Real Estate Guru: “Do video.”
You: “Why?”
Real Estate Guru: “Because it’s where the world is going. It’s what the consumer wants. It’s better than everything else out there. You’ve got to do it.”
You: “Okay…. How?”
Real Estate Guru: “Just grab your phone and press record. It’s super simple. Got it?”
You: “…..ooookaaaaay…..yaaaaa. I got it.”
and in your head you’re thinking….”no. I don’t got it. There’s obviously more to it than grab my phone and press record. Is my phone even good enough? What about microphones? what about lighting? How do you edit the video after?”
Sound familiar?
This blog will help you answer all the questions you have because…I’ve had them, and the coaches and gurus “advice” just wasn’t good enough.
They are right though, video content is a terrific way to market yourself!
There are just a few things that go on behind the scenes which make a great video AND make it something that isn’t going to take you all day to shoot or edit…so let’s get started and help you learn how to create great video content!
What equipment will I use?
There is one thing you MUST HAVE, in order to do a video interview – a camera.
This camera could be either on your smartphone or a separate DSLR camera.
The difference between the two can vary greatly, particularly if we are talking about price. The cost of buying a new DSLR camera can be extremely high! Especially considering you most likely have a camera built into your smartphone. Let’s face it, nowadays having a smartphone is the law…
Buying a DSLR can be quite intimidating at first, but there are really simple key factors to consider. There are 3 main brands for DSLRs, that being Nikon, Canon, and Sony.
While Nikon are leaders in photography, they could be quite complicated to understand. They thrive on the manual setting and work best for those professionals who know how to use them. If you are already passionate about photography, this may be the camera for you, as it takes rich photos and videos.
Canon, on the other hand, is a good middle-ground for beginners. The Rebel T5i has an easy to follow touch screen and great automatic options.
Sony’s are the best for video, offering many features the other 2 brands do not include such as a built-in stabilizer as well as 4K options in certain models.
Buying a camera is very personal and dependent on the way you will be using it. If you will be using it handheld a lot of the time, Sony’s built-in stabilizer can make a big difference, whereas if you want a simple great quality camera that’s ready to point and shoot, Canon might be the best option.
Modern-day smartphones (iPhone 6 and above) can now shoot in 4K! So the large difference in price may not get you much of an upgrade.
My recommendation, only invest in buying new equipment if you feel that it is a good move for your business. Most people will film using what is literally at their fingertips – their smartphone.
So, you’ve got your camera, what else should I get?
Depending on the environment that you are filming in, you may need one or more of the following resources;
- Tripod
- Microphone
- Lighting
Now, if you control your environment, you may reduce the need to purchase the above. But if you want to invest, here is a short breakdown.
Tripods:
The purpose of a tripod is to provide yourself with the flexibility to film in any environment, knowing that the tripod will be able to support your shot and keep you in frame.
Tripods also remove the dreaded “earthquake effect”. Where an assistant or friend is holding the camera and shaking like they are 5 coffees in and it’s only 11 AM.
What you should look for when buying a tripod:
- Cost – there are many cheaper options that do a great job!
- Height – make sure that if you are wanting to place it on the ground it can extend high enough to have the shot capturing your face and torso at a clear, level angle. You don’t want it to be shooting from below your face.
- Weight – lightweight options take the win here as they are much easier to take around with you!
Microphones:
The two main microphone options for interview-based videos are lav mics or shotgun mics.
Lav mics are your best option since it picks up everything its subject says separate from its surroundings. However, it could be quite expensive. You will have to buy a mic for each subject you will be recording (with a minimum of 2, one for you and one for your interviewee).
Depending on the brand you get, you may also need to buy receivers (if they are wireless) or a Recorder.
Shotgun mics are also a good option for those on a budget. While shotgun mics are very directional, meaning it must be pointed towards the subjects, it does tend to pick up surrounding sounds as well.
This may be a good option if you are filming a group of people, but for one-on-one interviews, the audio will not be recorded as cleanly as a lav mic. It is however much more convenient as it can plug right into your camera and records audio in-camera.
Lighting
Lights are completely optional! It’s a good idea to invest if you are planning to host most interviews in the same place (i.e. in your office) because they can be a bit of a hassle to carry around and take extra time to set up.
However, if you have someone helping you film, or have the money and time to spare, it makes the filming process significantly easier and actually improves the quality of video recording.
