Welcome to the third installment of the Top 10 Tips to be Successful in the Model Program: High Quality Audio-Visual Content. If you missed the previous one, Upload Engaging Content, you can find it here. Let’s jump right in!
Camera Equipment
High quality content begins with a good quality camera, including smartphone cameras. There are plenty of professional options available as well as budget friendly ones. Many of our top creators shoot exclusively on their smartphones.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure your camera has these three features:
- Autofocus
- A minimum of 1080p recording (the number of pixels displayed on the screen, meaning the higher the number, the more detailed the image)
- A minimum of 30fps (frames per second, a measure of how many still images are displayed in a single second of a video)
Our Brand Ambassador, Ricky Johnson, shares his audio-visual strategy in his Model Spotlight, “For my amateur content, I try to be as simple as possible. It’s just two iPhones catching two angles without site of the other, using whatever natural light is in the room. For my professional content, a Sony A7S3 camera is used with a ring light and rod attached. Less is more for me so it’s never some crazy super expensive set up, my focus is more on the person I work with.”
Whether you have $500 or $5000 for a camera, you can find the right one for your needs and budget. And do not forget, if you want to save some cash, you can always buy used equipment. Just make sure the camera works before you buy it.
Good Lighting
The best quality cameras in the world still require proper lighting. But what constitutes good lighting? While technical factors such as white balance, color, intensity, and positioning of your lights are all big factors into proper lighting, most importantly, viewers need to see what is happening in the scene.
Like cameras, there are professional and budget friendly options for lights. One of the most effective and free options is natural sunlight. It is also very flattering! Check the weather forecast, open those curtains, and let the sunlight show off your assets!
For more professional options, consider investing in ring lights, LED panels, reflectors, and other effective tools to not only produce light, but spread it around the room. There are plenty of tutorials online showing you how to light a room for filming. We recommend watching a few to make the most of your tools! Check out this video on easy lighting setup and this video on professional lighting setup.
If you are encountering problems with shadows, try shooting directly in front of a large window. Alternatively, angling a piece of aluminum foil to reflect the light from the window to the darker side of your face can also help. If you have extra equipment, use a lamp or a reflector to light yourself from the back.
Multiple Camera Angles
Multiple camera angles can be achieved by setting up two separate cameras to capture the same scene. If you do not have multiple cameras, you can plan for the angles you want to capture before you begin filming. This will come in handy when you reach the editing stage and will make it easier if there was something blocking the shot.
In our 2023 Year in Review Insights, we learned POV (point of view) content is in the top 25 most searched terms. Keep this in mind while capturing multiple angles. If people are searching for it, they want to see it, and it can be beneficial to include it in your scenes.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is equally as important as visual quality. Nothing will let your fans down faster than a high-resolution video with crackling, muffled audio.
Audio can be broken down into three steps: recording, mixing, and mastering. Depending on what kind of video you are producing, some steps may be more important than others.
1. Recording
This is the process of printing audio onto your hard drive. It is essential to get this part right. Mixing will not sound good if the recording is not clear.
Start by eliminating any background noise in the room that could cause distractions, like fans, air conditioning, or anything else that produces noise. If you are located near a busy street, consider closing your windows to keep the traffic noise out.
Next is your gear. You will need a decent microphone and a covering to eliminate the background noise of the room. Like cameras, there are many professional and budget options available. Do a little research to see what fits your budget. You may also consider a boom mic stand if it is not attached to your camera.
2. Mixing
Now you have the option to mix your audio. Mixing audio is the process of combining multitrack recordings into a final mono or stereo product. For basic videos without music, or recordings with one mic, this step can be skipped.
Some video editing software will include basic audio editing as well. You can mix music into the background (make sure it is licensed for commercial use), raise or lower levels, or adjust other audio components of your video for a finished product.
Depending on the type of content you are creating, you may also use software such as a DAW (digital audio workstation), where you can apply sound effects, plugins, and other professional audio tools. Again, there are many options for all budgets.
3. Mastering
Masting is the process of enhancing overall sound and creating consistency from beginning to end. For most creators, mastering will not be necessary. But if you are releasing ASMR videos, or other sound-specific content, mastering can help put that final polish on your product to really make it shine!
Video Specs
Video specs are technical specifications including format type (.MP4, .MOV, etc.), frame size, bitrate, audio frequency, and more. Understanding and ensuring the content you create fits the minimum requirements will result in fans returning to find more of your videos.
For the best quality videos, we recommend using 1920 x 1080p resolution. The best aspect ratio is landscape, or 16:9 widescreen. Aim for a frame rate of 30-60 FPS. For bitrate, ensure your video is 8Mb/s (megabits per second). Most cameras will have these options in their settings where you can adjust accordingly.
Have you mastered high quality audio-visual content or have additional tips to share? Let us know your tips in the comments!
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