch the eyes and see how often people blink. You will soon spot when people are reading from a teleprompter. It sticks out like a sore thumb!

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.