Invest in 1-3 simple lightweight photography LED lights since they are easily transportable and do not give off any heat.
Cheaper alternatives, like a ring light, can attach directly to your smartphone!
Location and Setup: Where should everything go?
Before you even set up to film it is important to consider what the best setting to shoot in will be.
There are 2 key factors to prioritize depending on your equipment, and that is lighting or sound.
- If you have lights, prioritize sound
- If you have lav mics, prioritize light
Any of these lights can be replaced with natural light coming from a window, or overhead lighting in a room. As long as the subject or in this case subjects, do not have any harsh shadows and are properly exposed, any form of set up will suffice.
Make sure your key camera whether it be your DSLR or your phone, is a wide angle that will
Capture both you and the interviewee comfortably in frame.
NOTE: If you have a secondary camera, or “camera B”, you may direct it towards the person you are interviewing, since of course the interview is about them! Direct the camera on an angle where you can see their face even as they are looking towards you.
- If you would like your own coverage/close up, consider adding another camera to make it a three-camera setup, following the same direction as camera B’s positioning.
Lights, camera, action!
These are a few suggestions that are easy to forget at the moment, but you should always keep in mind:
- Always be sure to hit record on all devices.
- Keep in mind your time!
If you don’t have a cameraperson or anyone helping you record, it is a bit more difficult to film without encountering issues along the way. There are many factors that could go wrong during the recording session that you have little to no control over. The batteries can die as well as the memory card filling up, so always be sure to triple check your work before and after recording.
If you are filming a longer video (10-40 minutes), it is a good idea to take a break mid-interview to check the camera recording (at about the 20-minute mark) until you’ve gotten to know your equipment and all its limits.
PRO TIP: While you’re interviewing, look at your guest!
Only look directly to the camera if you would like to speak directly to your audience. Some examples of these cases would be for any announcements you would like to make or to introduce your guest, otherwise focus all your attention onto the person you are interviewing.
By making eye contact you are not only showing the person you are interviewing that you care about the conversation, but you show the audience that you are present in whatever you do!
Top things to do in every interview
Number of Questions
- Minimum 5, OPEN questions.
- 2 or 3 questions do not make a good interview!
- More than 10 questions will stretch out the length of the interview and make it loooooong.
Length of video
- Short, promotional video: 2-5 minutes
- High energy is key!
- Not too much editing 🙂
- Medium length interview: 6-10 minutes
- Emphasis on engaging questions
- A little more editing…
- Longer feature interview: 11 minutes+
- Fully highlight the business
- A lot more editing
- Can recreate interview into “Micro Content” – smaller pieces of content taken from the original video.
Have a conversation
- Make sure that during your interview you are engaging with what they are saying.
- If you find it interesting, dive further:
- “Tell me more about that”
- “Wow that is really interesting! Have you thought about (insert personal story)”
7 steps to creating video content – your blueprint
- Turn on camera
- Otherwise there will be no interview!
- Buffer period of 1-3 seconds
- Cameras can often have a 1-2 second delay after pressing record, before starting
- Introduction
- Simple Intro: “Hey this is NAME from BROKERAGE. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with NAME from BUSINESS NAME”
- Look at the camera
- Q and A (5 Questions)
- Look at them!
- Outtro
- Looking at them: “Thank you so much for joining me today NAME. It was great to hear about your business and the direction it is moving in”
- Face the camera: “If you would like to be interviewed, just like NAME was, feel free to request an interview at the bottom of this page. OR you can reach out to me at PHONE NUMBER”
- Continue facing the camera: “This is NAME from BROKERAGE, signing off”
- Buffer period 1-3 seconds
- Make sure that you’ve got a solid shot
- Look at the camera smiling
- Turn off camera
- DONE!
Trim the ends on YouTube. No other editing and POST!
No extra shots. No multiple angles. AND if you make a mistake feel free to just reshoot, especially if your interview is 2-4 minutes.
FINAL TIPS AND TRICKS
- Establish what type of video you are going to be creating before the interview
- Know what you want to film and the shots you need to get
- Ensure that your interviewee is aware of your video creation!
- Have a backup plan if things go awry
- Have your YouTube channel set up
- Have all your video equipment ready
- Have fun!
Put yourself in a position to succeed. Don’t spend your entire day editing. Get it done, posted and promoted ASAP so that you can start nurturing the relationship right away.
