{"id":77463,"date":"2016-06-29T11:19:18","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T16:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=77463"},"modified":"2016-06-29T11:20:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T16:20:00","slug":"diy-tips-for-product-demo-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/diy-tips-for-product-demo-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"5 DIY Tips for Product Demo Videos"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re in the world of video production, you’ll likely shoot a few product videos at some point. Here are a few DIY tips and tricks for getting them right.<\/h2>\n

Top image via Shutterstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Shooting a product demonstration video<\/strong> is a must for a company of any size. You can easily make a good-looking product demo<\/strong> \u2014 you just need to be aware of some of their pitfalls and keep a few DIY tools handy.<\/p>\n

1. Camera<\/h3>\n

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\nImage via Blackmagic<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Admittedly, this first tip isn’t very DIY. But it’s important to find a camera that\u00a0works well in most lighting<\/strong> and gives you flexibility over its settings<\/strong> (manual control over the shutter, aperture, etc.). HDMI out with live monitoring<\/strong> is a must if you\u2019re working by yourself. Without it, you\u2019re going to have a hard time judging exposure, focus, and framing while you or your hands are in the shot.<\/p>\n

Remember, HDMI out does not always mean live monitoring<\/strong>, so do your homework. Also, unless you want to take long breaks to recharge your battery, make sure the camera can record while charging. You might want multiple batteries<\/strong> ready to go as well.<\/p>\n

While the URSA Mini<\/strong> pictured above is a little more costly,\u00a0here\u2019s a great post<\/a>\u00a0from Caleb Ward<\/a>\u00a0featuring\u00a0cameras under $1000<\/strong> that offer flexibility on a budget. Okay, now onto the DIY<\/strong> stuff!<\/p>\n

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2. Tripod<\/h3>\n

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\n<\/a>Image via Shutterstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Have you ever tried to do an overhead shot with a normal tripod? Overhead shots can be a complete<\/strong> nightmare<\/strong> without the proper equipment. If you don\u2019t want to splurge on a tripod arm attachment, you can rig up a monopod on a boom stand with gaff tape.<\/strong> It helps if the monopod has a ball head to get the angle just right.<\/p>\n

Of course, this technique also depends on the weight of your camera. You can always get a few sandbags<\/strong> to stabilize the stand or find some other counter weight for the boom. This is a simple DIY solution<\/strong>, but there are some folks that have gone the extra mile, as demonstrated in this video from PetaPixel<\/a>.<\/p>\n