Brands are investing in video production more than ever before, and the reason is surprisingly simple and backed by data: People love video content.
If you’re hesitant to believe this statement, these stats might change your mind: 88% of consumers say they want brands to prioritize video in 2022; 72% prefer to learn about a product or service via video; and as a collective, we tend to retain 95% more of a message after watching videos.
In the corporate world, video comes in many different forms — i.e., TV commercials, social media ads, educational videos, etc. This is great news for you because you’re able to diversify your content strategy and engage prospects at every stage of the sales funnel.
But before you can jump right into making corporate videos, it’s important to first sort out what production gear you have, don’t have, and need in order to film and edit your videos.
To help you differentiate between the gear you need versus the gear you don’t, this guide shares the best types of production gear for corporate teams specifically. (Hint: Making great videos doesn’t necessarily require a ton of gear or a massive budget.)
If this is something that applies to you and piques your interest, keep reading.
Maybe a third-party agency has been producing all of the video content for your brand, but you want to bring production in-house. Or maybe you already have a skilled production team and just want to revamp your production protocol.
Whether you’re producing corporate videos for the first time or not, there are a couple of key factors that affect what your definition of “essential” production gear is:
Your Budget
Here’s the thing about corporate video production: There isn’t a rulebook that says you can only produce engaging content with Hollywood-style gear. You can make a great video that meets all of your performance goals without spending thousands of dollars on new equipment.
So if you’re only shooting short-form videos for social media, a smartphone and a few good filming accessories (i.e., a mic, a ring light, etc.) might be all you need to make a great video. If you’re taking on a bigger campaign, you might invest in a cinema camera, a dolly track, and a good lighting setup.
Even if you have room in the budget to buy expensive gear, just remember that it’s not always practical or necessary to do that. There are a ton of great equipment options on the market today — no matter what your budget is.
Your Expertise
Let’s say you found a piece of camera equipment that is well-reviewed and expensive but still within budget. Even though you have the marketing spend to make the purchase, the gear might actually end up complicating — rather than improving — your production workflow.
For example, you could discover that the camera equipment is too heavy to manoeuvre for long periods of time on your own. Or that the learning curve is too steep and makes you feel more frustrated than inspired.
If you’re up against tight deadlines, you need gear that is relatively easy to master and helps you do your job better. That way, you’ll be in the best position to capture and edit all the footage you need.
Once you have a good sense of your budget and expertise, it’s time to invest in the three main types of gear that are essential to production: lights, cameras, and microphones.
Lights
There are different ways you can rig a studio or other venue with lighting equipment to get an even spread of light and image quality. You could set up softbox lighting, a standard three-point lighting kit, and/or a few strategically placed motivated light sources.
In addition to the lights, there are other essential pieces of gear that are affordable and easy to carry from place to place. A few common examples are color gels (to fix mixed color temperatures), diffusion material (to soften harsh light), and bounce boards (to shape the light).
If you’re looking for the best gear on the market today, this guide provides several options as well as additional lighting tips and tricks.
Cameras
From the resolution to the depth-of-field to the dynamic range, there are so many things to consider when scouting out your first (or next) camera purchase. As we mentioned earlier, there are times when a smartphone camera will suffice, but for those moments when you need next-level gear, we have some advice for finding the right one.
- Make sure the camera passes the budget and expertise test.
- Look for cameras with 4K quality or better.
- Choose an option with in-camera stabilization.
- Check the camera’s extra specs and features.
- Compare all of your options on the market.
Finding the best camera for corporate video production takes time and a good amount of research on your part. To help shave some of that time off for you, here’s a blog post that breaks down 10 top cameras on the market in 2022.
Microphones
When it comes to corporate video production, the audio side of the process is just as important as the visual side. Good microphones are essential — from lavalier mics to boom mics — especially since it’s not always possible to re-record the audio in post-production if things go wrong during filming.
A few of the top-recommended mics to choose from in 2022 are the Blue Yeti, Shure SM7B, and Rode Procaster. These mics are popular among YouTubers, podcasters, and other professionals who dabble in voice-over work.
At the end of the day, the type of lighting, camera, and audio gear you use can and will make a difference in the quality of your corporate videos. By investing in gear that is within your budget and compatible with your workflow, you’ll be in the best position going into post-production.
Author bio:
Mackenzie Scott is a copywriter at Soundstripe, a stock music company that provides filmmakers, creators, and advertisers with royalty free lofi hip hop music (among many more genres).
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