Video production agencies have their own tricks and methods to produce content specified to their brand and target viewers. Unfortunately, not all videos created provide the results that the producers or clients want. What might work for your team might not work for others vice versa. It’s not easy to tell what exactly is best for everyone but in this blog, we’ll talk about 10 video production mistakes to avoid leading your crew down the wrong path.

Lack of preparation

Not having proper planning is a perfect recipe for disaster in video production. It is the most basic task that needs to be done before heading out to the actual shoot. Jumping the gun on a video production project could be horrible and end up messy. But with preparation, everything could go well and smoothly, or at least with minimal errors here and there.  

Of course, planning should always include vital factors such as theme, crew, actors, budget, location, etc. Proper planning is always equivalent to good foresight and foreseeing video production as a whole would save time, money, and energy from re-shoots because of improper planning.

Too many irrelevant messages

Planning for a video production wouldn’t be complete if the theme of the video is fragmented and patched with ideas not related to your main point. Video is another form of storytelling. A plot that is easy to understand and digest will have a bigger impact on the viewers. Remember, the message and theme of your content should always be unified and concise.

Being B-O-R-I-N-G

The average human sustained attention span for online videos is about 60 seconds, and wasting the first minute of the video with nothing that piques the interest of the viewer is a big no-no. Keeping your audience glued to the video is as important as making them click on it. Remember, internet users are exposed to hundreds of videos every day, and looking for something more creative and entertaining is only a couple of clicks away.

Now, how to avoid producing dull content? Try to consider the relatability and the artistic side of the content. Offer something new and of value. Try to come at the same topic from another light. Is there a way to put a spin on the video that others haven’t? After all, the type of video you are producing will play a huge role into the format you take while creating the video.

Too “salesy” 

Pushing the viewers to fall under the bait of sales and marketing especially in video production for products is understandable. However, feeding them too much advertising could cause disinterest to viewers and would result in poor traffic or lower view rates. 

As much as possible, keep it subtle and properly toned. Your audience would look forward to your next videos if they find them relatable and engaging. In today’s busy world, people want to feel a genuine connection with the product. Consider who you are selling to. Are these younger people? Older people? If you can connect with your viewer and have completion on your video, there is a fair chance they’ll want to learn more. We aim for diversity in race and age to maximize the relatability factor.

Poor choice of light and audio equipment

Video production could be expensive and settling to poor quality equipment to save money can cause big issues. This move will only result in poor content and fewer hits from viewers online. In the end, videos are all about visuals and sounds, and everything related to their technicalities is easily spotted. At some point, these flaws could turn off the viewers and their loyalty to the video producers. You can also read more about shops that provide good video and audio equipment to help you pick the right tools.

Awkward angles

When producing video production, your angles truly do matter. Whether it’s a metaphorical sales angle or a camera angle, each can play a big role in the reception of the video. Wrong angles or awkward focal points in video production will spoil the message that the video would like to employ. In some cases, awkward angles won’t let the viewers see the appropriate emphasis of the scenes. Without proper consideration, bad angles will hamper the quality of the video.

Filming with white walls

This one might seem basic but we try to avoid white walls at all costs. White walls can make or break a video. That’s why it’s not commonly used unless the subject can stand on its own. Excessive use of white walls is not advisable because it simply lacks depth and emotion. Just in case, the video production uses a white wall in some scenes, make sure to break the monotony without being a distraction to the subject. 

Improper jump cuts

A jump cut is an editing technique used to separate two sequential shots without changing the position of the camera. Although this method could save time while the story is still moving forward, the lack of knowledge on how to use it could make the video confusing. In some circumstances, playing with jump cuts is a good way to creatively reveal each scenario. But be mindful that this technique hinders the flow of the video due to unrealistic changes in the scenes. This is one of our top 10 video production mistakes to avoid.

Incomplete transitions

Video transitions are a post-video production technique in video editing connecting two shots. This practice is widely used in films and other video-based platforms. Since putting together two different scenes would appear awkward, proper transitioning is the best way to make things appear more appealing. However, short clips or uneven lengths of two subsequent clips could result in a black screen in the middle or after the clips. 

Though video transitions can work at some point with proper use, this technique is one of the least creative ways of putting the content together. If you’ve got to use one, make sure to operate on longer clips to avoid incomplete transitions.

Inconsistency with visuals

Art is a conscious use of skills and imagination in an attempt to produce aesthetically appealing objects. The rule also applies to video production to express artistic images through moving pictures. 

But in some instances in crafting videos, aesthetics are excessively used. At some point, inconsistent designs and graphics are pulled together in one video. To avoid this kind of mistake, always remember that the simplest is the most creative. Just keep in mind the rules on consistency and focal point. There are many ways in which you could have inconsistent visuals. This could result from shooting with two types of different cameras and not color grading them the same. Having different kinds of movement throughout your video. Perhaps cutting from static shots to shots with a ton of movement. It could also happen with crazy effects that don’t make sense for the story!

Wrap Up

Video production can be difficult but should hopefully become rewarding as you see the fruits of your labor. With a few tweaks on some of the basic aspects from pre-production, actual shooting, and post-production, you can create a masterpiece. Hopefully, you learned something from our article on the 10 video production mistakes to avoid.

One thing to take note of is we should all be students of our craft. Mistakes might be inevitable, but we can do our best to avoid these. Analyze other videos, talk to other professionals, read more articles about creating good videos to help you develop your skills and techniques.

Looking for a San Francisco Video Production Team to help you with your content? Contact us!